The Toff in Town seemed like the most appropriate venue for the triple j, and hipster favourites, Hunting Grounds.
Tonight’s gig was the final show for the In Hindsight Tour and the crowd could feel the excitement with many fans rocking up early to support the opening bands. Unfortunately, this included one couple who should have stayed home instead of kissing for what seemed like the entire two hours. Truly vomit inducing.
The first band on the stage for the night was Them 9’s. The band was very impressive, with their crowd interaction and musically, a strong rock and roll sound with a hint of blues that had the early birds bopping their heads and tapping their feet.
A couple of the songs had a Black Keys feel about them which is always enjoyable. Then they returned to their roots straight afterwards and continued to get the crowd moving. On one of the last songs, lead singer Josh Haire screamed with the gusto and intensity of The Vines’ Craig Nicholls. Them 9’s have the sort of sound that will ensure they gain a cult following.
Next up was Gung Ho, who were on the other end of the spectrum. The young band seemed to phone in their performance with little energy or excitement.
With a sound straight from the triple j stable of indie rock, there wasn’t anything new or original to their songs. The lead singer’s voice failed to fill the room and didn’t have any real impact. In an attempt to shake things up, they performed a cover version of ‘His Girl’ by Friends. Unfortunately, even that song choice was flat and uneventful.
When the Hunting Grounds hit the stage, the band from Ballarat received a loud roar as people came rushing towards the dance floor.
The band played the majority of the songs from their debut album, ‘In Hindsight’, which pleased the fans. However, they seemed to be going through the motions at times and the songs weren’t too memorable.
The band threw in a nice cover of the Gorillaz’s ‘Clint Eastwood’ along the way for good measure. The fans were delighted with Hunting Grounds performance; however it seemed lacklustre and tired.
Maybe the tour had taken its toll on the lads. Hopefully the triple j Unearthed High winners can come back with a killer second album and a more memorable performance. And another support slot for Them 9’s.
– Matthew Naqvi
