Live Review: Birds Of Tokyo, Strangers, Introvert

Grunge is alive, well and kicking if Newcastle-based four-piece Introvert have anything to say about it. They take early-'90s rock, infuse it with a little punk and some more modern-alternative stylings, and serve it up raw as hell. And it works a treat. Even drummer Stephen Hopkins looks and plays like a blonde Dave Grohl. They have quite an interesting stage configuration, too. Frontman Audie Franks stands way off to the left, bassist Max Priest is off to the right, while lead guitarist Mitch Raschke stands right in the middle, without a mic, and does most of the entertaining. His insane gyrations and guitar thrashing are a sight to behold. Introvert get a little more experimental and left of centre (for grunge) mid-set. However, they bash out their garagey rock anthems with an exuberance that is truly infectious while a little rough around the edges. Just as good grunge should be.

Sydney boys Strangers come on to the swooning sounds of Sinatra's Strangers In The Night and this is strangely appropriate. They croon their way through a ridiculously energetic and vibrant set of their modern-alternative rock tunes, and the ever-building crowd at The Croxton responds in kind. Singer Ben Britton is a charismatic attention grabber, as a rock frontman should be. His forays into the crowd are all charming swagger and this puts a big cheesy smile on the audience's collective dial. Plus, you rarely see frontmen divide the crowd into two for audience participation, Bruce Dickinson-style, in pub rock shows, but Britton cheekily attempts this and pulls it off with aplomb.

You know a band is supremely confident in their new material when they open with two brand new numbers and then play almost the entire new album over the course of their set. Birds Of Tokyo's new record Brace is a cracker and the songs grow another set in a live setting. Rousing second single Empire receives what is just about the biggest reception of the night and the epic Mercy Arms closes the album and the set proper in magnificent style. Of course, that doesn't mean they don't have time to squeeze some older Birds classics into the mix as well. Broken Bones and Wild At Heart rock to the blazes, and Plans, Lanterns and Anchor are as close as you can get to modern pop classics.

Ian Kenny is in truly sparkling form this night, caressing his emotive melodic lines over the enraptured crowd with an almost ever-present smile and his now-famous, snake-like body gyrations. When you sing, and sing hard, in two insanely successful bands that play incessantly, it must be difficult to maintain the vocal cords in pristine condition, but the legendary Karnivool and Birds frontman seems to have it down pat.