No Culture Festival Review

This is taken from the Rave Magazine Website

Jubilee Hotel Sun April 8

Having never before set foot in the Jubilee Hotel for a drink, let alone for a show, it is with great trepidation that I enter the venue. With daylight still shining, first band Champagne & Rohypnol take the stage to the atmospheric ringing of keyboards, which is immediately silenced by chainsaw-like riffage, which in turn gives way to feedback and then back again. Channelling noisecore bands such as The Locust and Daughters, it’s kind of hard to take first up in the day. Heading upstairs, I find that the stage is in fact a lounge-room with the band set up in the center, but as Orlacs Hand break into their tuneful and progressive brand of Orchid-esque screamo I can appreciate the intimacy and crowd involvement which this setting allows. Back downstairs, Ryu Vs Ken hit the deck with a great response from the ever-growing crowd, and belt out an impressive set of jazzy and melodic hardcore in the vein of Hot Cross with instrumental leanings toward the Mars Volta, and at times Explosions In The Sky.

Back upstairs, Quiet Steps keep the late-nineties Level-Plane records vibe going with a melodic set which builds to a noisy and imposing crescendo. After the rawness of upstairs, Lorna Slavin hit the ground running with a tight and crisp set of atmospheric rock and hardcore. Combining the best elements of Hopesfall and the Deftones, this young group keep the listeners enthralled and more than entertained. From here on the night speeds up with flat-out frenetic performances by both Moments and Turnpike, the latter of whom are still getting better seven years after I saw them for the first time. At this point I am just going to throw this out there – Art Vanderlay are one of the most amazing live bands I have ever seen. Mixing the melodic elements of Alexisonfire with the power of Poison The Well, these guys are awesome!

ACT’s Brisk are tonight’s headliners and with a sound filled out by dual guitars and well used keys, they are a force to behold. With a sound and style reminiscent of early Bronx and Refused, these guys rally the crowd off their chairs, and in moments have everyone gyrating or at least furiously nodding for the entirety of their set till the lights come on.

PS: My apologies to the Night Crash, but after slight seafood-induced food poisoning and too many easter eggs, I missed their set. Soz.

PATRICK PERRIER