Live Review: Conics, Sun City DJs, Jordan F, Leohas

Leohas kicked off the night with some angsty indie rock tunes. The sounds of searching, needling guitar work and vocals not dissimilar to that of Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis came together in a display of Rubens-esque songwriting. The bass lines give the tunes some substantiality and the lyrics of songs like Wet Trust are clever and thoughtful. The band were on song and what little crowd had ventured out to see their set were pleased. Sun City DJs and Jordan F provided two DJ sets capable of blending in as background noise, allowing a chat or triggering a boogie depending on your mood.

A dislocated shoulder for guitarist Gus Larcombe and a flat tire for the boys on the Harbour Bridge wasn't enough to deter Conics from taking the stage. A last minute decision that Larcombe would play every chord high was forced upon the band, as his mangled arm couldn't reach the lower end of the guitar, though none of the crowd, which thankfully improved just before Conics' set, seemed to notice or care. The band was tight.

Their talents as songwriters lie in their ability to combine indie rock with dance music seamlessly. Tunes like Illuminate are more rock, with wounded growling vocals and an anthemic chorus. Other tracks Faces and This Moment are more dance. The needling synth tracks combined with punchy beats and just enough guitar to hold it all together are dance tracks from the get go. The intros to both are highlights and the crowd reacted appropriately, with jumps, screams and uncoordinated dancing.

The tracks on the new EP draw similarities to Bag Raiders or a more youthful and energetic sounding Hot Chip, but the live show is more rock. And watching the boys having so much fun on stage while keeping their playing tight is far more entertaining than watching a DJ press buttons and nod enthusiastically. The EP Faces shows Conics have real talents as songwriters, and the gig at Goodgod showed they can deliver live.