Kicking off the night was Permanent (Joy), a new and upcoming band who have formed within the past 6 months and whose talent is immaculate. They seriously blew me away. There was an immediate rush from the moment the guitarist played the first chord and the frontman sang the raspy, yet controlled vocals. The first song they played, ‘Save My Life’, really raised expectations for the rest of their time on stage, however they only got better as the set went on and exceeded that standard.
The punchy drums mixed with the shoegaze yet indie-rock genre mix really enchanted the crowd. They were almost American punk with a British twist, a little bit as if Green Day met Franz Ferdinand. They were never not likable. Their songs were melted with parts of heartbreak and stories of life itself, living, existence and experience. This really was shown through ‘Airplane’ which was very Foo Fighters-esque and ‘Josephine’ which both had an enchanting rhythm to them that you couldn’t help but find yourself moving too.
By the end of the set, they expressed their thanks to the crowd as well as Teenage Dads, which was one of the ways they communicated themselves to the audience, as they mainly just played their music. Yet words didn’t need to be said as their adept music did all the work for them. Their union as a band was only just beginning, yet the reaction from the crowd really proved they were on the right path as even when they left the stage, the effect their music had didn’t leave me personally, and I think that was universal.
Although its early days for them, the success of their future could already be seen.
The Australian indie rock band emerged on stage and the crowd welcomed them wholeheartedly. Teenage Dads are a band from down under (I apologise for the very bad pun but it has to be done) full of new talent and excitement. Their feel-good music transports you to a happy place. They formed while they were at the end of high school, and this bond so intimate and playful really did shine through their performance. They still seem as carefree as youths, yet still have a charming and structured aura about them – really showing their passion yet professionalism.
Throughout the act each band member was uniquely themselves, all being individual representations of the band – however they all had an indie rock/pop undertone to their music and themselves. This was prominent when they performed their latest single ‘Tale Of A Man’ and then counteracted this by a cover of Postman Pat which I honestly think was the most unexpected yet best cover… ever. Their variety and talent to make anything into art that caused a sea of bobbing heads and a space for fun and freedom. This really advocated their child-like freeing nature which emphasises their incomparable performance even further.
The band themselves, as well as the music, really involve the crowd within their time performing, joking around with them, discussing how the drummer was wearing sandals and had his ‘dogs out’, causing someone in the crowd to start barking, which lead to everyone to burst into laughter.
I really enjoyed their set, and the crowd was all smiles. Teenage Dads are already rising to success and they’re only going to get bigger. With all the support they have from fans and all their alluring charisma that is added on top – its only up from here.