Live Review: Big Scary at Amplifier

A dribble of people showed up at 8.30pm to see live-wired Perthites Cow Parade Cow and their many merry men. Perfectly balanced ambient psych-pop synth sounds graced the deserving early birds, the mood of the second album Big Sky exemplified in the grounded percussion and slap bass taking flight with catchy guitar in Weiro Show and Bombora. Music In The Bedroom seemed just that – a group of friends cooped up in near-darkness creating their own little lo-fi choir, that works as a collective element, forming the vox as another instrument.

Adelaide troupe The Salvadors were a fresh flipside to what one would expect after Ben Folds' somewhat belittling song. Atacama Disco showed vocals like the drawling crawl of Caleb from Kings Of Leon, which needed to be stoked and warmed up by the first songs. This quintet captured a Perth fanbase with pop licks that satisfied the soul, though at times the tunes were less variable than desired. Wilson had the frolicking, loose-wrist percussion and head-turning lead guitar that earned them triple j Next Crop status.

Big Scary was undoubtedly the Mecca of the night. Ye Olde Amps had sold out and the Melbourne duo proved why. Main man Tom Iansek opened the show without accompaniment from other half Joanna, creating a whirlwind of reverberating guitar and vocals on a dimly lit stage. Despite a few squeaks in sound, the audience's gaze remained undisturbed and captivated by hazy, almost tactile, vibrations. The music lingered between heartbreakingly melodic and strong-willed both lyrically and musically. The sound produced seemed beyond two people and so little a spread of resources, with Joanna on kit and Tom wandering between keys and guitar. Throat-catching The Weight tore at heartstrings, the only consolation existing in metaphorically drawn curtains and invisible tears. 2010 releases Falling Away and Thinking About You caught some familiarity and slow-shaking shoulders. No less than brilliantly combatant.