Sydney’s SURES and Brisbane’s Go Violets are two of Australia’s most promising acts of 2013.
So what better location for these co-headliners to perform at than Adelaide’s very own music hub: The Ed Castle. From Bad//Dreems to Wavves, a plethora of established and up-and-coming acts have graced the Ed Castle stage before.
Yet given their fiercely fun attitudes and sublime sounds, it was clear that SURES and Go Violets would have no problem impressing those attending.
First up was local band, Horror, My Friend confirming that looks are indeed, deceiving. While they may have looked fresh out of high school, the trio’s blend of melodic vocals and swirling grunge arrangements predated their youthful appearance, recalling the glory days of noise and Nirvana.
The boys’ unusual stage banter -with topics ranging from shoebrews to Nickelback- and drummer Al Christophel’sferocious hitting style provided some entertainment, but their indistinguishable set list and fixation with ‘90s alternative rock failed to engage the sprawled crowd.
Up next was Sydney’s finest duo-turned-quartet SURES, whose hazy rock blend turned things up a notch much to the delight of the Ed Castle’s patrons.
From their live set, it’s understandable why SURES are one of the buzz bands of 2013.
Despite being victim to a ‘disastrous’ rite of passage (a guitar string broke), the quartet’s reverb-drenched, Beach Boys-inspired tunes translated fantastically into the live setting.
From the gorgeously aqueous “Poseidon” to their surprisingly impressive cover of Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”, singer Matt Hogan captivated the crowd with his brash, youthful vocals as the rest of the band worked their magic, contributing to Hogan’s aural spell.
Set-closer and latest single “Waste” was one of their finest moments. As Hogan screamed with conviction, SURES’ dreamy sound transcend the dingy walls of The Ed Castle, transporting the audience to a fantastical utopia of ample hash and infinite good vibes.
The informal award for best on ground however, goes to Go Violets – the cutest all-girl band since Warpaint. In spite of a rough start caused by mixing problems and the absence of singer/guitarist Phoebe Imhoff (replaced a lovely member of of Major Leagues), this feminine foursome’s blend of garage rock and bubblegum pop charmed the audience into a fervent state of adoration.
Energetic numbers like “Josie” and “Teenager” showcased the quartet’s admiration for The Ramones and surf-rock, but it was the girly qualities simmering below their mild distortion that proved most captivating.
From delightful vocal harmonies that put Pitch Perfect to shame to attractively candid lyricism, Go Violets’ sincere yet rollicking tunes were irresistible.
In a bizarre turn of events, the girls invited SURES and Horror, My Friend back on to the stage to perform one last number – a blaring punk-rock rendition of The Powerpuff Girls theme song!
Naturally, all technicality and precision were lost as all 11 musicians took part in a raucous experiment, featuring a disassembled drum kit and SURES drummer, Simon, simply drinking a beer on stage.
Despite the peculiar song choice, this finale confirmed – without doubt – that SURES and Go Violets are two of the most vivacious and amusing acts Australia has to offer.
