Live Review: Moses Gunn Collective, The Family Jordan, Hunt, Zen Panda

Local skate and culture mag YEWTH are teaming up with Pirie & Co Social Club to host live music every Friday night. For their launch party they rounded up some talented locals and Brisbane psych-rock band The Moses Gunn Collective.

Hailing from the South Coast, Zen Panda gathered the largest crowd for a local opening band in forever. The five-piece jumped between psych-rock, upbeat indie-pop and country. They are still trying to find their sound but each song was full of fun grooves and their mates were having a bundle of fun.  

Adelaide's Hunt, aka Madeleine Hunt, has an elegant and ethereal presence from the moment you hear her unique vocals. Accompanied by her drummer, she delivered minimal-yet-lush synth-pop, driven by electronic beats. Everything about Hunt is smooth and satisfying. 

Next up was Brisbane's Family Jordan who began with frontman Jordan Rochfort standing alone with his acoustic guitar and weathered vocals. When the other five band members joined him, the room turned into a country hoedown. With touches of psychedelica and rhythm and blues, a few happy punters gathered a circle with their lively dancing.

When The Moses Gunn Collective finally stepped on stage an hour late, the room had already emptied out. Playing material from their latest release Mercury Mountain, tracks such as Hole In The Wall and Back Into The Womb got everyone dancing again. The blissful, psych-tinged guitars and frontman Aidan Moore's falsetto were a perfect pairing and keyboardist Bella Carroll was a delight, busting out her groovy dance moves.

This was The Moses Gunn Collective's first headline show in Adelaide and sadly the crowd wasn't welcoming, from the rude hecklers to the guy shoving his phone in Moore's face. But they managed to push through, "We're just trying our best," Moore said. It was also disappointing to witness men harass young women in between sets. YEWTH is about embracing sub-cultures and creating an inclusive space, so hopefully these few bad eggs won't be present at the next gig.

Unfortunately, the night was plagued by technical difficulties and the band had trouble hearing themselves. Ending with Shalala and New Romantic Novocaine, The Moses Gunn Collective have a good thing going for them with their glittery take on psych-pop.