Kingswood launched their new single ‘Ohio’ t The Corner Hotel and the Thursday night crowd were excited about a pre-weekend gig.
Lurch And Chief opened the night and treated the early punters to an entertaining style of music. The six-piece band had a fun vibe about them with plenty of movement and dancing on the stage.
Lurch And Chief had a Jefferson Airplane-esque essence made obvious by their dual vocals between the male and female singers and their 60s psych pop music. It was a pleasure to listen to this young band who know their craft and their sound, definitely a band to see if you get a chance.
Second on the bill was the indie/electronica favourite Bertie Blackman. This seemed like an odd choice of support, given Kingswood’s rock aesthetic and their denim clad fans.
Singer and guitarist Blackman was in fine form with her vocal work, particularly during the pop and dance numbers. The synth and vocals gave a few of the songs a strong 80s feel and had punters dancing. The phaser and distortion effects on the guitar were effective and trippy, adding extra layers to the tracks.
The Melbourne artist has grown into a powerful performer despite her shy demeanour.
Hometown indie rockers Kingswood took the stage to a massive applause and cheers.
The band opened with their hit single ‘She’s My Baby’. The crowd enjoyed it but there wasn’t much movement which may have been due to the early time.
Lead singer Fergus Linarce was quick to thank the fans for being the best fans for selling out the show and being the greater diehard fans than the previous day’s fans.
Guitarist Alex Laska quipped that “you guys are the wives while yesterday’s crowd were the mistresses,” which got a couple of chuckles from the crowd.
The Triple J Unearthed guys have plenty of killer tracks under their belt. ‘Yeah Go Die’ was the song that fired up the fans and had them head-banging, with its Queens Of The Stone Age-style riff. This got the fans fired up and bouncing on their feet.
‘Change Of Heart’ was as catchy and pumped as usual, while ‘Medusa’ was groovy and again, delivered a very catchy chorus
The band is full of talented musicians and bass player Jeremy Hunter is a confident muso who loves taking his bass for walk. Linacre has a powerful voice with a diverse range, which allows the band to vary its song choices and styles. His banter between songs was also humorous and only got better as he drank throughout the evening. The energy of Laska was infectious to say the least and energised the band and the fans.
Their cover of ‘Wolf’ by First Aid Kit was a true highlight that delivered a punch.
The encore was awesome with the single of the night ‘Ohio’ getting a massive reception and had the crowd singing their lungs out. The perfect end to another Kingswood gig.
The Melbourne boys have it all: catchy riffs and choruses, friendly stage presence and banter and receive solid airplay. These guys continue to impress with their live shows and deserve to achieve bigger success in the not too distant future
