Live Review: VOIID, Sports Bra, Garage Sale

Sweaty uni students, disgruntled at the start of a new semester, crammed into a sweaty dive bar for a DIY tour, sans any production, tech crews or wanky intros. Attending the VOIID show at The Chippendale Hotel, with Garage Sale and Sports Bra in tow, was like stepping into a Parramatta Road institution in the mid-'90s. But no, the flanny survives in 2019 (accompanied by a punk band T-shirt tuck), and a rock show in Sydney can still pack out a room and get just as rowdy as the legendary tales from grunge folklore.

North Coast NSW lads Garage Sale kicked proceedings off with their brand of surf-punk. Despite getting the already healthy crowd bobbing along, particularly to Unearthed tracks People I Don’t Know and Home, it felt like they were offering something that’s been heard before. A fun support, but it definitely didn’t feel they were pushing for higher billing.

Sports Bra sound like Title Fight met DIIV at a bar for some feel sharing, and boy, oh boy does it translate nicely. The four-piece created both ambience and anthemic atmospheres with their material, sharing vocals between them. Cuts like Survival and Little Beast were warmly received, showing them to be a fine pick as tour buddies for La Dispute later in the year.

VOIID have a wonderful DGAF attitude that feels in no way forced, one that has led to their growing cult following around the capitals. This (impressively) impassive attitude was on full display from the moment they kicked into gear with the doomy Durry Mouth. Frontwoman Anji Greenwood snarled through cuts DWnT and Twin, calmly observing the crowd becoming more and more in tune to the band's brand of grunge, with beers spilt, mic stands kicked over and a bass amp in flames – a peak rock'n'roll moment. 

Arguably the high point of the night (aside from Greenwood’s shut-down of a bunch of hecklers wanting to hear the band play Drunk at every interval) was a wonderfully executed cover of Nirvana’s Aneurysm. With some cracking harmonies added by guitarist Kate McGuire, the song slotted wonderfully in beside staples Silly Girl, and, of course Drunk, the slacker-pop melodies layered with dirty distortion to wonderful effect.

Closing out with Not For You, accompanied by constant mic grabs from some dudes side of stage desperate to be seen at every moment, VOIID concluded proceedings with both conviction and down-to-earth normalness – in the most refreshing way. With a tour alongside DZ Deathrays up next for the band, it will be wonderful to see them on the big stages around the country, but the dive bar is where this music shines, and shine it did in the coagulated grime of sweat in inner-city Sydney.