Live Review: City Calm Down, Ali Barter, Verge Collection

This was City Calm Down's third sold-out Perth show in less than a year - a huge accomplishment for a band with just the one full-length album to their name so far.

The crowd was particularly slow in making their way to the venue, which was a shame for openers Verge Collection who produced an energetic set for just over a handful of people. The band's songwriting is incredibly endearing and frontman Ben Morris' charm only amplified their performance. Their debut EP comes out next week and, if all the songs they performed make their way onto it, it's going to be a very enjoyable listen.

Listening to next act Ali Barter's tracks online is one thing, but seeing her perform in a live setting is something else. Finding her feet after the first couple of songs, the intensity lifted as she belted out some huge notes, tinged with a likeness to Metric, while the supporting band gave off some awesome grunge vibes. Barter was all too happy to chat with the crowd and they gave the love right back - she'll certainly be a welcome sight whenever she decides to make her way back over to Perth in the future.

The crowd bulked up massively in the lead-up to City Calm Down, and they made their presence known as the band's vocalist Jack Bourke walked up to the microphone and demonstrated his deep baritone with the slow burner Wandering. The use of spotlights intensified the ethereal, gospel-sounding Son, while Border On Control built up the tempo and really got people into their groove. There wasn't a whole lot said by the band members throughout the performance, apart from the introduction to a new song and confirmation the band were working on a new album, which received hearty applause from the audience. Fan favourite Rabbit Run got a few particularly passionate fans really riled up, throwing their hands in the air and screaming back the lyrics as the song reached its crescendo towards the end, while '80s-tinged closer Your Fix - probably the danciest track in the band's catalogue - was the perfect way to end the night.

It may have been their third time over here in 12 months, but if we can tell anything from this show it's that the love Perth fans have for City Calm Down continues to grow with every tour.