Live Review: FIDLAR, Dune Rats

Walking through the Richmond back alleys and parking lots, young men loiter in small groups, drinking cans of beer and smoking funny-smelling cigarettes. It might be a Monday night, but with tonight's bill set to be a doozy, it's worth staying out late for.

If Kevin Smith characters Jay and Silent Bob were here tonight, they would blend in perfectly with Dune Rats' crowd. Hell, they could even be in the band. Young, long-haired and full of fun, the two-piece (plus one additional member) from Brisbane are here to teach a new generation of pop-punk fans the genre is not all about Fall Out Boy and Simple Plan. The set is raw, it's often out of tune and it's got all the 'fuck you I'll do what I want' attitude that one could hope for from an up-and-coming band. There's a heavy reverb on singer Danny Beusa's vocals, which makes it nigh-on impossible to hear any of his lyrics, but judging by the moshpit that springs up by the second song, it doesn't matter. There's a (very) loose rendition of Violent Femmes' Blister In The Sun thrown in, Red Light Green Light goes off and by the time they finish their 40-minute set with single Fuck It, there's not a care in the world.

At 10.20pm, after some H2O-based refreshments have been sourced (it's a Monday night after all), the curtains part and LA four-piece FIDLAR take to the stage amid a cacophony of cheers. They launch straight into Cheap Beer from their excellent debut album and from there it's an hour of power both on and off the stage. Stage diving – by audience and band members – is the order of the night, with bassist Brandon Schwartzel losing a bass string when he decides to take his instrument with him.

Although the dick move of kicking the photographers out from the pit after just two songs (“but please write good things about us”) is undeniable, it is one of the surprisingly few moments of douchebaggery for the night. With any young upstarts, there's a worry they might be a bit too cool for school, but FIDLAR are candidly excited about the fact there's a bunch of people here to see them.

It's not often that a band will return to the stage once the curtains have been drawn and the house lights and music have gone on, but FIDLAR do exactly that. It's a humble, unneeded gesture, but one that is much appreciated by the rabid crowd; when they rip into Blink 182's Dammit, it's like it is the first time the song's ever been played. Sweaty and sober, it's an awesome way to finish a killer gig.