Live Review: Title Fight, The Others, Puck

Pennsylvanian melodic hardcore four-piece Title Fight returned to Perth on the back of the release of their third album, Hyperview, a marked shift in direction.

The cold wet weather truly complemented the sounds for opening act Puck. To the few early punters, the doom-stoner group provided a deep and heavy start to the night. Although the crowd was small, many preferring to stand around and witness the band with a pint in hand, the trio played a tight set that showed why they’re getting billed on most “heavier” shows around Perth.

Perth stalwarts The Others followed, providing another thrash-heavy set. Quick changes linked by a wall of feedback turned the first four or so songs into one long cacophonous song. With a vocalist who kept running out of breath, (“Sorry guys, we haven’t done a set in a while”) matched with stage divers kicking the cable out of the bass amp, it was a set plagued by problems. This didn’t stop The Others from receiving the most aggressive audience response, probably down to the huge drum sound that shook your chest with each beat.

Finally, it was time for Title Fight. The rain outside had forced everyone inside, resulting in the bar being nearly completely packed. Opening with Murder Your Memory from their latest record, it would seem the more delicate sounds from the recording were not translating into the live environment. The sound had an almost grunge-like feel (not so much a problem, but just a different experience to what we’d expected).

Not one of those acts that only plays their new material, they quickly jumped back to Shed, off their debut record. This would be how the rest of the show would continue, the band jumping back and forth between all three releases.

Although starting out as a pop-punk act, Title Fight has definitely grown with each new album. A set that seemed to draw equally from each of their three albums allowed for an interesting show with a great range of dynamics. Their set was however let down by the mix, with the vocals at times being washed out and difficult to hear. The crowd however gave a great response with nearly constant stage dives, one fan even trying to dance a little too long on stage before getting dragged off by security.