Live Review: Violent Soho, July 12th @ Manning Bar
Words by Scenewave Australia - Published on July 12, 2014
Waking up with bruises on your abdomen isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The red and purple splotches strangely resembled the tie died merch I’d been eyeing off the night before. Pressed up against the metal rail of Manning Bar, the air slowly squeezing out of my lungs, I witnessed one of Australia’s most talented bands doing exactly what they do best.
VS are a band for the people. They are a band that needs to be seen live. I bunch them in with DZ Deathrays, The Drones and Dune Rats as some of our best live bands. The crowds never hang back, never falter and never grow tired. We leech energy from the vibrations of the guitars, steal drum beats and drink the raw cocaine that is Luke Boerdam’s voice.
With sold out shows across the country, there is absolutely no doubt that Violent Soho have made an incredible impact with sophomore album Hungry Ghost. The album is the perfect combination of grunge, grimy rock and drawling alt pop; it is a landmark album. In the curious evolution of the Australian music scene, it is iconic, and will influence both future music and the thoughts and beliefs of our generation, leaving a smoking skull imprinted on our brains.
The gumleaf sniffing, shark diving, roo-riding, dropbear wrestling The Smith Street Band warmed us up with their unique Australian rock. Don’t fuck with our dreams yo. Lyrically brilliant, with Will Wagner leading the four man group in the art of ‘not giving a fuck, but actually giving a lot of fucks’.
Here’s them doing a fully sick cover:
Violent Soho had their belt pack reciever stolen the night before, and they’d already played two shows at Manning bar that week, so I feel like their performance may have been ever so slightly dampened, with less crowdsurfing and chaos than I expected. This said, their performance was still brilliant, with the energy and power of a dropbear on crack.
My love for the Soho was matched by every sweat soaked body around me, and I had to use my ninja weasel skills (finely honed by years of festivals and gigs) to sneak forward to the very front. The crowd was swollen and frothy, and it goes without saying that when “Covered In Chrome” played, the room shook.
HELL FUCK YEAHHHHH
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