On Saturday night, The Amplifier Bar in Perth played host to the wonderfully energetic Thee Oh Sees from California.

The first support act for the night was local band, Astral Travel are the antithesis of Thee Oh Sees, playing a low key, melodic set which seemed to draw the early evening crowd in, warming everyone up for the bands to follow.

Next up was another local Perth band, the Sabre Tooth Tigers, who mix humour and music into a wonderfully fresh show that draws the audience in and makes you feel like a real part of the experience. Seeming to suffer from a very short attention span, Chris Cobilis leads the trio from behind the drums in a series of short, raw, punchy numbers, interspersed with stories, jokes and refilling of beer glasses. Claiming to sound like “three retarded baboons masturbating in a confined space” the Sabre Tooth Tigers, bring a delightfully irreverent and self-effacing perspective to the table. Great to watch and well worth a listen.

Bringing up the rear and turning up the energy to 110%, John Dwyer and Thee Oh Sees gave the audience exactly what they came to see. To try and describe their sound is difficult. It has been called garage music, sixties beat pop, psych rock and more, but it really is an amalgamation of so many styles. It borrows the best parts of each and melds them into the lively animated show that sees Dwyer bouncing around the stage like Peter Garrett with hair, swallowing the microphone whole and then trying to do the same with his guitar.

If you want to hear some great rock n roll music played by people who clearly love what they do, then check out Thee Oh Sees next time they are in town. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.