Live Review: Badlands Bar Launch

"Welcome to Badlands everybody" Old Blood frontman Tony Papa-Adams stated to the emerging crowd before dropping a cupped mic by his side. Most people hadn’t even had a chance to scout the newly revamped bar out properly before the southern rock and blues style ripped through the PA. Their finely crafted performance with slow ride riffs was the perfect opener for the night’s festivities.

Fine Court took to the newly established band room in the old foyer as the main stage was switched over with a sound and maturity well beyond their experience. The setup works brilliantly as people moved around to see the four piece get ripping volume with their Britpop melodies without having to deal with the alternative heaven playlist the DJ was serving up in the main room.

Hideous Sun Demon always light a room up and this was no exception. With the unhinged indie punk sounds of Flex and front man Vincent Buchanan wagering against the floor with every move to have them match his energy their presence isn’t soon forgotten. The newly reworked beer garden and food truck setup outside was a constant draw for people with a great atmosphere, however it ultimately robbed Godzealout of the audience other acts managed despite a killer version of Rorschach.

The rising wave of psychedelic doom instrumentation that is Mt Mountain were somehow pinched to just a half hour slot. Though they treated the room to tracks from their just released Cosmos Terros record such as the flickering western styled riff of Diablo, it still felt like a mere taster of a Mt Mountain set and the band depart behind a wall of piercing distortion on the smoke covered stage.

Although one longhaired punter stood lone and heroically thrashed against the foldbacks to every song ringing out in the venue, it’s Odette Mercy & her Soul Atomics that got the rest of the feet moving too. Mercy’s soul revival performance dripped with sass and swing as she roared through her crisp vocal lines with a sublime backing from a particularly fired up Karl Hiller. A few minor battles with sound issues meant little against Ain't Nothin with Odette seeing the night out in style and introducing Perth a venue that has new life without losing it’s legacy.