Live Review: The Go Set, Morgan Bain

It’s a shame to admit that despite living in Perth for so long, this scribe hadn’t been to this legendary North Freo venue. Three amazing acts popped my Mojo’s cherry and every concert from now on will have a lot to live up to.

Jake & The Cowboys set the atmosphere with their smooth, pop-rock sound.  The four-piece played a couple of songs off their 2011 debut EP, The Sun And The Rabbit Hole, including Brotherman, and added a great rendition of Tighten Up from The Black Keys into the mix. Jarred Wall’s melodic voice made your heart melt and the performance as a whole was very engaging. JATC is definitely one of the most promising bands in the Perth scene right now and, if they play their cards right, these boys are destined to go really far. 

Mojo’s was buzzing with excitement as the main act of the night stepped up to the mic. Once again Morgan Bain blew the audience away with a performance that can only be described as soulful as hell. Backed up by his energetic band, consisting of Adam Springhetti (bass), Teischa Jones (guitar, keys and vocals) and Andy Pearson (drums), he performed a number of his extremely catchy hits, including In The Middle and Somebody Else. With his outstanding vocals and natural feel for alternative soul and rock, the award-winning multi-instrumentalist showed us he truly is the embodiment of raw talent. I dare you to go to one of his shows and try not to dance; it’s just impossible.

Finally The Go Set took to the stage. The Melbourne rockers and self-proclaimed “ugly cousins that come in the afternoon when all the good food is gone” performed with the same dedication to the audience as if they were playing to a crowd of thousands. They started off with Drums Of Chelsea, from their latest album, and couldn’t have left without playing Union Man and Davey. Their energy was infectious and Lachlan McSwain’s bagpipes and tin whistle added the Celtic undertones that make this folk-punk band so unique. At one point, Justin Keenan jumped into the crowd with his acoustic guitar, followed by Ben Fraser, with mandolin, and Ago Soldati, a snare. They finished off the night with a tribute to AC/DC (what better way to celebrate Fremantle) and pulled this reviewer up on stage to sing It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock’n’Roll) with them! The Go Set certainly succeeded in making their show feel like a crazy house party.