It’s been a filthy day in the nation’s capital, so when BMA arrives at this far-flung outpost of rock ‘n’ roll we’re heartened by the not too shabby late afternoon turnout. The bar, despite not serving pints, is doing great business and every man jack of us, if slightly damp, appears to be in good spirits. There are many reasons why BMA is keen to see tonight go off like the proverbial Scoutmaster at a Gang Show, not the least one being that, since the untimely and tragic demise of the Green Room there simply hasn’t been a credible over 18s southside rock venue. We’re all rooting for MP guru Gary Peardon to make a go of things here in Erindale – and so should you be.
Super Best Friends do nothing to spoil the happy atmosphere. They play a raging, heavier than usual set which really demands attention from those who have ventured into the venue’s inner sanctum to see what’s going on. Like that bottle of vintage port that’s been sitting under my sink for the last couple of years which I’m too scared to drink, Super Best Friends are getting better and better with age.
I Exist have been making waves in hardcore circles for a little while now, with an album, I: A Turn For The Worse, that is quite possibly the finest recorded product to have emanated from Canberra in recorded history. The Maram’s small stage doesn’t afford the band the full opportunity to do it justice tonight, but there’s enough venom and bile in evidence to suggest that they could be the real deal given a following wind and a few breaks. Exciting.
The Escape Syndrome, like Super Best Friends, never let you down. Tonight they deliver a tight half hour of classy hard rock, but they need to start putting themselves about a bit further afield if they are to realise their full potential. They definitely have it in them.
There’s no draught beer on sale in the performance area at the Maram, which means Spoil are missed in the queue for Stella, which your reviewer is now purchasing two at a time to decrease the wait time, before we return to the fray for tonight’s main event – The Variodivers launching their EP. They are the first band of the evening to entertain in the truest sense of the word, with the show as important as the music, and the ever-swelling crowd likes what it sees...
...As they do as well for the uber-slick Switch 3. It’s a taut, professional performance they deliver, and they are good at what they do, but tonight they wash over our heads a little.
Which the ever-excellent Tonk, of course, don’t do. They rarely have an off night, tonight being no different. Every song hits the spot, they’re tight as ever, and the crowd lap them up.
A good day/night then, but with fatigue setting in your reviewer feels the need to head off into the soggy night for some kebabular relief – of which, incidentally, could be found none. Organiser Peardon is to be commended for putting on something like this FOR FREE in Canberra’s deep south. Let’s hope the projected Wolf & Cub show here is just the first of a long line of ‘Green Room’-style nights at the Maram – as long as the management invest in some pint pots...
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