Live Review: Circa Waves, Mt Warning

Mt Warning didn’t really get a chance to show off their filmmaking skills, but they still put on one hell of a show for the early birds. The attendance for the support was less than they deserved; perhaps everyone was still battling a Splendour In The Grass hangover? Forward Miles brought the timid but polite crowd forward for a dance, and what space the room was lacking in people Mikey Bee made up for in stage presence.

Every bit the English indie-rock band on the rise, Circa Waves looked and at times sounded like a four-piece reincarnation of The Wombats, with a little more growl. Charming the crowd with his thick Liverpool accent, frontman Keiran Shuddall sipped on cider and tussled his hair as he gave of a brief rundown on each song he was about to play.

Like the Mt Warning set, the crowd remained at a safe distance away from the stage, but were inched closer by the band: “Come on, we’ve come a long way to see you, you can come a little closer for us,” Shuddall pleaded. Stuck In My Teeth was a clear favourite – even the barman was nodding his head and bopping along as he picked up glasses – while Good For Me was a suitable pop romp.

They certainly have a knack for ultra-catchy choruses, and didn’t rely on as much reverb as many of the bands that fall into the category of raw indie-rock do. Indeed, it was exciting to see a guitar band with so much uninhibited fun engrained in the music they play.