Opening on Friday night at the Tivoli, Sydney’s feisty and fierce The Buoys’ guitarist and vocalist Zoe defiantly told the room: “This song’s called 'Linda', sorry to anyone called Linda. This is the first time there’s ever been a Linda in the crowd. This song isn’t about you!”.
The next song, was, in fact, dedicated to the punter in question: “This song is for you,” said Zoe. “...We don’t actually have a name for it, so we’ll call it 'Better Linda'!”
Later in the set, as the band hurled themselves into 'Inside Out', bassist Courtney got down into the crowd to rock out with the punters. It was a solid 10/10 connection with their horde. YEAH The Buoys!!!
Up next, the Tiv came face to face with the latest pill to take you down the rabbit hole: gritty female punk quartet VOIID. “We play so many places, I forgot how f--king sick Brisbane is, cheers,” vocalist Anji declared to a throng of loyal followers. A concoction of teenage angst and booze is presumably what produced the content of one song, dedicated to a guy Anji dated when she was fourteen. With lyrics like ‘you’re a dick and you make me f--king sick’, she was able to express her dismay at once being subjected to this guy’s shitty behaviour.
Anji’s distinctive vocals could be a little hard to swallow at times, but as the set went on, the act’s whole sound gained momentum and grew to match her. 'Silly Girl' had a Hole-esque vibe; with it’s funky bassline and killer chorus, it’ll definitely get stuck in your head if you’re not careful.
Crowd favourites Polish Club took to the stage to carry the party on, after brewing anticipation all evening. Channelling Mercutio from Lurhmann’s Romeo and Juliet, the Sydney fellas did their version of Candi Stanton’s 'Young Hearts Run Free', much to the audience’s delight.
It’s not every day that you can go to a live gig and have a packed-out room know every song and have it sung back word-for-word. This was the reality for PC. With the crowd in the palm of his hand, drummer John-Henry introduced a song about buying merch with a call to action. “Did you see VOIID? Go and buy their merch! Go on, I dare you... We’ve got jumpers, did you see them? Buy a jumper, I f--king dare ya.” He’d later redact his words. Adrenalin-fuelled and dripping with sweat, John-Henry told the crowd, “Don’t buy a jumper. It’s too f--king hot.”
As the mayhem continued, honorary third member, bassist and producer, Wade, brought a mannequin’s leg onstage, which DZ had allegedly gifted them that morning. It enjoyed some crowd surfing before its return to the stage, where JH used it as a tennis bat, whacking balls of unidentified objects into the congregation. While the Tiv chanted for “one more song”, the dynamic trio treated them to a setlist and drumsticks, before departing the stage, hot for the night’s headliners.
Touring in support of their fourth studio album, Positive Rising: Part 1, DZ Deathrays arrived on stage in fitted suits and collared shirts, proving they were there to do business. A few weeks after performing in Denmark, the lads relayed how good it was the finish up tour in their hometown.
Delivering heavy riffs, vigorous drum beats and bass lines to pack a punch, DZ served up a well-balanced banquet of longstanding favourites (Pollyanna, Blood On My Leather, Guillotine) alongside their most recent material (Into It, Snakes, Silver Lining, Year Of The Dog). Punters could be witnessed exiting the pit, soaked, and looking dazed and confused, a testament to the power of the DZ sound. 'Gina Works at Hearts' had the room operating at maximum capacity, as female punters emerged from the depths of the pit to sit on top of the shoulders of their male counterparts to sing the chorus.
The leg made its way back on stage for the second last song, along with members from The Bouys, VOIID and PC. The room swelled with chaos as all the bands collaborated on a major jam.
To wrap up the tour, DZ and PC organised a DJ set at the Brightside straight after the gig, as a form of afterparty. Whilst PC's run of the tour had reached its completion, DZ, VOIID and The Bouys were all backing it up again for the finale at The Zoo the following night. Hopefully we’ll see another ten years of these rockers!
- Marla Tawa