Live Review: Propagandhi, Crisis Alert, Death Mountain

The earnest mid-tempo post-hardcore churned out by openers Death Mountain was definitely well executed if a little aimless. The trio played with attitude but never gained any real traction with a crowd that had come to experience sonic blitzkrieg. Adelaide's Crisis Alert were much more suited to the bill and as usual delivered a frenzied set of old-school hardcore goodness. In a mere 20 minutes or so they ripped Manning Bar a new one with the likes of Boiling Point, material from their new Urban Decay platter and even a well-chosen Bad Brains cover, going down a treat in front of an audience sporting more than a few Minor Threat, Black Flag and SSD T-shirts. The Music first saw Propagandhi back in the mid-1990s when they were nothing more than a quirky entry on the Fat Wreck roster. Fast-forward to 2014 and this band has turned into a lethal juggernaut. Words don't do justice to just how good these guys have become. From the first strains of Dear Coaches Corner the quartet put on a masterclass in punk rock fury. Admitting to having forgotten to put together a set list the band simply ripped through a set covering their entire career. March Of The Crabs, Speculative Fiction, a joyous rendition of The Banger's Embrace, Lotus Gait and Failed States (among others) caused utter mayhem in the pit. Fans of 'Todd' songs weren't left out either with Night Letters, Fuck The Border and Rattan Cane belted out with reckless abandon. Propagandhi ended the night with a brace of early classics including Back To The Motor League and Nailing Descartes To The Wall… By the time Anti-Manifesto came snaking through the speakers everyone had lost their collective shit – proof enough that this was the punk rock gig of the year.