Live Review: Closure in Moscow, ALl The Colours, Lunatics On Pogosticks, Suns of Cascadia

At a time of year when Australian music is being celebrated for all its diversity and depth it was disappointing to see the Annandale Hotel only half full when four very talented and hard-working local bands took to its stages.
Opening act Suns Of Cascadia, whose frontman took his chances on reality show The Voice, played their punchy rock sounds to a near empty room. The crowd didn't improve much when triple j Unearthed High winners Lunatics On Pogosticks hit the stage with their '90s-influenced grunge.
Things improved substantially for All The Colours, who have developed quite a reputation on the live circuit as a band to watch. It is the brainchild of Miami Horror's Josh Moriarty, who shares lead vocal duties with Josh Mann. The pair are both exceptional singers and the entire band perform faultless harmonies on songs like Second To None. Their '50s-esque white jackets with black piping belie their heavily '60s- and '70s-influenced huge psychedelic rock sound. Two of the highlights of their set were a Beatles cover, I Want You (She's So Heavy), and The Doors' Break On Through, which were both spectacular and really drew the crowd in. While Moriarty is a true showman, Mann had a mesmerising presence. All the Colours seem to be constantly improving and did their best to blow Closure In Moscow off the stage.
It is certainly hard to compete with the flamboyance of Closure In Moscow's lead singer Christopher de Cinque. His bleach-blonde long hair, pink sequined ringmaster's jacket, quirky stage movements and a huge vocal range make him one charismatic frontman. There's no escaping the band's big prog rock style and influence from The Mars Volta, particularly when de Cinque reached the high notes on highlights such as Kissing Cousins. They appear to be moving away from the pop sound of their biggest hit to date, Sweet#hart, which they finished with, and the several new songs, which had a harder rock edge, were well received.
It's a shame that audiences aren't getting behind the next generation of emerging rock bands on the local scene. All The Colours and Closure In Moscow are doing their best to convert punters to what de Cinque calls the Church of the Technochrist, and we support them on their mission. Amen.