Live Review: Emu Xperts, Cavalier, The Government Yard, Laurel Fixation - Mojo's Bar

Mojo’s Bar tore apart the working week by playing host to an eclectic mix of local Perth bands that embodied the enduring reckless spirit of the alternative punk/grunge movement.

Hitting the stage first was solo act, Laurel Fixation. Raw and sultry, with an element of melancholic grunge, Laurel Fixation held her own with a blend of indifferent confidence and a grubby vulnerability that demanded you sit up and take notice. Retaining that grunge aesthetic by rejecting any theatrics on stage, Laurel Fixation captivated the audience nonetheless with her mind-blowing, haunting and slow vocals that conjured up an intimate atmosphere of ethereal, raw angst.

With obscure songs constructed from a nihilistic cocktail of zany, misanthropic and introspective lyrics – often with an element of crude dark humour thrown in the mix – Laurel Fixation is like a shot of heroin to the veins, a flawless live performer who oozes with authenticity.

If you haven’t heard these guys yet, you’re missing out!

Colonial rock outfit, The Government Yard, took the helm next and booted the night into high gear. Old school to the extreme, these guys have been jamming for the past few years in Jarrah forests, ‘60s rental accommodation and grimy rehearsal studios across the southern suburbs of Perth and despite being on the down low on the live circuit of late, proved definitively that they are still a super-tight unit with their musical prowess and intellectual, though-provoking, lyrical narratives.

With influences including Paul Kelly, Midnight Oil and Frenzal Rhomb in their undertones, they have a unique stage presence and banter, with songs that sound like falling Banksia limbs, land degradation and salinity lectures. Notably political in nature, their brand of music is deeply rooted in the philosophy of naturalism, addressing themes of forgotten histories, Gondwanan ancestry and conservation that can often be subjectively interpreted as subtle yet scathing attacks on shortsighted developments and absurd, regressive government policies.

The standout performance of the night, The Government Yard combined an alternative outlook, an authoritative and manic stage presence with solid instrumental prowess that somehow ingeniously captures the movement and imagery of the narratives they are trying to invoke. If you haven’t heard these guys yet, you’re missing out!

Cavalier embody the arrogance and carefree nature of the melting pot that is grunge and left one feeling battered and bruised. 

Perth-based grunge lords, Cavalier, ripped up the stage next with their loud and offensive brand of grungy garage-rock. Reminiscent of early Nirvana, Melvins and Meat Puppets, Cavalier are rough and raw, with chunky, heavy riffs and ferocious drumming to boot.

The lyrical content and songwriting in particular stands out and vocalist, Jarrad Carr, certainly delivered with his thunderous, high energy performance and a trademark grunge vocal style that seemed to verge on the brinks of snarling and demonic at times. Overall, Cavalier embody the arrogance and carefree nature of the melting pot that is grunge and left one feeling battered and bruised. 

Taking the reins for the final set was Emu Xperts. An intentionally shocking, beer-swilling mash-up of scum punk and dirty rock’n’roll, these boys blasted the stage with a frightening presence.

With a blend of thunderous guitar and the savage ruckus of flamboyant and ballsy frontman Blake Hate, this band seems to revel in embodying the definition of social shit. Rude and crude, these guys are a true bastion of punk rock ideology. If you like the rough and raw sounds of The Dwarves, Zeke and Cosmic Psychos, this band is for you.