Long confined to the shadows of psychedelic counterparts Tame Impala, pop jam advocates Pond showcased an experimental demonstration of glam rock at the Corner Hotel.
Despite occasional incoherence in both vocal and tune, the six-piece delivered an enthralling set defined by unwavering rolls of probing bass and inquisitive guitar.
With an ever-changing line-up and five albums in six years, Pond confers an entertaining and unrestrained live performance underlined by restless stage demeanour and abstract song progression.
It was genre bending seven-piece Mangelwurzel that opened the evening however, with explorative manifestations of impulsive pop rock.
Defined by the moderate hooks of Loretta Wilde on bass and Christopher Windley on drums, the band advanced through an entertaining array of pounding tracks including ‘Bye Big Baby’ and set highlight ‘Everybody’s Friend’.
With excitable beats and deranged tone composition, the band developed an engaging prelude to dynamic Perth act Doctopus, who themselves delivered an inconsistent yet versatile display of abandoned sound.
Despite dubious lyrical themes and sporadic wordplay on ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Here’, the band sculpted an appealing performance of forceful garage composites, with opener ‘Backyard’ particularly distinguished for its undulating tempo.
Donning an old-school Fremantle Dockers AFL guernsey, frontman and bassist Stephen Bellair exposed glimpses of extreme talent, while Jeremy Holmes on guitar and John Lekias on drums maintained flowing rhythmic streams throughout the occasion.
Though as the evening steadily progressed, it was Pond who stole the limelight with an enthusiastic arrangement of kaleidoscopic jams.
Welcomed by an unexpected Kanye West playback, the band commenced with ‘Whatever Happened To The Million Head Collide’ and ‘Xanman’, while ‘Torn Asunder’ was an absorbing funk number that reaffirmed the band’s hallucinogenic brand of multicoloured rock.
With inventive phaser fusion balanced by conceptual sonic templates, the band drew on timeless classics from inventive third album Frond and recently released EP Hobo Rocket.
Providing an exuberant display of melodious ingenuity, the band continued with the distorted brilliance of ‘Fantastic Explosion Of Time’, while ‘Giant Tortoise’ was an awe-inspiring showpiece of manic intensity.
Revealing unrivalled instrumental capability on ‘Medicine Hat’ and ‘Allergies’, the six-piece sustained cohesive soundscapes reinforced by fuzzy guitars and heavy synth.
With diminutive frontman Nick Allbrook in imposing vocal form, the band pushed by ‘Leisure Pony’ and the well-received ‘Betty Davis’ as arrangements steadily thickened.
Boasting persistent and rolling bass strings on ‘Moth Wings’ and ‘O Dharma’, Cam Avery was ably assisted by recent addition Matt Handley on drums, while Jamie Terry on keys fashioned an imperative balance on aggressive closer ‘Midnight Mass (At The Market St Payphone)’.
Returning once more for an outstanding interpretation of the dazzling ‘Eye Pattern Blindness’, the band were then joined by vehement members of both Mangelwurzel and Doctopus for encore finale ‘Ladies’.
With topless women and customary crowd-surfing combined with the messy bellows of Joe Ryan and Jay Watson on guitar, the evening came to an abrupt and overwhelmingly chaotic conclusion.
Despite being somewhat disorderly and unpolished in comparison to the production prowess of Kevin Parker and co., Pond maintained an overt proficiency that ensured an exceptional all-round performance.
Setlist
Whatever Happened To The Million Head Collide
Xanman
Torn Asunder
Fantastic Explosion Of Time
Giant Tortoise
Medicine Hat
Allergies
Leisure Pony
Betty Davis
Moth Wings
Oh Dharma
You Broke My Cool
Midnight Mass
Eye Pattern Blindness
Ladies
