High Society/Knucklehead/Spoilt Little Shits
Green Square Hotel, Sydney
Friday, January 19, 2001
With the closing of the Iron Duke, the Green Square has been left well out
in front when it comes to support for local rock, both new and established,
of the flavour favoured by I-94 patrons (though periodically there is some vigorous
competition from the Excelsior and the Annandale).
First up tonight are the Spoilt Little Shits, about whom I know little except
that half the band are former Burgstrums while the other half have faces which
are familiar from plenty of other gigs, though up till now, generally as part
of the crowd rather than part of the entertainment.
Any band fronted by a woman wearing a mini skirt and white '60s style boots
up to just below the knee isn't going to have much trouble keeping my attention
and the Shits treat us all to a short set of ragged but lively and light hearted
pop/punk, which the audience clearly accepts in the same spirit of fun as it
is served up (and the band certainly deserves extra points for their coordinated
tee shirts).
Since both Knucklehead and High Society have CDs released or distributed by
CrankinHaus Records, it's little surprise that the between sets music
over the PA is a selection of CrankinHaus' current and forthcoming product,
including the Thermals' "I Hate The Nineties" and Knucklehead's distinctive
cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" (no, your eyes are not deceiving
you, it does say "Dolly Parton").
Changeover
complete, Knucklehead step up onto the stage and oh mercy, what an aural onslaught
they unleash. For a band that apparently had no gigs planned at present and
was just a last minute addition to the bill after the band originally booked
for this show accepted an offer from the Meanies to support all their Sydney
shows instead, their set is a focused frenzy of sonic fury, starting up with
a couple of originals and then going into a series of covers (but not either
of their two regulars, the aforementioned "Jolene" or their homage
to the Peter Green line up of Fleetwood Mac, "Oh Well"), finally rounding
out the set with not one but two thumping Turbonegro covers.
The band then leaves the stage triumphant and the audience gobsmacked. Even
the members of High Society, standing amongst the crowd towards the front of
the stage, look a little stunned.
Although I have plonked plenty of praise on these guys before, I'm still stunned
as well. I arrived with high expectations, but tonight they've been met and
then surpassed as guitarists Paul Cronk and Al Creed cranked out the power riffs
like the twin turbochargers on a Jaguar V12 engine (the original 7.2 litre prototype,
not the limp 5.3 that was finally released to the public), while the rhythm
section pushed the pace from behind as if they were in a hurray to get to tomorrow,
obliging vocalist Shaun McFayden to surf on a tsunami of sound.
On top of all that, not only was this not a planned gig that had been rehearsed
for, it is also the first gig with their new bass player (on the CrankinHaus
web site he is introduced as having
"slipped into the rock action like a fist in a bum", which makes me
wonder whether Brother Al has been absorbing perhaps just a few too many Turbonegro
influences...), so the way it all meshed together on stage was even more remarkable.
Hopefully we're not going to have to wait too long before this line up is immortalised
on vinyl (actually I only buy CDs these days, but "immortalised in bits",
"commemorated in ones and zeroes" or "preserved in digits"
just don't have the same ring).
Knucklehead look set to be the apex of the evening, but High Society are not
about to give in without a fight and unlike some bands who are just too cool
for their supports and hang out in the front bar, they usually can be spotted
right in amongst the crowd while the other bands are playing, so clearly they
know and appreciate what a good night of rock'n'roll is all about.
Anyone
who asserts that the day of the power trio is long past cannot have been paying
attention recently. The Powder Monkeys disprove it every time they step on stage
(though unfortunately the stage is rarely in Sydney), 300 St Claire disproved
it conclusively last time I saw them (not surprisingly this was also at the
Green Square), I'm sure Brother Brick would disprove it if they'd only come
out of hibernation and High Society disprove it once again tonight.
It's a hot night and guitarist Levi Kennedy is dressed down in denim instead
of his more usual velvet suit, while the rhythm section are soon playing topless,
just letting the sweat pour off them. They are always energetic and always entertaining
and they don't let the heat slow them down in the slightest tonight either.
Instead it seems fuel the fire of their showmanship as they give us a good range
of rock star antics, but without letting them get in the way of the music, which
is played with plenty of punch and pace (but maybe taking their cover of "Breaks
My Heart" a little too fast).
They used to say that "you can't stop the rock", but in recent years
angry neighbours and court injunctions have demonstrated otherwise and all too
soon it's the witching hour, which is also curfew time. Nevertheless, back when
I was a lad, tonight has been what we were accustomed to label "a top night
out"
.- John McPharlin
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