Anyone wondering in off the street and into the Workers Club on Friday night would have either been extremely offended, confused, or both, when dawdling into the band room to be confronted by four figures that go by the name The Towelheads.
Much as their name suggests, this questionably labelled four-piece took to the stage donning white bed sheets positioned in a toga-like fashion accompanied by headdresses made up of a collection of your kitchen tea towels.
Questions into political correctness aside, The Towelheads opened the evening with a collection of sweat -tained and sand riddled instrumental surf-rock tunes. Buzzing with the haze of a sun-singed mirage, the semi-psychotropic existence that is The Towelheads made for an interesting set -accompanied by the most eager of coordinated dance moves.
Chook Race performed a set riddled with awkward interludes where the only person who felt like they were in any way interested of being there was the bassist. Trouble with mic stands, confusion regarding their set list and the overall lack of preparation – often halting at the beginning of songs to figure out who came in first – all started off as a quirky addition to the set that came off less than charming by the end of it.
Aside from that the music was a quaint, familiar sounding indie-slacker that’s become popular amongst Melbourne bands over the last few years. Vocal twinges and songs about your average Australian suburban landscape stumbled over jangly garage guitar riffs and a spirited snare drum.
Returning from overseas debaucheries and a series of European gigs, The Frowning Clouds were welcomed back to Melbourne in the Workers Club band room by a warm group of fond hearts and loving ears.
They’ve become a sort of band of local darlings, delivering constantly energetic and lively performances covered in mod-drenched 60’s throwback garage rock’n’roll. Dripping in reverberated guitar melodies, wobbly bass lines and choruses of uninhibited wailing and nostalgic harmonies .
Fuzzed out vibes floated densely through enthusiastic head nodding and knee jerking as the band bounced along to their own collection of rollicking tunes from eras bygone. The Frowning Clouds have become as synonymous with the local music scene as Nuggets is with garage music, and for good reason. Please don’t be going away anytime soon, guys.
