Friday 6th May 2011 – Review by DAVID SAYERS

The seeds of a spiritual revolution were planted in the Bakery on last Friday as ZEKS released their self-titled EP to a blissful crowd of ‘Zen Rock’ noviciates.

MITEYKO opened the proceedings with a smooth blend of cello, guitar and spoken word poetry that was perfectly suited to the relaxed atmosphere of the garden. The two-piece were in top form, with Allan Boyd’s poignant lyricism enveloped by the haunting emissions of Kevin Gillam.

Attendees floated towards the main stage as THE SILENT WORLD began a highly introspective performance, coloured with dynamic compositions and a quiet confidence. Three guitarists invoked a wealth of instrumental sounds with a little help from an eighties synthesizer, which the crowd simply lapped up.

BOYDGILLAMSCHNAARS darkened the mood with a more aggressive edge than previous acts. Dual poets snapped and spat, quoting bible phrases and confronting the audience with anger and frustration. Unfortunately, much of the improvised work fell flat as the group were slow to react to each others’ cues.

Despite some timidity at the start of the set, HAYLEY BETH absolutely nailed it, with an impressive vocal range, great projection and mesmerizing backing band. Guitarist Alex Hoult ruled the stage with gritty blues licks and skill full slides, while hairy, stoner fuzz bass brought in the big guns.

LEAP YEAR also suffered from some early jitters, but their presence grew over time. The songs were unassuming, dreamy indie-pop tunes that would provide a fitting soundtrack to a lazy autumn walk.

If there was an award for the Perth band that ‘brought the boogie’, SMRTS would be a top contender. Two drummers elicited beats that were thick and loud amongst the waves of delicious surf rock as the crowd bopped and jived from the first track to the last.

Headlining act, Zeks quickly launched into post-rock overdrive with spiralling arrangements, mantra-like vocals and a ferocious rhythm section. ‘Brother/Sister’ was soon offered to the masses as vocalist/bassist Ray Grenfell‘s impassioned cries shot down the microphone – backed by Eastern influenced phrases from violinist Hayley-Jane Ayres and droning riffs from guitarist Michael Gattinger. Heavy tones reverberated through the driving ‘Done’ as staccato instrumentation pushed the audience into rapturous movement before vocalist/guitarist Brian Green brought the band into a more vulnerable space with the reflective, ‘Mishima’. Drummer Katie Malajczuk pounded the skins with inhuman focus, while kaleidoscopic visuals plastered her shadow against the wall like a colossal deity. The band was visibly shaken as the set drew to a close. The sheer amount of energy expended in the ritual had been tremendous as the lights dawned on a packed house.