This new race/possible new scene of sorts, is kinda centred around a mixture of old Australian pub/hard rock, but with a little bit less of the alcohol, and is like a modern development of it. One of my friends told me that old Australian rock is getting popular again, and in a way, it's good, but only if the racist, macho bogan undertones are successfully removed from it. And I'd say, it's not really possible to rewrite the past and pretend it didn't happen, but it is possible to write the future, and not repeat the mistakes of the past.
And I'd say the vibe was just awesome. It was a mixture of boys, girls, and anyone else. Like Frenzee had a female frontwoman, and Care had women on bass and vocals, which although it isn't the greatest amount of representation, as someone who is all for women in bands, it was pretty good to see. It's probably an overstatement to say this is a new scene, but it felt like the first real different thing, that harkens to the past yet opens new sonic territory, that made it feel awesome.
It wasn't like those pseudo-alternative gigs that felt really elite and where the band members were people from another planet you just don't talk to. It wasn't like those metal-scene hardcore gigs where everyone's dressed in black and all for HEAVY METAL with bands with names that sound more like some secret society than a music group, it wasn't like those Gormless or Project punk gigs either. This was like a culmination of everything, the economic conditions right now, the fact that Communify are being cunts who banned gigs, which meant Ithaca Hall was hired under the guise of it being an art exhibition, the indie art collective-rave adjacent vibes bought along (really by Tani, sorry kinda had to be really specific there), the chill vibes of drummer George (he's literally the living embodiment of the chill guy), the rock and roll influence that has been permeating Piss Off and associated bands for a while now, along with my interest in other genres of music, and combined with the fact that I knew pretty much everybody there, and the pure soul bonding/sharing that goes along with that.
Piss Off
Born To Be Wild, blown to new proportions
Anyways, the emotion was just so so, significant to the experience, and it defined Piss Off's set. Born To Be Wild was blown to new proportions and played like it was played from a another dimension, and I sung every lyric of it, and busted out the moves like the frontman of The Easybeats. The dancing was such a vibe and so enveloping that even Arran began doing his own kangaroo hop, and duckwalk like there was no tomorrow. It was just a pure celebration of the DIY all ages scene, and it was like a moment in history. The energy and just feeling of remarkableness and being a part of something was just like Radio Birdman's Paddington performance, just made to suit a small crowd.
LA Alley
A demo heard before anyone else, sung word for word
Then it was time for LA Alley. A song which I got the chance to listen to way before anyone else, thanks to Arran sending a demo of it to me personally. And it's an awesome track. Of course, with it being a brand new song of theirs, nobody really knew the lyrics, except for me. I was like Young Neil from Scott Pilgrim, the ultra-megafan of Piss Off. I sung all the lyrics to the song, and rocked out to the sheer serotonin and dopamine rush from their outstanding performance. The song felt like a smooth filtered menthol cigarette. There was the slowburn intro bit, which kinda got your rocks up a little bit, before the big rush when the guitar attack came in. This was the best version of LA Alley I've ever heard. The Gormless Records gig a week back? That sucked ass compared to how authentic, how personal, how smooth this gig felt in comparison. I'm not saying it's bad, I had a great time being a vendor and attendee there, but this performance was on another level.
The American In Me
Played like it was made to tailor suit the people present
Next up was The American In Me, which was performed like usual, but of course, with a 'new race' vibe from it, and it felt like Arran, Johnnie and guitarist guy were performing just for us, like an exclusive gig, and it was like it was made to tailor suit the people present, and it was performed in a way that made you feel like a part of the performance. Like you just had to be there. Honestly, Piss Off's, and the next band's performance were the best performances of music I've ever witnessed, and you may think it wasn't that significant, or wasn't really all that exciting, but it just really was, at least for me, or maybe the other present, hopefully.
I'm Stranded
The Saints cover, missed cues and all
Next up was I'm Stranded, a cover of The Saints song, and they kinda butchered it in a way. Arran missed the vocal cue, and guitarist guy didn't know how many times to play, or how to play, which is understandable, I'm Stranded is not a song you can easily memorise, coming from someone who has rehearsed and covered that song before.
From the archive. Gig review · February 2025 · phone notes carried verbatim.