At long last Circle Pit’s debut album “Bruise Constellation” has been released. Set to get the vinyl treatment later this year thanks to US label Siltbreeze, fans were happy to settle for the CD and one killer performance for the release celebrations. 

Due to a quick line-up change from Songs to The Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys, the ever-so-reliable three piece still seem to be getting better by the week.  Playing songs off their debut seven inch along with a justice serving cover of “Fortune Son” by Creedence Clear Water proving once again that I can’t wait until the band records a 24-track studio album. 

Following the BWBB’s were the always-explosive Dead Farmers who as usual, held you up by the neck, screaming in your ear and swung you around the room for a while. Even if bassist Daniel Groz was wearing a “Hanson” boy band shirt, their full-blown attack was something to be intimidated by. They tore through songs off their recently released LP “Go Home” and even managed to include two new ones, which front man David Ackerman claimed were still in need of revision and practicing. They still sounded pretty damn good to my soon-to-be ringing ears. Direct from Melbourne was the final support of the evening, and completely different to the previous two. 

Lost Animal is generally the one-man creation of Jarrod Quarrell, responsible for the dynamite one off St. Helens release “Heavy Profession” in 2009. There was no doubt that it was the same man, you could tell that distinctive vocal anywhere, but instead of trash can guitars and sloppy rock Lost Animal was littered with keyboard and bass rhythms. Accompanied by one bass player and armed with a keyboard and a bucket load of effects, it was probably closer to electronic poetics rather than white boy rap. It will be exciting to see how this unfolds on record when Quarrell gets around to it. 

The crowd had multiplied by the time Circle Pit hit the stage, being one of the first bands I’d ever seen in Sydney in the twenty or so times I’ve seen them that followed– every show has been completely different. When they played the second song “Dead Meat” it was like an apocalyptic groove of cosmic sludge had slapped me in the face. I was convinced this was the best show yet. Guitarist Angela Bermuda knows her way around the guitar neck, it seems they all do. Angela, Jack and new addition Harriet Hudson all swap guitar solo duties throughout the songs – even when Angela breaks a string she makes up for it with tambourine and fist-pumping. 

It’s when the three are locked on the one thick chord with Angie and Jack singing in the unison when it all comes alive. The screaming dual vocals have always been a great melodic way to get a catchy song out; X’s “Los Angeles” had it and so does “Thank You” by the Royal Trux. I’m quite certain that Circle Pit have it down packed too. Playing their first single “Another Trick” and plus other songs off the record like “Infinity” and “Beginning and The End”, the possible highlights of the evening were the two brand new songs. “Suicide” is a great example of the death of the old line-up and shows the exciting potential of what’s in store for the future of the band.

It made me run home and listen to all my old Motley Crue and Guns N’ Roses records, and for the first time in while not feel ashamed by it.