Live Review: Propagandi, Crisis Alert, Dick Nasty

After a couple of years of inactivity, Brisbane punk stalwarts Dick Nasty have snared their third high profile support gig of 2014. It's fair to say they've paid their dues by now though, and as bassist Lucas Moore utters a quick “good evening”, the band launches straight into Guns 'N' Moses.  Whether it's a case of more regular band practices or the confidence of playing bigger stages, the band are at their cohesive best tonight, with Geordie Stafford and John Mercer's dual-vocal delivery sounding particularly potent. The band manage to fit a decent number of songs into their short set tonight, including Birth, School, Amity Affliction, Death; A New Hope In The Age Of Couches (Tilt Ya Head Fuckwit); and set closer Van Damme Them All To Hell.
Adelaide four-piece Crisis Alert play a frenetic blend of hardcore and thrash that harks back to the '80s DC scene. Frontman Matt Horvath is particularly energetic, shouting his lyrics with a venomous fury and jumping around the stage and swinging the microphone in between. Highlights include Urban Decay, Thought Control and a cover of Bad Brains' Attitude, and although at times it's difficult to ascertain where one song finishes and another begins, their energy and fervour is undeniable.
Propagandhi waste no time with formalities, launching straight into a frenzied rendition of Dear Coaches Corner from 2009's Supporting Caste, before singer/guitarist Chris Hannah greets the crowd with, “What the fuck's up, Brisbane?” before bassist Todd Kowalski takes over vocal duties for Fuck The Border. Hannah then launches into a diatribe about the Queen's Birthday public holiday, thanking the crowd for choosing to come and “puke on the dance floor” at The Hi-Fi tonight instead of somewhere else, before the band rips into A Speculative Fiction. Next up it's Note To Self, the opening salvo from the band's most recent album, Failed States – which Hannah says is about “getting older and making sure you don't become a miserable shit” – followed by that album's eponymous track, which is even more frenetic live than its studio counterpart.  Hannah stays fairly stationary throughout tonight's show, with the exception of his left leg, which taps uncontrollably, and fellow guitarist David “Beaver” Guillas is similarly restrained, but Kowalski's livewire energy is a sight to behold. Jord Samolesky's frenzied drumming holds it all together and the band has never sounded so tight. Newer songs such as Lotus Gait and Cognitive Suicide get a decent response, but the real fervour is reserved for older tracks such as And We Thought That Nation States Were A Bad Idea; Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes; and Fuck Religion.  After closing their set proper with a blistering delivery of Duplicate Keys Icaro, the band return for a three-song encore consisting of Back To The Motor League; Stick The Fucking Flag Up Your Goddam Ass, You Sonofabitch; and Anti-Manifesto. At one point this evening, Hannah thanks the crowd and says, “After all these years, some of you still come out.”  If the band continues to deliver performances like tonight's show, the punters are sure to keep coming.