Drumsticks went flying and ‘weird, dark, wild, crazy stuff’ was occurring on the stage of the Evelyn during Store Bought Cool’s set in support of Francolin. The Melbourne band’s eclectic combination of anti-folk, rock, pop, blues and a little bit of country was intriguing and impressive. Led by a charismatic frontman, who donned a bunny mask on occasion, Store Bought Cool pulled off a striking set filled with beautiful imperfection; raw and creative in the best possible ways.

The ensemble includes a violinist, a couple of guitars, drums, keys and the occasional harmonica – all coming together to produce a lively rendition of some very, very original music. The band’s vibe was creepy yet hypnotising, and the drummer, Cara, was like a ray of golden sunshine as she cheerfully slammed away at the drums behind her male band-mates. Some of the songs included ‘Betty’ and ‘Fuck, I love this song’, and the band embraced some upbeat country music towards the end of the set. Definitely a band I’d love to see again in the future.

In Francolin’s second last week of their month-long residency, they attracted a vast crowd who were up and willing to dance to the indie-pop tunes from the word go. And that crowd just expanded as the set went on, with barely room for a path to be forged through people young and old doing the two-step and more. My friend is convinced he even saw the bass player from The Basics standing amongst them…

Giving away free copies of their EP on the door, this talented young troupe gathered momentum as they pelted out several songs, including ‘War on Summer’ and ‘Skyhook’. Highlights include whenever the trumpet emerged, soaring high above the rhythm guitar and the catchy hooks. Though they remind me of Yves Klein Blue, Francolin certainly seem to have a firm grasp on the sounds they wish to produce – resulting in a unique approach to pop, folk and rock. Consistently charismatic and constantly uplifting, regardless of the song’s subject matter, the boys and girl work together with ease. The bliss of the band was reflected among the audience, who were pulling some wild, happy, creative dance moves for the occasion. Francolin are another fine band emerging from inner-city Melbourne, look out for them in the forthcoming months.