Posts Tagged ‘ no anchor ’

God Hates Brisbane @ The Step Inn

May 3rd, 2011

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Event: God Hates Brisbane
Date: June 5, 2010
Venue: The Step Inn, Brisbane
Acts: No Anchor, Turnpike, AXXONN, Cured Pink, White Bears of Norway, Die On Planes, The Entire Asian Population

God Hates Brisbane.

I am sure this is true.

I am sure because just up the road hundreds of drunken, braying idiots are packing themselves into the Mustang Bar trying to out-bogan each other, while a bare two-score watch the feeback-ridden, twin-guitar extremities of The Entire Asian Population.

I am sure because hundreds desecrate the rotting corpse of the Arena content to pop pills and listen to recycled RnB while at the Step Inn Ambrose Chapel channels aural destruction from the very heavens with his fingertips.

And I am sure because Brisbanites would rather pay through the nose for overpriced cocktails in wanky inner-city bars than fork out a mere $8 to enter the Step Inn to sample the likes of Turnpike, AXXONN and No Anchor.

If I was God, I would smite Brisbane for these iniquities.

God, ineffably, refrains. Nevertheless, I am sure that God hates Brisbane. It’s just a matter of time.

Lost & Found @ Rosies

May 3rd, 2011

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Date: March 7, 2010
Venue: Rosies, Brisbane
Acts: Lou Barlow, CanCan, New Pants, OneOne, DZ, No Anchor, AXXONN

Out of the last-minute collapse of the Lost Weekend festival, local promoters Fans have cobbled together Lost & Found. This eclectic mini-festival sports (among others) Lou Barlow as well as two different meldings of Deerhoof and Tenniscoats — OneOne and CanCan. Barlow plays a straight-laced acoustic set, while the other two turn in quirky performances that must be nine parts whimsy to one part serious rock. The weirdness peaks when Tenniscoats’ Ueno Takashi and Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier as CanCan balance a guitar on the back of a crouching compadre and proceed to poke at it like a pair of demented schoolchildren. I’m fairly sure there’s no deep meaning to the spectacle; it’s “merely” a trio of friends enjoying the hell out of confusing everyone. Read more

The Nation Blue @ The Step Inn

January 18th, 2010

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Date: September 18,2009
Venue: The Step Inn
Acts: The Nation Blue, SixFtHick, Dick Nasty, No Anchor

I was not well for this gig. Felt iffy to start with and got worse as the evening went on — ultimately I bailed quite early in the headliner’s set.  It’s frustrating, as the sweaty, close-crowded punters appeared to be working their way toward some sort of meltdown. It’s annoying as The Nation Blue’s  gritty rock ethos has a lot going for it. And it’s disappointing, as it shows in the poorer-than-usual quality of the few shots of the band I selected. Maybe next time.

Had better luck with the supports. Particularly so for SixFtHick as the Corbett brothers take their pent-up ferocity onto the sticky dance floor. They chaotically surge left then right — narrow spaces suddenly gaping as wide-eyed punters stumble out of their way. It’s hard to not take a step back when Ben is fully in your face — clawing at his chest like he wants to escape his own skin and screaming the lyrics to, say, The Floor Is The Limit. It’s hard to not be a little wary of Geoff’s animalistic fury as he belts out Retirement Party. But, at the same time, there’s a ritualistic element to their schtick. They’re not feral animals; the fury is controlled. And that’s why I sometimes wonder whether the duo hopes for a more involved response on the occasions when they dissolve the traditional distance between band and punter.

No Anchor @ The Step Inn

November 28th, 2009

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Date: November 27, 2009
Venue: Front Bar, Step Inn
Acts: No Anchor

Donovan Miller’s induction into the ranks of No Anchor as second bassist immediately raises expectations that their act will be twice as sludgey, twice as brutal and twice as relentless. Tonight’s performance, in the closeness of the Step Inn’s Front Bar, disproves that theory — mostly because when you make music as brutal, sludgey and relentless as Ian Rogers and Alex Gillies, it’s nigh impossible to push that particular barrow any further. Diminishing returns ‘n all that.

That being said, Butcher Birds’ hard-hitting skinsman slots in alongside Rogers effortlessly, and the band’s all-too-brief forty-five minute set is a cracker. It’s hard to say through a haze of alcohol whether they were debuting filled-out variations of old tunes, or out-and-out new material, but I know I bloody liked it.

No Anchor @ The Zoo

October 18th, 2009

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Date: October 12, 2009
Venue: The Zoo, Brisbane
Acts: No Anchor

Frankly, I feel totally ashamed for Brisbane that there were no more than 50 or 60 punters present to see No Anchor the other night. Shame, Brisbane, shame! I mean, if you like your sound brutal and unrelenting — and attendances for Slayer and Megadeth the other week indicates there’s a few thousand around who fit that bill –  you should have a shrine to Ian Rogers and Alex Gillies. So, yes, it’s “just” a bass and a drumkit. No, there’s no guitar solos to have wet dreams about.  But I guarantee that Steam, a crushing 13-minute opus that’s as thick as 30-week-old engine oil is just as suitable for enthusiastic, mindlessly aggressive headbanging as Angel of Death ever was.

And it’s not like the gig was exorbitantly priced — cover was a grand total of $8. A whole 10 cents more than a chicken kebab!

But no, every walking, talking, breathing turd in Brisbane would rather piss their money up against the wall at the fucking Big Douche Out. Cunts the lot of them.

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