Saturday 31st of July – Review by KAREN MURPHY

Hand Stands For Ants/ Sugarpuss/ Sonspilo Circus/ Grace Woodroofe/ Helen Shanahan/ The Reductors/ Piano Donkey/ Oh! You Pretty Things!/ Seams

If you weren’t at FREMANTLE RECORDS FIRST ANNIVERSARY PARTY on the 31st of July then you definitely missed out! Held at Mojo’s Bar in Fremantle, Fremantle Records gave away free pizza from 5-6 o clock as well as EPs to the truly dedicated music lovers that rocked up while the night was still young. FeaturingHAND STANDS FOR ANTS, SUGARPUSSand SONPSILO CIRCUS, one audience member even described the night as something that would, “melt your face off.” In combination with Sugarpuss and Hand Stands for Ants it did just that.

Playing hits including ‘Down Under the Ground’ and ‘Bye Bye Billy’, THE REDUCTORS swamped the stage with poetic offbeat melodies and a massive seven man line-up. Belting out inspiring guitar riffs and beautifully textured vocals, The Reductors played a solid set that kept the night running with music that tugged incessantly at the heart strings.

SEAMS, a band of younger lads, came on stage and played almost every instrument imaginable. The band shot wild indie-electronica numbers to the audience who were up and dancing on a growingly crowded dance floor. Feeling a lot like a jam session in their own garage, the crowd dug the relaxed feeling, bobbing their heads and cheering along.

However one of the stand outs on the night had to be Sugarpuss. With the guitarist playing so hard you had to squint to see his hands moving along the fretboard, the group brought back all the memorable moments of progressive 70’s rock while the audience watched them making love to their guitars.

However the best performance of the night was definitely Sonpsilo Circus; they rocked so hard they blew a fuse that turned off all the electricity running into Mojo’s Bar. With guitarist Peter Leveson-Gower, curling into his guitar like a protective mother, bassist Ben McDonald played riffs so sexy, they weren’t wearing any clothes. Rocking out like outback heroes, the band played that classic progressive rock that the 60’s are so famous for, and the audience loved it. They gathered from all corners of the bar to experience the best rollercoaster you could ride on solid ground.The only downside? Guitarist, Leveson-Gower, should have taken a much more prominent position on stage to flaunt his heavenly guitar skills.

Closing the night, was Hand Stands for Ants who played the most upfront rock set of the night. It was like they’d shot the crowd with rock ‘n’ roll bullets and you could feel the music creeping through your veins like a more legal form of heroin. The band mixed it up a bit by working with Dilip and the Davs to include a brass section, allowing their heavy English-style rock to enjoy mingling with a little bit of jazz.

And that was it, there simply wasn’t anymore.