Mum is one regular Sydney night which consistently delivers an exceptional dose of local rock into the consciousness of the city. And tonight was no exception.
The night launched with Halal, How Are You? – a difficult-to-describe rock band whose lead singer, Zac, has become infamous for taking off his shirt and climbing over everything in sight, whilst beaming out an incredible amount of ferocity alongside tongue-and-cheek lyrics. You know, kind of what The Bloodhound Gang do. Except here, the energetic set consisted of songs about “Daytona USA” and a rousing cover of “Norwegian Wood” (the metal version!), rather than the wood that your Mum gave them. While I’m sure some were afraid, most were clearly entertained, and all-in-all it was a fantastic way to get the night rolling.
Made in Japan, no strangers to the Mum stage, were up next. I wouldn’t go so far as to say these guys aren’t a good band – they certainly had their fans front & centre who seemed to think they were, after all – but for me, they are a fairly average one, as they seem to try just a little bit too hard to make catchy, fun tunes. While they at times succeed, especially with some often impressive guitar work from Tom, it simply wasn’t interesting music, and placed alongside the other bands on the bill, such was an expectation of the evening.
The only non-Sydney band of the night, Los Hories, all the way from New Zealand, were third, and brought along a surprisingly unique sound to the stage. While I can’t say I’ll be rushing out to hear their music, with the tracks fairly mundane at times for my personal taste, I can definitely see these guys (and girl!) create a following as they trounce around Australia.
Finally, the main attraction, Warhorse, had arrived – who earlier in the night had set a new record for guest list arrivals at the venue. The incredibly energetic and talented band have been setting stages alight in Sydney for quite a while now – getting banned from venues and gaining one of the most concrete followings currently in Sydney. And they certainly deserve it – they are producing some of the most entertaining music in town, both from a performance point of view, as well as in the sheer quality of the music alone.
The opening track, which they’re recording for the forthcoming LP, was the longest of the night, reflecting much of the style expected in the forthcoming tracks – long instrumental moments, with powerful supporting vocals, and riffs which make you want to break dance to eternity, holding back for the simple reason that you can’t break dance to save your life… let alone to eternity. Their self-titled track was one of the most polished of the set, as well as a well-deserved crowd favourite.
Ending the night on another favourite, “Skelator”, Warhorse once again proved why they are the Rock and/or Roll band to watch in Sydney.
