It was a delight to escape from the cold and miserable Sunday night into the keen company of brilliant Australian band, Bad Bangs, and special guests. The evening commenced with an exciting set from UNIT16, a local rock band formed in 2022. With a couple of noisy studio releases, they seem determined to prove that the 90s never died. Buzzing guitar, driving drums and triumphant choruses recall the golden age of grungy garage, with a slight pop-punk twist that reminds me of Green Day’s Dookie/early work. It’s all buzz, beer in the air and guitar solos, and a vocalist who announces with a little sheepishness that, despite only having five songs, they’ve overrun their set time! Youthful enthusiasm like this is timeless, and I’d love to hear them with a longer set next time.
They are followed (almost immediately– the Sunny runs a tight ship) by Fergy LH, another local act, who embrace this locality alongside Irish heritage. Fuelled by Guinness, they plunge into a track where the Irish influence is maybe too heavy-handed; the chord progression is near identical to Boys in the Better Land by Dublin legends Fontaines D.C. Thankfully, they find their stride in more distinctive experiments. I particularly enjoyed their moments of spoken (or screamed) word, performed by Fergal Hartnett. There’s a thoughtful poetics to these moments, with words themselves treated like instruments: just as loud, and just as finely tuned.
This is a gig against the odds, as Harnett explains; they’ve lost all their gear, and appear before us with borrowed equipment and a last-minute soundcheck. They’ve adapted remarkably, and besides, a soundcheck immediately before a set adds a charming face- value quality to their fun, energetic style. Their Instagram bio describes them as, “6music dad loving, non-award winning post-punk/indie band”. I think this is the perfect summary. They’re proud outsiders, each member looking like they’ve wandered out of a charity shop (this is a compliment. I particularly like the Vote for Pedro Shirt). And indeed they stand right between genres; at moments, they have the solidity and harshness of post-punk acts like early Black Country, New Road and (their favourites?) Fontaines D.C., complete with a distinctive vocal style. This spirit of experimentation is embodied in the immensely talented Liam McKeown, whose eyes are perpetually focused on his array of guitar pedals. He’s making something fresh, elevating them with reverb and synthy, wandering melodies. There’s a point where Harnett literally kneels before him, in a moment of utter reverence.
In contrast, Pledge No Allegiance has the anthem-like insistence of indie classics like the Libertines. The sheer energy of this lights up their set, careening towards the finish line with sharp performances from Michael McNab on bass and Luke D’Aulerio on drums. Their final track, Talk It Out, takes all of the best elements; anthem-like refrains, thoughtful lyricism, and the pure brilliance of the humble guitar. With an EP out soon, Fergy LH is one to watch.
Bad Bangs headline this delightful night of variety. Hailing from Melbourne, this is their 21st (!!) show of the tour, and it seems they are insatiable, kicking off with an energy so immense it’s almost frightening. Right off the bat, they perform three songs with barely a pause for breath or applause. Oozing that classically Australian cool, with streetwear-worthy outfits and confident silence (we get an occasional ‘thank you’) they have an assured stage presence that convinces the audience they are in very safe hands.
After the show, they told me that they’d sat in a restaurant somewhere in Chinatown, and ripped their setlist to shreds, inventing a totally new performance. That’s more than just a sign of assurance, it’s a commitment to excellent musicianship. They don’t falter for a moment, delivering a night that feels fresh because it is fresh.
Bad Bangs can only be defined in terms of tireless reinvention. There’s this excellent wave of Australian indie music, which Bad Bangs can be linked to in the original sense of the word; for their defiant independence. Often described as garage rock, they certainly have that timeless energy of good rock music. They credit the Melbourne music scene and its amazing venues as the roots of their work, and this certainly shines through in their unwavering confidence. It’s music written for performance; music to dance to, to sing to, to jump to. They absolutely dominate the stage, and the catchiness of their studio tracks is utterly illuminated by the excellent all round performances. It’s the music of seasoned performers.
The rich and unusual tonality of vocalist Shelby De Fazio reminds me of riot grrrl. It’s expressive, slipping from melody to shouts, rich, slightly nasal, totally charming. She sings/yells, right into the mic. I could cite the influences of Poly Styrene or Le Tigre or Dream Wife or even fellow aussies Amyl and the Sniffers, but that list of names only serves to prove the place in music history I hope Bad Bangs will one day fill.
After a blistering beginning, the energy shifts. Each song has something different about it, and the slowing of pace and energy is welcome; the guitar gets twangy, the audience sway a little. The guitar has a warmth that brings out a certain nostalgia within their songs. This shines through in the single Contest, where this warmth stands in stark, delightful tension to angsty vocals and driving drums. The qualities of punk further emerge in moments of sonic layering, where the song seems to blur into a wall of noise; but their intelligent rhythms guide us through to the other side, creating delightful texture. They have a tendency towards trailing guitar riffs, underscored by rhythmic power chords. The immense ambition of their tracks gives way to moments of melancholy, where their typical breakneck brightness is keyed down to fuzzy rocking. The repetitive elements, moody vocals, and deliciously static-ed guitar of Crush is a particular standout.
It’s their commitment to variety that’s so genre-defying. In interviews, they have described songwriting as like ‘play’, and this playfulness emerges as the set progresses. The intense silent energy of the start shifts as they start to play, not just for us, but with us; commentary (and smiles) are earned by an eager audience, they change the atmosphere, they allow moments for the other vocalist to shine. Towards the end, and as many bands do, they advertise their merch; except, this particular merch is a Bad Bangs g-string, and it was thrown into the crowd as a gift for one very lucky fan! To balance lighthearted humour with moments of moody darkness, all with such a serious commitment to musicianship, is no mean feat. Bad Bangs really can do it all. And I certainly hope they continue to.