Live Review: Papa Vs Pretty, Tired Lion

Mojo's Bar was packed out for an early performance by Sydney four-piece Papa Vs Pretty. The show was to be the first full-length performance of the band's newly-released second album, White Deer Park.

Sole support act Tired Lion kicked things off early, delivering a fantastic set that included older tracks Little Girl and Desperate, which were both given fantastic treatments alongside newer material the band had been working on. 44th Sunset's Joe Snelgrove sat in on drums for the night and did a terrific job alongside the rest of the band and ridiculously talented lead singer and guitarist Sophie Hopes.

At 8.30pm, frontman Thomas Rawle and the rest of Papa Vs Pretty got up on stage, kicking into the first track off the album, Give Me A Reason Not To, with heavy riffing and high-pitched, Thom Yorke-style vocals and harmonies from Rawle and the rest of the band. Throughout the dozen-song set, the band was in top form.

There were several highlights during the performance, from the feedback-laden, sonic guitar rock of To Do to the infectious single, Smother, which both got huge reactions from the crowd. Ballad Roses After Dark gave Rawle's vocals a chance to shine against the sparse instrumentation and haunting piano melody of the song, showing the extra depth the band have found on their newer material.

With last song, Dementia Praecox, Rawle jumped around the stage smashing out the fuzz-laden riff and jumping off the drum kit at one point. As the song reached its climax, the guitarist threw his guitar on the ground and then picked it up and placed it against the amplifier, causing a whole lot of feedback that left the audience wanting more. As the punters started getting restless, the band returned to a huge cheer and proceeded to launch into a fiery version of older tune, Animals, capping off a great performance for the band and everyone involved.