Live Review: Spray Paint, Ausmuteants

Word travels shortly before they’re due on stage that Cuntz will be a no show. This turns out to be true – and so begin Ausmuteants’ setup. 

How does one begin to describe Ausmuteants? Perhaps with an extremely loose approximation of what they play: some fast-paced hybrid of punk, kraut, neu and cop rock (because they’re all cops, apparently). They take to the stage with lead singer Jake Roberston at the helm. While playing a mere four or so instruments throughout the set, he also manages to incorporate rigid, near-robot-like dance moves that last for about a second at a time. They’re a kind of confusing band to watch — there’s a deliberate and absurd boyishness to it all, but nearly every song is a corker. They introduce one song as going out to “everyone who’s ever had sex with a cop before” before playing a fuzzed-out but very catchy pop song about sexy cops. They like to talk about cops — they bring cops into their set too many times to count on two hands. It all seems too melodic; too well arranged for a band who don’t seem to take themselves particularly seriously. Perhaps that’s the beauty of it all.  

Headliners Spray Paint seem void of the same comical intricacies. Hailing from Austin, Texas, the trio plays a droning brand of punk that straight after seeing Ausmuteants seems pretty basic in comparison. There’s more a presence of effects in this set. The three instruments on stage weave amongst each other; there are moments of just guitars and also bonanzas of solely mathematical beats. Chanted vocals ride over the ominous, guttural riffs churned out by both guitarists while the drum kit is being more or less punished by their drummer. By this, I mean that the drums are being hit so hard that there are points where drums are all one can hear. It’s loud and consuming and the band room is packed now. The music is hard to dance to with its fast pace and time changes and whatnot, but dancing doesn’t matter when a band has the crowd’s full attention. They maintain this until the end of their set, when they ask punters whether or not the after party should be held at the Tankerville — a Fitzroy pokies pub. The general consensus seemed to favour the Tankerville, where one can only suppose the night continued.