Live Review: Peter Bibby, Shrimpwitch, Spinning Top

It was going to be an odd night at The Curtin. That was obvious from the get-go. Even before Spinning Top came onto the stage, the audience was already hemmed in, if not from eagerness, then definitely from the lack of space. Unfazed, the band opened nonchalantly: “Hey. We’re a band.”

They open with some songs in a style that would be recognisable to any rock fan, seeming to start things off by sticking to what works. Their initial nervousness is explained when they later reveal that this is their first gig. And it perhaps shows; a lot of the vocals are ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs' like they weren’t quite sure what words to put and went with sounds instead. Still, they have a decent crack at it and it sounds good. Their music is where they shine, with some great guitar riffs, solid drum beats and a truly epic synth keyboard for some of their songs. Not bad for some first-timers.

Shrimpwitch are up next and they’re headed in the other direction. Instead of nervous and normal, they’re experimental and ecstatic. Their sound is loud and yet somehow high pitch, with some guitar riffs that’ll blow your socks off. It does come at a price though; their unique sound means they’re a bit hard to get at times, but you can tell that there’s something good under there. During the latter half of their performance, they slow it down, switching to melodic and then to a weird, wailing vibe. Combined with heavier drum beats over the guitar and the result is something that almost seems hauntingly tribal. It’s over in a flash though, as they finish their night with the same high energy they first stepped on stage with.

If there are any members of the audience who were a bit unsure about the first two performances, all doubts are gone when Peter Bibby comes on stage, a grin on his face and bangs covering his eyes.

“How the FUCK are ya?!” he says, heavily accented and possibly a little buzzed. The audience loves it, cheering for a near solid minute while he strums a few notes on his guitar. Bibby is a throwback to the older days of rock. He’s unkempt, foul-mouthed and he loves what he does. Proving you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, his first song actually comes in with some pretty soft vocals, heavily doused with his thick, nasally accent. He speaks more than sings the lyrics, yet somehow it still works, flowing with the music perfectly before the song kicks into high gear and goes loud, finishing off with an awesome guitar riff.

Towards the middle of his show, things get a bit wonky. His voice breaks during some notes and the mic peaks often, suggesting technical issues rather than any sign that Bibby’s slowing down. He even gets a technician up on stage to fiddle with the mic at one point, somehow swearing like a sailor yet being polite at the same time. He introduces another song with a story, all through slurred speech: “This is a song about an ex who was into pot, I was into booze... I was really awful. This is a song about that.”

It’s remarkably frank and that best sums up his music; it’s honest. It’s not trying to say anything more than what you’re hearing.