“This band will not be playing at a venue this small in three years. They are going to be huge, I’m telling you.”
This declaration, from a stranger standing beside me in the Grace Darling Hotel, is a realistic one: City Calm Down, a quartet from inner-city Melbourne, put on a damn good performance.

Prior to the gig, when I heard that CCD fell into the indie-pop-electro genre, I was torn between excitement and apprehension. Yes, I enjoy a boogie through and through, but recently I’ve felt overwhelmed by the amount of like-minded musicians I’ve been subject to. Though Melbourne is allegedly pulsing with a huge variety of unique musical talents, the number of indie-rock/pop/electro/punk bands doing the inner-city pub circuit at the moment is excruciating. Actually, that's the case with the whole scene at the moment. That's fine, but I want something new and exciting, please!

Well, on Thursday night, CCD delivered exactly what I ordered. My cynicism was washed away; these are some guys to look out for.

Eclectically, the group combine haunting, lyrical melodies with the heavy bass lines and synthesizers that are obligatory for today’s indie-pop sound. But, unlike many of their counterparts, they execute their music with an air of confidence, forcing their audience to pay attention. Despite their identical haircuts, each band member brings a unique element to the ensemble: enthusiastic drummer, key player cross part-time saxophonist, vocalist with real character and a bass player that, due to the lack of a lead-guitarist, receives the attention that most of his kind deserve.

Aside from a handful of very animated women dancing away in the front row, I think it’s safe to assume that most of the audience had heard little (or nothing) from the band before seeing them in the flesh. This, however, did not detract anything from the excitement ensued by CCD. Actually, I could say it almost increased it.

The music was dance-evoking and definitely catchy enough to make it large in the mainstream, should they seek such success.
As for the show itself, the ambiance of the band room in the Grace Darling was fantastic: smoke machines and disco balls meet classy, Victorian décor in an intimate setup - the perfect vibe for an Autumn evening out in Collingwood.

If you should happen to live in this general ‘hood, I thoroughly recommend you get down to the Grace Darling sometime in the coming weeks. City Calm Down will be performing there every Thursday throughout April, with a different support act each week (genuine kudos to The Raffaelas, very promising group indeed: http://www.myspace.com/theraffaellas).

The fellas from City Calm Down are currently in the midst of putting a record together, due for release in about June or July (if my memory serves me correctly).

In short, I will reiterate that stranger’s claim: yes, I do believe these boys will be going somewhere. They’re not perfect yet, but they’re not expected to be. They are definitely on the right track.