One of the unsung champions of the Sydney live music scene is The Lansdowne Hotel, essentially opposite Sydney University on City Road. Those of us who went to Sydney Uni remember the venue more for the $5 (now $7-15) meals (that would usually keep you there well beyond lunchtime) than for the music. But in recent years, more and more emphasis has been placed on live music, with the venue now showcasing Sydney’s finest in one form or another every night of the week – and for free! The packed out gig on Friday night was just one example of the great nights they have on offer, featuring two well established Sydney groups and one brilliant new act ready to set the scene on fire. In other words – it made for a bloody good night.
This new act was up first, and they go by the name Kill City Creeps. Though new to the scene, its members are not. You might remember lead singer (and rhythm guitarist) Daniel Darling from his days in the brilliant (and well missed) Dolly Rocker Movement. Two of the three girls who form the rest of the band – Amy Yoshiko (Lead Guitar & Vocals), Mon Cherie (Drums) – you may remember from the superb Dora Maar. Throw in the lovely Nina B on the Organ and you have yourself Sydney’s newest hip happenin’ band!
The music they perform is decidedly “surfy sixties”… the kind of music that Tarantino would happily place alongside Brad Pitt, John Travolta, Uma Thurman and himself in one of his movies. On face value the music is thematically simplistic (insert references to Mary Jane here, rebellion there and rock and roll around the corner) and technically sophisticated. It’s the genre personified to near perfection, with the organ a continual nice touch, and as is most important to the genre: it’s simply a whole heap of fun. Their track “2012: The Kids Just Want To Rock and Roll”, which closed the set, was my personal favourite – though single “I Got a Letter” is as catchy as all hell and makes for a highlight in its own right.
Rising from the ashes of their predecessors, this is one group that will be – and has already become – a very welcome addition to the Sydney live scene.
Watching next band Whipped Cream Chargers was like getting a glimpse into what things might be like for Kill City Creeps in the future: a more diverse sound, a grounded fan base, and the removal of identity from their previous projects (of which the gentlemen of WCC have had a few). While it would be hard to label WCC as ever focusing on surfy rock and roll (though often not far removed), you certainly can see where I’m going here…
It has been a while since I’d last seen the band perform. A few of the members disappeared to India for a while, Louis broke his leg (and tonight was seated for the performance)… so it was good to see them again. They’ve always been a welcome addition to any lineup they grace. It was clear that they hadn’t been sitting idly since my last experience, however, playing a few tracks I don’t think I’d heard before. One was called “Dandy”, which was about their friend Dan – “We love you Dan!” – and it, alongside the rest of the tracks with which I was unfamiliar showed some true potential. They felt more layered and adventurous than some of their best known tracks, showing them maturing as a band, as musicians and composers.
The recent “Rasputin” alongside older tracks such as “Harp of Gold” all went down a treat, though with lyrics like “I wanna sleep with you / I know you want me to” and tracks like “You Look Good On Me” (which ended the set), however, this will be a band who always will have their detractors. Lyrically they certainly have their moments of immaturity. But when the music itself is catchy, and well represented within their self described genre of “post coital punk”, it all seems to gel together pretty damn nicely. Their debut album Whip it Out will be released in November on the back of some crowd sourced funding! Very nice.
Speaking of very nice, it’s very nice indeed to see Regular John back on the stage. It’s been a slow crawl back into public consciousness since Brock left the band and The Peaceful Atom Is A Bomb failed to maintain the sort of traction it had at the start of its cycle – but after playing with Motorhead and at Big Day Out this year, I think it’s safe to say they’re well on the road back into our ears, minds, hearts and for some, our bedroom floors.
Miles Devine, Brock’s replacement, has fit into the pack nicely, and their new material (a second album isn’t far off by the sounds of things) is looking to be some impressive, well fleshed out rock and roll. Will it be enough to push them past the points they reached with their debut though? Honestly at this point I couldn’t say. Nothing had quite stuck with me as I left the venue, but I certainly left feeling pretty excited to hear what’s next to come for the four piece. They’re a bit of an establishment in this fine city after all, and ongoing proof that rock and roll will never die…
