Live Review: Ecca Vandal, Waax, Average Art Club

This right here is a crowd with an identity crisis, but in no way is that a bad thing.

Like a UN of sub-culture stereotypes, the hipsters, punks, goths and everything in between between all have representatives here tonight, all with a common goal of enjoying Australia's finest uprising talent.

First up is Average Art Club who perform a set of pentatonic hooks and melodic ear-worms with a level musicianship that wouldn't typically be expected of an opener. This crew can expect to get many more shows in the near future.

Brisney-land locals WAAX then grace the stage, with vocalist Marie DeVita commanding onlookers to come forward. From the start of the show, it's clear that DeVita has the crowd by the short-and-curlies, one gets the feeling that if the crowd was told to jump, a collective "how high?" would be the response. As the band thrashes through fast-paced indie-punk pieces and DeVita convulses her way around the stage with a fuck you attitude reminiscent of a '70s punk Queen, devoted fans are readily chanting along to choruses should the opportunity arise. A highlight is a David Bowie tribute of Heroes that soars out over the rapidly-growing crowd and by the set's end it's clear as to why these guys were chosen to for the spot.

Having just dropped her debut EP End of Time that has put the nation on notice, this show acts as a chance to catch Ecca Vandal before her popularity inevitably sees her conquer larger venues and larger crowds (rightly so). The energetic, eclectic Melburnian detonates into action accompanied by the trademark 'EV' logo lighting backdrop. Each piece of the set showcases originality that few other Aussie acts can match, from the blend of the frantic, frenzied aggression in Running At People Exiting, to the danceable electronics of Father Hu$$la and of course, the twisted lyrical darkness of EP title track End Of Time. Special mention must be given to the band, throughout the instrument changes, multitasking between synth pads, traditional instrumentation and countless stylistic transitions they were absolutely flawless, forming a rhythmic powerhouse for Vandal to base her erratic show. There's seldom a dull moment all set, the audience are on their toes from start to finish as they get whisked through this impossible-to-pigeonhole rollercoaster. The set does feature all of the EP tracks, though there's also a few unreleased aces up the sleeve performed, continuing down the unpredictable (but always impressive) sonic journey that is Ecca Vandal.