Live Review: Bleeding Knees Club, Goon Wizarrd, The Yardsharks

Coinciding with their recently released music video for Chew The Gum, the recent departure of Jordan Malane and a new EP, Bleeding Knees Club national tour started with a spark. 

Adelaide's Rocket Bar turned into a melting pot of surf-style garage punk with the addition of The Yardsharks and Goon Wizarrd.

Openers The Yardsharks looked young, but they had admirable control over the quality of their sound. Polished production levels, quality vocal sound and good vibes meant these guys opened with a bang. Clearly influenced by national acts like Dune Rats, their beachy punk is fun and light. Expect more good things from these guys.

Veterans of the Adelaide music scene, Goon Wizarrd seemed to have more experience on the stage and with the crowd. Claiming to take the "R" out of "Radelaide", chucking it in "Wizarrd", the band opened with an acknowledgement to the Indigenous communities. Following their nod to the traditional land owners, the band were heavier in sound than The Yardsharks - where The Yardsharks were beachy, Goon Wizarrd were grungy, and it made for a cool tonal shift. Irony and self-awareness are strong in these guys, with every song title an inside joke, and Goon Wizarrd are perceptive enough to sound purposefully messy, rough and rowdy - like the middle child demanding all the attention for themselves before their big brother comes home.

Bleeding Knees Club performed with the ability to dictate the tone of the room. Fun and light, the lads joked with the audience about the right time to perform shoeys (it's not right at the start of the gig FYI), and when to cover Chumbawamba (hint: that's always a winner). Bringing the gig back to its surfer grunge roots, the loyal crowd were rough, but contained. Suffering from technical difficulties in the form of a dodgy amp, Bleeding Knees Club carried on like champs, telling everyone to take shots while they sorted it out. Deciding to stuff it, they played on in style. Despite the constant difficulties with sound, amps and lights, the gig was consistently enjoyable.