Live Review: Closure In Moscow, The Dead Love, Disco Is Dead

Stepping up to open the night's proceedings is Sydney locals Disco is Dead who ploughed through some solid rock tunes. A broken guitar string didn't slow things down allowing for an impromptu drum and bass instrumental before finishing off their set. The band have a Calling All Cars and City Riots vibe, and that is definitely not a bad thing.  

Keeping the trend of morbid band names going is second act The Dead Love. The three piece boast a harder and grunge influenced sound. These Sydney based dudes definitely flexed their guitar muscles with ease and it was a pleasure to watch them do their thing on stage. With such high quality acts from local bands such as these, one would think there would be no question as to whether there should be more venues open for live music in Sydney.

The star attraction of the evening, Closure In Moscow displayed their usual brand of swagger and style as they turned it up a few notches to light the chilly night on fire. The band played plenty of favourites from their debut album First Temple with songs like Afterbirth and Kissing Cousins exploding with insane amounts of energy. Vanguard, Deluge and the fantastic Night at the Spleen go down a treat. The band's staple mix of vibrant drumming, funky bass, energetic guitars and killer vocals was a recipe for some serious hip swinging action.

Fans were treated to some long awaited new material which showcased Closure In Moscow's ability to expand on their already bombastic sound. Songs from their upcoming second album Pink Lemonade feature a lot of smooth yet lively sounds. The title track from the new album is without a doubt their most flamboyant effort yet, an insane roller coaster ride of a song. The track jumps from punk to funk, to blues and a touch of jazz before closing out with some hard rock. It is definitely an indication that Pink Lemonade is going to some strange new places.

Closing out their short set is Reindeer Age which is given the mash-up treatment blending the band's song with 1960 What? by jazz musician Gregory Porter. It is a cool rendition inspiring a fun sing-a-long with the crowd before finishing up for the night and leaving fans with a tantalizing taste of what is yet to come.