MUM and the World Bar
certainly know how to jam pack a whole selection of bands into one night, and
tonight was no exception – it was even slightly overwhelming.

Feeling almost
like a mini-music festival for your Friday night in the delightful Kings Cross,
the line up featured The Laurels, Zeahorse and Dead China Doll, to name a few of
the fifteen bands spread out in multiple rooms within the madhouse of a venue. I
got pretty intoxicated and confused as to who played when or what I saw first
and last, so this review is going to be a jumbled description of some of the
awesome and not so awesome bands that played.

Myth and Tropics featured Liam
from the now disbanded The Scare. At times they sounded pretty damn
similar to The Scare – like note for note. On “She’s Medieval”, however the
singer is sounds like Kiss Reid, and those bass and guitar lines aren’t too far
off either. It’s like when The Strokes went on hiatus and Fab the drummer
formed that band Little Joy, and the singer sounded exactly like Julian
Casablancas. It’s not really my cup of tea, but I’ve always been more of a
coffee man so that’s all I’ll say about that.

Next up (or at least I think
so) was Domeyoko/Gonzalez, who are another one of my new favourite Sydney bands.
I came to them pretty late after they supported Bridezilla the other month.
Tonight saw the band as a three piece, but it was just as incredible and even
more destructive. I don’t know how they write, construct and execute this
music, but I couldn’t care less. This is one of the only bands I can watch live
and not look away from start to finish.

Moving about the multiple rooms of the
world bar I made my way to Dead China Doll who are probably really excited
about the upcoming apocalypse apparently due to arrive in 2012 (according to
everyone who tells me this). They will more than likely write the soundtrack as
the fireballs are coming down along with the four horsemen doing a jig next to
some burning buildings. “Face Fuckers Unite For Aids” will be the main theme. Completely the other way towards “sunshine” and “hope” were March of The Real Fly who were
something I really dug, I don’t know if many other people will. But you really
just can’t tell anymore, apparently it’s all about marketing. Anyway, it sounds
like Daniel Johnston singing with a backing band featuring members of Neutral
Milk Hotel. Straight from the bedroom nineties, probably all going to be
recorded on a four track, feel good hits of the summer.

Speaking of the
nineties, Tin Can Bloom** didn’t mind playing some sort of Pearl Jam sounding
alternative rock, and I didn’t really mind listening either – but I’ve never
really been an aggressive drunk, so its hard to say how I really felt. They had
soft moody lead lines, bouncing drums and Eddy Vedder on vocals. Getting
towards the end saw the headliner act take the stage, everyone was ready to
collapse at this point, but one more band wouldn’t hurt. The Laurels are
becoming one of those bands around Sydney who will never let you down, their
dreamy pop music has this hypnotic ability to put you in a trance and simply
nod your head to the beats and drones obeying their orders. With three years
experience under their belt and last years top-notch seven inch, The Laurels
provide an authentic psychedelic soundscape both on record and on the stage.

Friday
nights haven’t been this exciting for a while. 

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** Editors note: This was actually Indigo Rising. According to promoters, Tin Can Bloom broke up during their sound check. Seriously?!