Live Review: Timothy Nelson & The Infidels, Mathas, The Wilds, Golden String

Tim Nelson and his Infidels know how to pick a bunch of bloody brilliant support acts, even if they all completely differ from one another.

Golden String are a new favourite of this reviewer; the trio were incredibly engaging, particularly the frontwoman, who produced some whacky dance moves in front of her keyboard and applied some awesome vocal looping to most of the tracks. It was a set containing so many different styles and tempos within dream pop, and it was super refreshing.

The Wilds changed things up entirely with some fast-paced and catchy rock’n’roll, filled with plenty of banter between band members and with the audience. The little known band were fortunate to play in front of a large room well over half full, and hopefully they’ll get more opportunities to do so soon, as everyone lapped up their energy and intensity.

Amps proved to be a great spot to witness Mathas working his magic – he’s definitely one of the best musicians this city has to offer, and he managed to get the ever-growing crowd responding easily with his catchy beats and lyrical wit. He performed the older favourites such as Doctorshopping and that track we all love about ‘your mate’, while the response to his new song Stone Cold Sober was massively positive. Abbe May mightn’t have been able to make an appearance, but he finished with Nourishment regardless, and it still sounded brilliant.

Timothy Nelson & The Infidels always pull a strong crowd – they sold out their album launch not too long ago, and this show looked like it was going to do the same as eight members crammed their way onto the stage. Nelson and his massive ‘fro are always going to be the centre of attention though, and the audience was captivated by him as soon as he opened his mouth to start singing Soldier. From there, the band smashed through the entirety of their new album, and the crowd’s momentum continued to build, reaching its peak at Mary Lou, a long-time favourite of long-time fans. New single All The People produced a roar of approval, but it was nothing compared to when the band encored with Born In The 90s, which by all counts is a modern day anthem.

It’s always great to see an all-local bill get such a strong turnout – the evening was a testament to just how much Perth’s music scene is thriving.