Starting with waves of distortion and fuzz so loud it sent almost everybody in the room not there to see the band packing right smart, the incomprehensible racket then melded into a tight and danceable guitar riff complemented by a beat so tasty it would make most cheesemongers squeal in glee. The set then pulsed it’s way through a variety of shifting tones and textures including some gothic synth loops and Nintendo DS chaos pad stylings before finally ending in a twisted noise experiment that forced the less dedicated of the few still left back to the bar.

Because of the rubbish sound a lot of the dynamics of what was going on was lost and you sort of had to watch what the band were doing to get even half an idea of what was going on, however seeing as though that’s still more of an idea than the band usually have, it sort of worked. Speaking to the band before the show I learnt that this was to be their most planned set so far to date, with their performances usually involving more improvisation than anything else.

This constraint, if you will, showed during the set, as instead of letting things naturally develop the boys were obviously working to a pre-established notion of what they wanted to play, which in my view meant the music lost most of it’s ‘of the moment’ appeal. This band are at their best when at their most longwinded and esoteric. Check out the video on their MySpace of the hour long set they did for us at The Abercrombie last year.

Silver Moon were next up and they were a band brutally raped by the bad sound. Not having seen them before I can’t really comment on what it was supposed to sound like but going from what I’ve heard on their MySpace this particular performance lacked that certain sonic fuzziness that glues the separate parts into one.

They played incredibly, with the two guitarists and bassist hacking at their instruments like gangrenous limbs, churning out vicious blues-punk with shades of shoegaze (albeit shades of shoegaze that were somewhat lost from the aforementioned sound problems and lack of volume). The vocals were the worst affected though, being all but completely lost in the mix, and regrettably without the added layer of rhythm from the singer the music did get a bit repetitive.

Be sure to check these guys out on MySpace as well they are awesome, the sort of furious music best accompanied by bourbon in a dirty glass, sweat and a bit of mild violence.

Warhorse’s set can really only be described through frenzied dance, however that method is not available to me so words will have to do. Opening with a cover of ‘Human Cannonball’ by the Butthole Surfers, Warhorse proceeded to thrash the shit out of all their instruments with very little regard for their own well being, or anyone else’s for that matter. Frontman Jasper Clifford Smith did more than his fair share of damage to the crowd and foldbacks as they moved into their second song, ‘Fucked Cunts Get Fucked’.

This band are shit, but in the best kind of way, the kind of what where they can almost do anything on stage and it still works ’cause of the energy they do it with and the sheer savagery of how they do it. The whole affair was a very sweat drenched journey to the heart of what makes Rock n Roll great: swagger. Anton Newcombe eat your heart out, Warhorse know how to fucking party. My highlight was the thirty second filthy scuzz punk rendition of ‘Knights Of Cydonia’, which was only made funnier by the fact that Jasper actually likes that fucking song and they pretty much murdered it…

I only saw a bit of Zeahorse’s set. Having been added to the line-up last minute I wasn’t even aware they were playing till the night, but what I did see was what I expected, a solid set of 90’s drenched psychedelic grunge glory. Great band, well worth seeing but a little hard to cop the volume after throwing up in the women’s toilet.

So yeah, great gig, but fuck World Bar after 9:30 – so many fuckwits, so little space to escape.

It was the early evening set from Modular’s newest darlings, Tennis, that brought the crowds – and the trendy KOL necklaces – in droves. As much as they postured and pouted on stage, however, their short and sharp riffs (and haircuts!) proved that Modular truly have moved on from a more electro focus. “We’re bringing indie back, what?!” Grievances must be aired however torwards punters who came fo this one set and immediately left post-act – go on, support local music that isn’t signed to the trendiest label around, it won’t hurt you!

Warhorse played an unusually ferocious set, even compared to their usual style of intensity, with a return of one of their older charismatic bass players blending nicely with the angry energy of their sound. “Saigon,” a song based around systematic guitar strums and a pulsating drum riff remains one of their stronger songs. But it was Fait Accompli who took the gong for the best act at the festival in terms of a harsher, rockier sound – of course. This band continues to be AMAZING. NO kudos however to the drunk punter who decided to stage crash – keep your rock’n'roll in your pants, buster! They even did a cover of Neil Young’s “Hey Hey My My.” Cream!

