Live Review: Ragdoll

The rain was clearing last Friday as members of Perth's rock community gathered at the Rosemount eager to welcome back Ragdoll after their two-month tour of the US. 

Getting the night off to a good start was all-female rock outfit Legs Electric. From the outset the crowd moved inside to watch, intrigued by their heavy sound and epic guitar solos. Real-life sisters Abby and Kylie Soanes set a fast pace in the rhythm section, while singer Ama Quinsee unleashed gutsy vocals and an encyclopaedia of rock moves.

Next up was Vida Cain who, despite not exactly fitting the hard rock label, made up for it by taking the volume up a notch. Performing a set of polished pop rock numbers, they used two vocal mics (one with and one without distortion) to build intensity. Realising they had more time, they finished with a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's Fortunate Son, just because they could.

Louder again were Hailmary, whose heavy hitting sounds almost made the building shake. Channelling stoner legends Kyuss with a Dave Grohl strut, their raw guitar riffs and catchy hooks kept everyone's attention.  

A frenzy of hands in the air welcomed Ragdoll to the stage. Their recent performance at the Rocklohoma Festival (US) seemed to have had a lasting impact as the trio had an air of stadium rock about them, totally owning the stage as they let loose with their opening track. For a three-piece their sound was exceptionally tight and heavy. Frequently upping the ante with old school metal guitar solos, they'd often take things in a different direction mid-song with introspective moments more akin to classic hair metal band, Whitesnake.

Stopping briefly to check that the flashing lights on the roof weren't a fire alarm, Ragdoll rollicked through their last few songs. Finishing up with the title track from their EP, All I Want Is Everything, the crowd were definitely enjoying themselves. When time was up the band posed for a “family photo” with the audience, which seemed a fitting way to end the launch and welcome the band home.