Live Review: Polish Club, West Thebarton

It's a stupidly muggy Brisbane evening for 300 rock lovers to be packed into a room with no air-con, but the sold-out crowd are absolutely buzzing ahead of second show for Sydney band Polish Club's Christmas In December tour.

Tasked with getting the Friday revellers riled up and ready to party like it's... well, Christmas Day, are Adelaide's self-proclaimed "seven-headed rock-hydra", West Thebarton (fka West Thebarton Brothel Party). Guitars seemingly take over any free space onstage as a wave of distortion and rough male voices break through the speakers onto the crowded mosh. Frontman Ray Dalfsen cuts both a charming and intimating shape as he looms over the stage, eyeing off those yet to embrace the stomping rock tunes.

Four roaring guitars and songs consisting mostly of only two chords create the best possible kind of sonic madness, as quintessentially Aussie rock anthems Moving Out, Dolewave and Glenn McGrath evoke spirited singalongs and plenty of 'friendly' moshing. While at times there's a little too much guitar, West Thebarton are definitely a band bound for great things (or at least a Coopers sponsorship).

After a teasing soundcheck, the men of the hour emerge onstage with WWE flair hilariously countered by a sparsely decorated miniature Christmas tree and singer-guitarist David Novak struggling a little too long to sling his guitar strap around his shoulder. With their trademark tongue-in-cheek style, the pair launch into their festival set with the scuzziest version of All I Want For Christmas Is You ever performed in the Sunshine State.

After some banter about wanting all their fans to send them money in unmarked Christmas cards, the first of many dance-moshes erupts with their latest single Gimme Money and blues-rock sizzler Beat Up. Novak lets his soulful voice impressively soar above the overdriven riffs of Watchuknow and If It Was Me, while drummer John-Henry Pajak smashes anything within reach during frenetic drum rolls and a super-fun double-time outro. With the temperature inside The Zoo now feeling close boiling point, the pair thankfully throw some water on the steaming moshpit before Novak downs some blue sports drink, which contrasts Pajak's third tinnie in as many songs - it seems even rockers even in the same band sometimes require different types of fuel.

Jumping back into the set, Where U Been acts as a thunderbolt of high-octane rock with Novak's guitar tone for once sounding larger than the moustached-rocker's soulful refrains. Frontwoman of local group WAAX, Maria DeVita, surprisingly joins them for a medley of the monstrous garage-soul Foo Fighters track, Monkey Wrench, with her performance almost upstaging the pair. Novak sarcastically notes, "Looks like I'm going to have to move around a lot more after that, thanks a lot Maria!" Beeping then shakes The Zoo as hundreds of bodies shimmy in time with the raucous track before a warm singalong to slow-burner Divided and a passionate rendition of Don't Fuck Me Over clearly showcases the pair aren't just one-trick, short'n'fast rockers.

Further cuts from Polish Club's new EP have the crowd, now covered in sweat, happily shaking their tail feathers along with Pajak's pounding rhythms and Novak's furious strumming. But the night's wildest dancing accompanies Polish Club's festive medley of Come Party with Wham!'s Last Christmas and their very own - dysfunctional - Christmas anthem I Hate You But You Gotta Stay (On Christmas Day). While they may not seem like the most festive band on paper, this reviewer can absolutely recommend you trade Celine Dion and Mariah Carey in for some Polish Club as you're cutting up the ham this coming Christmas Day.