Neil Young was the man on everyone’s lips later in the night – not surpirisingly, two days after BDO! – when Richard in Your Mind frontman (Richie, funnily enough) asked the audience who was a fan. Cheers and cries leapt from the lips of many – before they were told “we’ll, this isn’t his song, it’s mine, I won’t give it to him, but I love him too.” Hmm – thanks. RIYM have been an act on the ‘to-do’ list for a while and a gig combining his esoteric wit, streamers and a closing song of heartfelt romance earned these psych-esque boys a solid ‘tick’!

Devoted Few pulled out all stops and closed the night in a single word – spectacularly. ‘Music’ aside, Fait Accompli and Devoted Few defs the standouts ‘performers’ of the day – oh, how Music Feeds love stage antics! If only the sound of Devoted Few hadn’t dropped out for a full few minutes mid-set – always convenient! Indeed, Homebrand’s relaxed Sunday vibe did get a little too loose at times with a lot of tech issues holding back the full potential of some of the acts – mic’s too low, bass amps too high, and the tendency of the tech to jump on stage a little too readily mid-set did break the whole “performance” vibe at times. The day would have also benefited from a bigger, staying crowd – not just a packed pub for a Modular set! – which is sure to come as Meg and Tim continue to build the name of their radicalesque festivus. Here’s hoping there’s another Homebrand – soon!

THE DEVOTED FEW
FAIT ACCOMPLI
TENNIS
THE CAIROS (BRIS)
RICHARD IN YOUR MIND
WARHORSE
THE SMALL HOURS
PARADES
WE SAY BOMBOULEE

At just $15 for 10 great bands, this is pretty outstanding value! You can reserve your ticket online from the Annandale Hotel website here. Hop to it! They’re on the main stage at 5:55pm.

TOUR DATES

25 Jan 2009 Annandale Hotel Festival w/ Tennis, The Devoted Few, Richard In Your Mind etc Sydney, New South Wales
29 Jan 2009 The Evelyn w/ Institut Polaire (WA) + Sly Hats + The Wellingtons Melbourne, Victoria
30 Jan 2009 Curtin Bandroom w/ Hot Little Hands (VIC) + Echo Echo (VIC) Melbourne, Victoria
31 Jan 2009 Pony : 2am Sunday morning! Melbourne
7 Feb 2009 The Zoo w/ WhoMadeWho (Denmark) + Hot Little Hands (VIC) Brisbane, New South Wales
14 Feb 2009 Hopetoun Hotel Love/Hate Song Festival (Tavis Maher solo) Sydney, New South Wales
21 Feb 2009 Spectrum w/ Hot Little Hands (VIC) + Seekae Sydney, New South Wales

Showcasing some of Sydney’s most promising, upcoming music acts, DJs, filmmakers and a very avant-garde calibre of young artists and performers Exquisite Corpse have made it clear that their ‘Dada’ influence is more than just referential. Every Thursday night Exquisite Corpse promises to deliver a new kind of experience, placing emphasis on the correlation between the music, the visuals and the performance; an elopement of the senses that goes beyond the bereft yet character forming art school days of booze, cigs and social climbing.
So far the night has proved to be a success amongst the culturally anorexic and this is due in part to the necessity of the concept and also because of the dynamic trio behind the operation, James Shirlaw, Robyn Wilson and Yuri Nezovic. Such is the success of the night that Exquisite Corpse were invited to contribute to the Art & About Festival, which involved hosting a variety of unusual, daring and progressive performance pieces at the aptly named ‘Little Oafy’ venue (a vacant shopfront on Oxford St just up from the Oxford Art Factory, naturally.)

So, if you intend to attend Exquisite Corpse just to stand limply with drink in hand and brow furrowed expecting an evening of half-arsed aural stimulation, then don’t bother coming. Check your expectations at the door, especially if you happen to be gravely offended by nudity, face painting, magicians, sadomasochism, light shows, synthesisers and an inverted sense of irony and self deprecation. With musicians like i like cats, Virgo Rising, Warhorse, Naked On The Vague, WIM and Kirin J Callinan as well as performers such as Brown Council, Sari Kivinen, Tara Cook and Peter Newman, the night never fails to deliver a spectacle.