In all the years Violent Soho have been tearing up stages across the country, and across the world, they have never played in Mansfield, until last Friday night.
In front of the world’s largest congregation of self-identified, gutter-punks wearing Violent Soho t-shirts at a sold-out Mansfield Tavern, tonight’s opener, Black Deity, are a fitting addition to the line-up and deliver a tight set of their Black Sabbath, doomed, stoner rock & roll to the crowd that stood watching, waiting and drinking beers while they eagerly awaited Violent Soho to take the stage.
After Black Deity, Melbourne alternative-emo rockers, Ceres, took to the stage and delivered a performance that while was a little removed from the raw, unapologetic sounds of Violent Soho, was consistent with the style and quality of bands like Arrows and the rest of the Hobbledehoy Record roster.
Mixing the better parts of ‘90s emo elements and alternative indie pop-rock, Ceres performed with a tight-sounding set with an electric energy that resonated in their music and shocked the sell-out crowd’s senses.
Taking to the stage with ‘Killing In The Name Of’ by Rage Against The Machine blaring over the PA, there wasn’t a more appropriate way Violent Soho could have arrived.
Violent Soho Image © Lachlan JohnstonLooking dazed, slightly drunk and punk-as-fuck there was no time for talking and the opening chords of ‘Dope Calypso’ rung out to the capacity venue. From there it was all systems go and pedal to the floor getting through almost every track on their ARIA-nominated album ‘Hungry Ghost’, including ‘Sarmona Said’, ‘Covered In Chrome’ and ‘Fur Eyes’, which evoked so many drunk sing-alongs the entirety of Mansfield would have known Violent Soho were back in town.
They craft together a set that’s hard and fast and a whole lot of fun, like a musical-middle-finger on stage. They are one of those bands that come around every once in a while who represent a movement in space and time – like canvas, flannelette shirts, empty swimming pools and the invention of skateboards – and the fans at Mansfield Tavern tonight know it.
Finishing their set with an extended instrumental version of ‘OK Cathedral’, which was loaded full of fuzz, distortion, feedback and an entire wall of noise, the crowd wasn’t satisfied and started a chant of ‘4-1-2-2’ louder than I have heard any crowd scream for any encore ever before.
Violent Soho Image © Lachlan JohnstonOn the back of a chant that near on took the roof of Mansfield Tavern, the local lads returned to the stage again and finished with ‘Jesus Stole My Girlfriend’ and the pit opened up bigger than it had all night.
What a way to start a homecoming party, the real show is going to be when they come back here in six weeks. Mansfield isn’t going to know what hit ‘em.
