Live Review: Benny Mayhem, Dan Cribb & Scott Connor, Ben Elliot

Breaking Punk returned with an ‘acoustic folksy punky thing’ showcasing the softer side of some of Perth’s best punk talent. This made for a much more relaxed night than a typical Breaking Punk show, while not particularly quieter or slower. While an acoustic set doesn’t draw a packed out crowd like a typical punk show, the audience consisted of the dedicated and enthusiastic, making for an intense atmosphere. 

Four5Nine has previously had the typical drawbacks of many small live music venues, with poor stage lighting and inadequate stage space, but recent renovations that have extended the stage to almost double its original size have turned the place from pokey and awkward to a very viable central venue for local bands, much needed with recent closures. Even though renovations are still in progress, (hopefully with improved lighting) the simple stage extension has significantly improved the vibe of the venue, and it’s drastically obvious how much the bands have benefitted from the extra space.

The night kicked off with the eclectic acoustic stylings of Noah Skape (Total Waste/FAIM), followed by a fun and not-unexpectedly energetic and animated set by the Blindspot duo Blondespit. Tom Ware of the recently defunct Grim Fandango turned down the pace with a slower set and testing some new tunes.

Ben Elliot (The Decline/House Arrest) inarguably stole the show with every song on point and demonstrated a rare level of talent that draws loyal followers and tugs on heartstrings of grown men. It’s not often one guy with an acoustic  guitar can make you feel like there is a three-piece band on stage but Ben Elliot pulled it off to an obviously dedicated crowd.

As far as acoustic gigs go, the volume and pace somehow went up with Dan Cribb and Scott Connor of (you guessed it) Dan Cribb & The Isolated, managing to feel more like a typical punk show than an acoustic set at a Sunday session, perhaps capturing the ‘acoustic folksy punky’ feel that was the aim of the night. The night was capped off with Benny Mayhem performing an entertaining set with a mix of new and old to a relaxed but enthusiastic audience, with the kind of banter reserved for late night gigs when most of the audience has had perhaps a few too many pints.

The show was a fantastic change of pace from the usual Breaking Punk gigs, demonstrating that Perth punk doesn’t just mean loud and fast, and that many of our local bands aren’t just one-trick ponies - but rather they consist of talented musicians with passion for music and live performance that embodies local music.

Originally published in X-Press Magazine