Saturday night is always bustling on King Street in Newtown and last Saturday was no different at Waywards at the Bank Hotel. Hard Rockers Avalanche made their triumphant from touring Japan with their final performance of their "Hell's Getting Hotter With You" Single Tour.
Although they didn't open the doors for an extra half an hour (doors supposed to open from 7:30pm), that didn't stop Packing Dhaka from funkying the crowds walking into the venue. Samin Ahmed (lead vocals), Timo Jokela (guitarist), Daniel Algeri (keyboard), Hartley Duggan (drummer) and Bryan Oh (bass) harmonized on lookers with tracks included YKTV, Crumbling Crossroads (latest release) and their hit Firecracker. They are certainly a package of jazz harmony infused with indie rock, funk and catchy hooks. Their music appeals to any type of audience or venue whether your sitting a dark jazz club or preparing to watch a hard rock gig like this one.
The next band certainly cranked up the tone of the room and was a personal highlight from the gig, Lady Lazurus. From the word go they turned the attitude of the room from peace loving to destroy everything in site. Caroline Parks (vocals), Isabel Rakuljic (Bass), Julia Nienhaus (Drums) and Eva Lozanovska (Guitar) brought punk rock ferocity to every song they screamed and roared including their songs Pint of V.B., Hannah Banana, Pork Roll and Blondes (set to be released in May). There was moments during the set where I thought I was watching Iggy Pop and The Stooges the way Caroline throws herself around the stage, not knowing what she would say or do next. It's rare to see strong punk bands in Sydney let alone femme fronted bands so it was good site to see that night. The crowd were pleased to see a different genre added into Sydney's hard rock indie scene. Rounds of VB were bought for the band as a token of appreciation.
Simmering things down after Lady Lazurus left the stage in smoke was The Toothpicks. Consisting of original members Harry (vocals), Rhys (guitarist), Jianne (bass) and drummer for hire Josh took the stage with their indie rock energy. Having seen them twice before previously supporting tribute band Noasis at Manning Bar (UNSW) and Metro Theatre (George Street, Sydney), it's fair to say this was probably their best performance that I've seen of them. A great moment I witnessed was when Rhys channelled his inner grunge frenzy by swinging and strumming his guitar around the place until the strings were out of shape. The guitar was replaced like a glove just in time before Harry continued to sing. It was great to see the band perform to an attentive and engaging crowd with such songs as Superwoman!, A Toxic Melee, Be There In A Sec and a cover of Silverchairs's Straight Lines. Gearing up for what was to come next.
The main event finally commenced, Avalanche. The hard rockers performed a short but crowd pleasing set. Steven Campbell (vocals, bass), Veronica Campbell (Lead Guitarist), Arthur Divis (Rhythm Guitar) and Ryan Roma (drummer) performed their hot blooded tracks inspired by the Aussie pub rock bands of the 60s and 70s aka the good stuff. Along with introducing their newest track "Hell's Getting Hotter With You", they performed songs including Bottle of Sin, Get Back (To Fuckwit City), Second Hand Band and Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again (No Way, Get F*cked, F*ck Off) (The Angels Cover), showcasing the full might of the band that was on display for all to see. With the solid rock chemistry antics of husband and wife duo Steven and Veronica along with the rhythm back bones of Arthur and Ryan, it equips Avalanche's climb to the Rock N Roll mountain, cause it's a long way to the top and to carry the flag on the peak.
As Rolling Stone Magazine once said about Avalanche “Avalanche have been making a name for themselves as purveyors of blistering Aussie hard-rock… they’re one band you need to watch”. It will be great to see what the band has instore next after wrapping up this tour.
Great night! Lady Lazurus the find of the night for me. That was a great in your face set the way punk should be. Avalanche, as always, putting on a great show. All those live shows they've been playing are really showing. It's a great Aussie pub rock set.