Live Review: Ty Segall, HAMJAM, Doctopus

Ty Segall graced The Bakery with a high-energy show Thursday night, his raw and to-the-point sound all too fitting to the venue’s similarly industrial vibe.

Having had the audience warmed up by local Perth act HAMJAM and popular newcomers Doctopus, Ty Segall wasted no time bringing them an enthusiastic performance, launching straight into a loud and upbeat rendition of Wave Goodbye. His sound was for the most part on point – aggressive and melancholy (as you could only expect from Segall) with heavy drums and even heavier guitars. Chit chat from Segall himself was minimal but this was not unwelcome as it clearly wasn’t born from a lack of vigour; he threw himself onto the floor, clearly enjoying himself and the crowd. When Segall did speak however, he kept it personal and localised, at one point even mentioning his visit to the Bon Scott memorial.

Crowd favourite, The Faker, was a bouncy one that really spoke to the band’s succinct and punchy energy. Throughout the set, one song usually launched straight into the next, which the crowd seemed to appreciate – the audience members themselves were fairly chilled, providing an atmosphere that made the focus all about the music. That focus was echoed in Segall’s playing, delivering a sort of ‘you get what you expect’ affair in the best possible way. The songs were played well and the energy consistent; the crowd had come for a show, not a performance, and Ty Segall brought them that with just the right amount of grunt.