Episode III
The Music: A scream filled start finished with a thirst quenching punk/rock import.
The Place: The Red And The Black @ The Zoo
The Crowd: Punkers, Scenesters and Jerks

Well, tonight seemed as good as any to finally check out The Zoo's all new, all-Wednesday punk influenced "The Red And The Black". Tonight sees New Zealand export Sommerset headline with The Scare & Sophora’s replacement Razor Hurst. Although the doors opened at eight, there is no sign of things getting underway until at least nine. I take this half an hour window to survey tonight's somewhat diverse crowd. I put most of this down to friends of the bands etc, suspicions later confirmed when more than one of said groups leaves after the first band's set. Razor Hurst takes to the stage as do the crowd to the front of it.

They start the set with a rather nice 'swing' inspired intro, this lulls me in before they launch into a sea of screamed lyrics and heavy riffs. During the set they introduce a new song and showcase an old one. The singer works the stage well and the crowd appreciates this. The lei wearing, Hawaiian-shirt clad bass player hammers away at a furious pace keeping up with the guitarist from start to finish. All in all a decent set, not really my thing, but OK nonetheless.

Having already been pre-warned earlier in the day that The Scare are a very 'trendite' band, I find myself less than excited that they are up next. Although I have failed to mention the members of the female persuasion yet, this does not mean that I did not noticed them! My direct attention instead is focused on the morons around the pool table. For starters playing pool at a gig while the band is playing is just plain wrong in my books. Second, using a pool cue to play 'air guitar' or to perform 'the bull dance' is a privilege reserved for the over 40's crowd and jerk offs. Thirdly and also lastly after committing the first two musical felonies, you are not meant to take a free button from the stage. They are for the patrons that actually watched the band!

My first impressions of The Scare follows- Appearance: Jet meets the page-three fragrance models from a CK catalogue. Music: Gut wrenching, scream laced vocals over a suprisingly decent musical backing. Although my second impression does change. Songs start to blend into each other, until it becames more of a drone than anything else. Granted, I was still fuming about the whole pool table debacle, but I just could not get into them. The singer did his best to entertain the crowd, swaying back and forth in a rather Jagger-esque fashion. The only problem being that Mick pulls it off. The pressure had certainly mounted for Sommerset.

Sommerset start the set with Say What You Want, a fresh, catchy song that has the crowd worked up from the get-go. From the catchy solo and original hooks in their second song The Useless, it is clear that this export means business and have already stolen the show. Through a mixture of slightly heavy riffs, diverse breakdowns, a melodic if not occasionally popish urgency and a natural energy on stage, Sommerset thrill the crowd for the entirety of their 12 song set and three much appreciated encores. With both guitarists sharing vocal responsibility, the sing-along chorus of the seventh song, the great harmony of their eight older song (sorry no set list) to the crisp, first time in Australia performance of Make Or Break, I completely forget that it cost me $10 to be here tonight. So after what started out as a possible liability of a night, the boys from NZ have saved the day or should I say night and for that I tip my hat to them and look forward to their return.
Sam Austin



Episode II
The music: Catchy and energetic hardcore.
The place: #12 aka The Depot
The crowd: Brisbane's Punk Scene elite and random freebee hounds.

I find myself at one of The Depot's regular Thursday night free gigs. Lining up for tonight's festivities are Minor Treat and this month's house-band Sam AustinGazoonga Attack. After my first trip to the bar I realize one important thing, for all its anti-scepticism and subcultural standing, The Depot still charges rather highly for drinks! Looks like I will have to nurse this beer like a first time mother. I take a few minutes to scan the crowd before the opening act gets us underway.

First up is Brisbane based hardcore band, Minor Treat. This band is the brainchild of Matt Bach (KNAW) his girlfriend Hayley, Geordie Stafford (Dick Nasty) and Pete Bosworth (Brisbane City All-Skas). Each tune in their 9-song set is delivered through unrelenting lyrics that separate this band from the pack. Matt expels these hardcore anthems as he frantically belts out riffs & solos while switching almost rhythmically between two microphone stands. With back-up vox supplied by Geordie and Hayley and a heavy and precise groove by Pete on the skins, the band provides a tight and emotion filled sound. Get out and support this band!

During Minor Treat's set, the crowd begins to grow somewhat and the female quotation rises rather nicely (ahhh, the joys of seeing an all-girl band). Gazoonga Attack soon take the stage and the mood for the set is quickly established via Tamara's rather colourful language and threats of violence towards members of the audience if they don't fill the dance floor. During the migration that follows, lets just say my attention is caught more than once by the crowd that has now slowly milled on and around the dance floor.

Gazoonga Attack start the set with the subtly but catchy 3AM And Who Are You and continue to deliver the entire set with exuberance and the explosiveness that has established this all-girl quartet as one of Brisbane's premier punk bands. Although most of the songs played are new, they are as catchy if not more so than their older material and by the look of things, the crowd agrees. As the somewhat female induced crowd start grinding and letting loose, it causes me to consider proposing twice, okay, three times during the set! I really enjoy the sharing of vocal responsibilities between Tamara, Elea & Serinda, as each girl leaves their own special mark on the songs they sing. I dig the 16-song set from start to finish!

Although I arrive tonight with little contact with the music of either band on the bill, I leave with the definite intention of seeing both bands again and soon! Now if only I could hook up with one of my potential fiancees, oh well until the next adventure.
Sam Austin



Episode I
The music: Punk laden anthems, angst charged ballads and all-out rock.
The place: A new recording studio and practice hall at Bowen hills.
The crowd: Punk kids and friends of the band.

Plans for a fashionably late entrance are foiled as I arrive 30 minutes after the original starting time and find a small sea of people congregating around the entrance. Within minutes the show is under way and Blood Thirsty System starts playing, their set is short and fast paced, a thrashing hard-core sound backed by a strong vocal display of screamed lyrics. I wish I could say more but was preoccupied catching up with old friends and hoping to make new ones.

The addition of DJ Nasty to provide the 'between sets' music is a nice touch and let me just say there is something about watching two punk rock chicks dancing together to Funky Cold Medina that does it for me every time! The music stops and unfortunately so do the girls as the second band takes the stage.

Sophora play a short set (apparently a theme for the night). Not really much to say about this band as I was outside catching up during the set.
Nasty starts again and you know I'm back inside for this! I have a quick chat with both guitarists and the drummer of Goodbye Skyline; the usual good luck and give -em hell spiel.

Goodbye Skyline finally takes the stage and I find the perfect vantage point, a set of stairs just above the stage. The first song is a heavily drum driven song laced with angsty lyrics that are unfortunately lost amongst the din. The bass player delivers the back-up vocals with such ease as he screams over the more melodic approach of the lead singer. It's kind of Funeral For A Friend meets Dead Poetic. By the third song, both guitarists Paul and Scott loosen up and seem more at ease on stage, although neither of them even glance at the crowd once during the entire set. The time spent in the woodshed before this first show is apparent as they perform each song with a precision and grace that many seasoned bands lack these days. The breakdown in the fifth song really displays their full potential; without missing a beat, the band stops midway through a full throttle musical attack on the senses to drop into a peaceful yet highly original bridge that left the whole crowd clapping and this scribe really craving more!
Sam Austin