Live Review: Blank Realm, Per Purpose, Cured Pink, Martyr Privates, Screaming Match

It's a strange room the Primitive Room, but it's getting accustomed to the rock'n'roll, even if the foldback speakers mounted on upturned chairs, the dozens of mirror balls behind the bar and the strange spacey lights betray a perhaps sordid and unmusical past. The sound is strong from the outset, however, as Screaming Match take to the stage for their first “proper gig”, although you'd never realise this from their fully-realised songs and aesthetic. Sarah and Drea from Stag take standing drums and bass respectively and favour synchronised vocals rather than harmonies, and abetted by a subtle-but-acerbic guitarist their songs are incessant and sombre with snatches of levity in the lyrics: a promising debut.

Martyr Privates' frontman Cameron Hawes is wearing a T-shirt adorned with the slogan 'Keep It Gutter', perfectly appropriate because the trio seem more guttural than ever, all heavy and reverbed and menacing and cool. They've taken their already impressive sound to a new level recently, their grooves muscular and fluid and hypnotic and causing heads to bob everywhere amongst the swelling crowd.

The more avant aspect of tonight's line-up arrives courtesy of Cured Pink, frontman Andrew McLellan's heavily-effected vocals offset by a muted trumpet played into an effects board as well as a rhythm section, the results totally distinctive and completely striking. The songs are fractured and spasmodic but exploding with life, their delay-heavy soundscapes strange but inviting.

Four-piece Per Purpose would have to be one of the most unfairly unheralded rock bands doing the rounds, their swinging, swampy, shouty garage a joy to behold. They're all lurching, leering menace with snarled vocals, sounding discordant one moment and cruisy the next, switching between disparate moods with ease. There's a conviction to everything they do that makes it mesmersising, and some solid new songs auger well for their impending new record.

Finally it's time for Blank Realm to shine, and they kick off with the title track to their excellent new album, Go Easy. Siblings Sarah and Daniel Spencer share most of the limelight, swapping between drums and vocals and synths as they follow with Acting Strange and the dense, hypnotic groove of Cleaning Up My Mess. The performance seems fun and requisitely messy but the band are well-drilled and it sounds brilliant, guitarist Luke Walsh and bassist Luke Spencer holding up their end of the bargain as they continue to focus on tracks from the new record, Growing Inside sounding brilliant in this setting. Blank Realm have always been impressive but their organic shift from noise merchants to psych pop peddlers has paid handsome dividends, their brilliant and affirming set topping off a killer night of local talent.