What do you get when you take three hard, grungy bands, one amped up crowd, and stick them in a small night club together? One crazy night.
Last week, Brisbane’s Alhambra Lounge got torn apart thanks to the likes of Violent Soho and friends on what has been a very successful tour in support of their latest EP.
With a sold out venue, Brisbane locals Tape/Off took to the stage first to get the crowd started with their hard rocking set. Having headlined the likes of The Zoo before on their own tour, these Brissie grunge rockers are no strangers themselves and the concert-goers have already poured in to get a glimpse.
Smashing through their 45 minute set with a mammoth sound of distorted guitars, and drummer Branko Cosic wailing away on the drums, the band deliver a hell of an opening set for the night that gets the punters warmed up for the barrage of rock to come.
As the people regather themselves to the sounds of the Sex Pistols over the speakers, Dune Rats set up for their support slot on stage. After a half hour wait the also-Brisbane up-and-comers take to the floor.
Although considered a pop/indie band, they pump out another rocking set that keeps everyone nice and sweaty and the eardrums vibrating. Yet again, assaulting with pounding drums and heavy guitar riffs, following on from Tape/Off, they keep the mood amped up, which by now it well and truly is.
With both supports now out of the way, the excitement is very quickly building up and the punters are now flowing in quite steadily to fill the venue right to the edges. Being the last stop on the tour, everyone has by now seen the rock ‘n’ roll chaos that Violent Soho are about to unleash.
The hometown quartet strolls onto the stage as bodies pack themselves in like sardines up front of the stage. With the first song underway, immediately security is forced to take to the stage just to try and attempt to keep the crowd at bay as the place collectively loses it.
The heavy rock riffs and weighty rhythm section sound like something straight out of the 90s, and glancing round, the whole place looks like something from the decade too.
From the punters spilling onto the stage to the odd few hanging off the lights, the place has gone off.
Amps keep getting pushed around while a speaker stack threatens to collapse over in the corner. The band couldn’t be any more professional as they continue to deliver this nightmare for security as plastic jugs get hurled around the room.
Eventually the guards practically give up as the audience sneak around them to go stage diving and the band don’t mind none.
Powering on with their set and finishing on the new and huge single “Tinderbox”, the quartet leave the stage and those left either gingerly leave the venue, limp their way over to the first aid area, or line up to thank the band for one club show to remember.
