PUNK & DISORDERLY [THE WORD ON PUNK]

With Alice Worley

Hey y’all! I’m pretty much just going to talk about one event this month because it was thrilling, and reminded me of all the things I love about the DIY scene that used to be so prevalent here in the capital, that perhaps we will see again.

So, my noteworthy Canberra punk experience for this month was without a doubt a house show I went to (and played at) on Petterd Street in Page. It’s been years since I went to a house show that was like the good old days of Lacklustre and Crossroads. Those gig houses seemed to be a truly euphoric pocket in time for Canberra music, but this gig had that same magic and we were all completely drenched in it (along with a hefty quantity of sweat).

Have to say, this was hosted fantastically. You were greeted by a table out the front with hand sanitiser and a giant bowl of ear plugs, and on the living room wall was a poster of a young Henry Rollins, shirtless, glistening; a perfect foreshadow of the evening we all had in store. With the organisers/residents welcoming us all in so warmly, this show did not take long to swing into gear.

Hmmm... It appears to be HYMMNN

HYMMNN‘s a great band to kick off with; they always bring the energy with a touch of insanity. If there’s a band that’s built for an intimate, in-your-face environment, they’re it. Frontman Leighton was bouncing off anyone nearby, swallowing the mic, then swinging it above his head like a cowboy’s lasso, then dropping to the floor and crawling into the crowd to grab the nearest sets of legs.

Always that perfect recipe of enthralling, confronting, and a little bit terrifying. Well done, lovelies.

The Narcissists - each prettier than the last

The Narcissists pulled us out of the prior fever dream and brought the crowd back to a more familiar mosh setting. The band’s always a draw; they know how to assemble a set to keep you engaged. They usually have a great cover to shove in the mix and that evening’s choice of Carol by The Peep Tempels was such a winner.

By this point the living room was quite a sauna, so after a breather outside and a couple of cool down beers it was onto me and my goofballs, Box Dye.

The crowd help a fellow punter outside for a bit of a breather (pic by Claire Warren)

Calling all girls to the front, we had an absolute ball playing off the highly enthusiastic and probably quite intoxicated crowd. Thanks again to the guys that organised this show cos this was one of the most enjoyable gigs we’ve ever played. The sweat was real, every person looked like they’d just been through a hurricane, but despite the lack of oxygen there was nothing but joy beaming from every person there.

Enfants finished the night off, sending wave after wave of explosive riffs and screams into an almost entirely shirtless and shiny crowd while we all braced ourselves for the at-least-halfa-dozen crowd surfs that were to come during their high octane set.

Enfants NOT terrible

By the time they finished up, there was nothing left to do but pick up your drenched clothes, stumble into the yard and just collapse onto the wet grass while you smiled at your mates. All those good feelings.

I am so hopeful that this will be the start of a resurgence of these kinds of shows; they’re so much fun and just aren’t comparable to a venue setting. Well done to the Petterd Street Bash organisers; you did an absolutely fantastic job and I hope the clean up wasn’t too awful the next day.

Also, I’m super stoked to see Enfants being put onto an increasing number of line-ups. You’re all great entertainers and just an absolutely lovely group of people.

Before I leave you, I have a gig I want to plug. In the last issue, I mentioned Highland Light as a band I was keeping my eye on. Well, they’ve got a single on the way, their third one to be precise, and subsequently a single launch to get your butts to. Absolute will be unleashed by the trio at The Basement on Thursday, 8 April and supporting them will be Box Dye, Parrots With Piercings, and THYME, so it’ll be a pretty high energy gig to say the least.

Since The Basement has been allowed standing shows again, the good times are there for the taking. So come on down and try not to spill your drink.