Live Review: Gung Ho, Bored Nothing, Step-Panther

Kicking tonight's Triple Treat affair off with a punchy Nada Surf-esque rock track, Step-Panther catch the listener's attention – the song well composed, solidly performed and appropriately loud. Between songs though, the banter is rambling, scatological, half-audible, and the band seem thoroughly wasted. It doesn't initially seem to have affected the playing, which is tight, although the music is largely derivative. But every time they stop it feels like they've forgotten where they are and have decided to act like the show is some teenager's house party. Once or twice would be forgivable, but there are long gaps between every song and it swiftly gets ridiculous. Drinks are repeatedly brought onto the stage and the bassist seems sad to set his beer down and play, and so the playing gets less and less coherent as the set goes on. 

Bored Nothing are significantly more together, fortunately. The songs are quite interesting and the mix and musicianship feels surprisingly well produced for a live set. Instruments are settled into their own space during the quiet moments, and even the louder Wall-Of-Noise sections (or as close as pastel indie-pop gets) have pleasant separation. There's something enjoyably nonsensical about the tracks: pop songs that steadfastly avoid hooks, plunging into distortion instead; arena rock that melds awkwardly into minimal indie. It shouldn't work, but it's all very pleasant in a laidback kind of way. A fine example of slacker-pop, and almost enough to save the night.

Gung Ho are only the headliner in Brisbane, but the first song, instrumental though it is, has them feeling like the obvious choice. However, that immediately goes out the window as they babble, encounter tech problems and run offstage in a several-minute gap before the next track. The playing is loose and songs lack the restraint and catchy immediacy they have as recordings. The vocalist's mic is accidentally muted through half a song, rendering it inadvertently instrumental, and nothing seems to be coming together. 

Every band tonight seems compelled to do a shout out to the rum company sponsoring the event. It may be contractually obligated, but either way it comes across as corporate whoring – at least someone seems to be getting their money's worth. Originally the turnout seemed disappointing, but after the performances tonight it's probably for the best that only a small crowd have shown up. At least two of the bands are capable of significantly better than they showed, and perhaps it's best to just think of this as a cautionary tale as to why plying young musicians with alcohol all night is a bad idea for anyone stuck watching them.