The boss has cracked the whip on my lack of content. It’s not for a dearth of gigs and venues, It’s just, in the words of the mighty Sex Pistols, I’m a lazy sod. Without further ado …
After a couple of post work, weekend heart starters at Earl’s Juke Joint https://www.instagram.com/earlsjukejoint/?hl=en (if you haven’t been, make sure you do. It’s one of the best speakeasies in Sydney, hidden behind the façade of an old butcher’s shop on King Street (the Old Fashioned’s are top notch) it’s off to MoshPit Bar. https://www.moshpitbar.com.au/
If you have been to MoshPit Bar you know what I’m about to say. It’s small, real small. Maybe the smallest live music venue in Sydney. No cats allowed, no room to swing them. Bonus for beer though. They have Black Hops GOAT Hazy IPA on tap! For the craft beer drinker this an absolute win at a music venue. Cracking beer, good times are sure to follow.
Back to the venue, MoshPit is long and thin, and that design tells you the next thing about MoshPit as soon as Green Amphibian https://www.facebook.com/amphibianrecords (Sean v, Chad g, Ben b, Jay d) hit the first guitar chord and the vocalist starts spitting out lyrics. It’s loud, and there is no escape! Green Amphibian are only new on the live music scene, and their set is short and sweet, reflecting the songwriting output at present. It somehow fits the band.
The vocalist spends much of the set off the band riser, right on the floor, next to the crowd, gesticulating wildly, screamingeaming, yelling, and growling lyrics right in our faces. I’m not sure how to describe them.
There are some hardcore vibes, some groove metal, it’s heavy. It’s pretty intense for such a small venue. There’s plenty of potential In Green Amphibian and I notice they have a few more support gigs coming up so worth checking out at a venue soon.
The short and sweet set allow Robot God https://www.facebook.com/RobotGodBand (Matt Allen b,v Raff Iacurto g and Tim Pritchard d) to start a little early and play a slightly extended set before the headliners. If you’ve seen them before you know they need, and appreciate, all that time to really do their thing. Every Robot God set is a journey.
Plenty of psych, space rock jams, full of huge guitar riffs, thunderous bass, and an unrelenting drumbeat. It’s interspersed with quieter moments of delicate, almost introspective guitar work providing plenty of opportunity to lose yourself in the music and get swept up in that journey. As the band announces only 2 songs to go someone in the crowd remarks, “that’s great, still 30 minutes to go!”. They’re not far wrong. Robot God are one of the best psych rock bands going around, and you’d be mad to miss out on them if you are a fan of any type of heavy, guitar riff driven music.
It's time for the headliner, Hekate https://www.facebook.com/hekate93 (Marcus v, Ashley g, Jay b, Nat d), self described as a heavy blues band, but there’s more than a nod to the darker occult
themes across their tracks. I’d say this homage to the goddess of witchcraft have been raised on a constant diet of Black Sabbath and doom metal riffs, and it’s paid off for the progeny. I suppose the name is a bit of a giveaway as to what we are in for. The music is relentless from the get go, guitars played full throttle, the vocals delivered, in an almost pleading voice, designed to sweep us up in the world of Hekate. Thes already have a debut album out and I understand have a second
long player in early 2024. Live, the band is a lot heavier than the recorded version. Not unusual I suppose and the venue certainly adds to the resonance of the music as it, literally, passes through you.
All in all a cracking night at MoshPit. Great bands. Green Amphibian showing great promise, and Robot God and Hekate delivering face melting sets befitting of bands that have been around for a while.
Great read