Beginning the evening’s proceedings at the dingy old Pony was Max Impact, known to some as the singer/guitarist in local band Esc. Without the backing of his band, Max Impact sings and plays guitar to programmed beats from the laptop at his side.
Utilising sustained guitar feedback sounds over beats reminiscent of New Order, Nine Inch Nails and modern commercial hip hop, Max Impact doesn’t always hit the mark, but when he does the early crowd do seem appreciative of his unique brand of digital grunge.
Next on stage was “Thunder Rock” band, The Steins. If you’re wondering what Thunder Rock is, it’s a bit like 70s garage rock with a thrash metal vibe. As the band begin their set of driving tunes dressed in fine knitwear they seem somewhat promising, yet as they get sweatier and they strip down to t-shirts and wife beaters, the music also becomes less stimulating.
While The Steins play with impressive energy and the fitting singer sounds like a pack of Winfield Blue, their brand of ballsy rock went down better than expected. The Steins aren’t a bad band, but they’d probably be better off with a support slot for a Motley Crue cover band than playing to the pretty hip crowd at the venue tonight.
Support act, The Primary, sounded like a blend of The Cure’s early indie-pop and My Bloody Valentine’s shimmering noise, The Primary pulled in an approving audience with a moody and aggressive set.
Usually playing as a four piece with the addition of keyboards, the trio didn’t seem to be lacking anything as they released their short, spit-fire songs unto the audience. While some of the poppy tracks were a bit sugary for some of the crowd, for the most part The Primary put on a solid and esteemed performance.
Closing out the evening’s show were headliners Scotdrakula, a guitar, bass and drum trio playing fun and furious rock.
Evoking the sounds of West Coast surf rock acts like Wavves and Best Coast, Scotdrakula have a fuzzy yet radio friendly sound, but don’t let that make you think they’re just another cookie cutter indie band. Singer/guitarist Matthew Neumann’s choked howls and frenetic strumming are backed by a driving rhythm section who also provide bright vocal harmonies that really fill out the band’s sound.
The raw, high energy delivery of hook-laden tunes seemed to go down a treat with the Friday night Pony crowd, with everyone at least bopping a head. One happy Hawthorn supporter barely had his feet on the ground as he repeatedly flung himself into the air.
A highlight of the set was “Burner”, a building, anthemic track (that’s available for download on the band’s bandcamp page). Scotdrakula put on a hell of a show, and if their single is anything to go by, their upcoming album will be pretty killer too. Check them out.
– A.P. Morton
