Obscure references pushed aside, the Sunday Ice Cream Socialist/Bastard Theatre of Brisbane festival held at Burst City and put together by Bedroom Suck Records, Unique Beautiful Flowers, Real Bad Music showcased nine local Masterpiece Acts. Five dollars to get in, well stocked merchandise desk, bad radio reception, lots of beer flowing.

There’s two stages here: Inside and out. No elevated stages, just performing on cement in the little courtyard or the floor inside. Gradually people started coming along just at about 4-to-5PM after the first three acts have performed. Even members of the general public turned up and sat quietly in the corner, wondering what the fuck is going on, a few didn’t want to pay the cover-charge so they stood near the desk and watched.

Ambrose Chapel

Ambrose Chapel, perhaps named after the sly, creepy bastard from that episode of the X-Files (‘Colony’), is Ian Rogers of No Anchor fame playing droning ‘noise’ by the way of a laptop processing keys & filters. Nothing to go out of your way for  (see: the JWC window gig a while ago) but Ian seems have got around to developing more ideas into this act and as a result it’s a richer performance overall. Looking forward to hearing more.

As I forgot to change the batteries in the recorder I didn’t catch Ambrose Chapel in the courtyard.

Psy Ants

Full set recording here: http://www.mediafire.com/?328n8td9il43ckf

Formerly ‘Science’ and now with Sebastian from The Seizures, Psy Ants are second up today inside and right in the middle of the floor. With the addition of a guitar they’ve got some room and they’re becoming more aggressive at every passing gig too. The drum kit constantly falls apart, Mitchell doesn’t even need a microphone.

Sky Needle

Full set recording here: http://www.mediafire.com/?xmo86ufeqn3of3l

Sky Needle is Sarah (Stag), Alex Cuffe, Joel (Abject Leader), and Ross Manning. The last time I saw them – at the Troubadour – I appreciated what they were trying to sound like but trying to paste together a opinion afterward, hindsight really, the performance just fell apart. That’s all gone now and this whole set is comprised of short, improvised pop songs, a few instrumental but Sarah’s vocals really push the performance forward & to somewhere else else else ah ah ah ah. This is a good one, all the instruments are either found (sheets of metal, trash can) or made (foot-pump horns, constructed bass guitar, mic’d dust-pan & strings).

6Majik9

Full set recording here: http://www.mediafire.com/?6w7nanxfo13bv4m

The first band I ever saw perform live when I moved to Brisbane in 2008 was Innig of which some members feature in 6Majik9. I didn’t know what the fuck was going on because I just walked in off the street. That night essentially ignited my interested in the Music Your Mind Will Love You/Pacific Soma label and everything that it encompasses.

Set up, well, everywhere inside 6Majik9 play on and on or so think the kids sitting around on the sidelines. It’s a relatively long one but I’m never bored, seated as close as I can, cross-legged and my brain melting into a puddle behind me. The set-up alone is as emcompassing as the sound – there’s a whole goddamn studio worth of gear here and everything is either hit, thrown or pushed over. They could’ve gone on for another three hours – and they have before, at the Book Nook a while ago – but time’s short, the sun has set during their performance and shit I can’t feel my legs anymore. Listen to the recording whilst riding high.

Heart Flew Like An Arrow

Full set recording here: http://www.mediafire.com/?8tifwbsx3stpcid

Set-list swap from the great performance at Rosies a few months back, Heart Flew Like An Arrow is set up in the middle of the floor with Adam singing behind Nick on drums. Good set-up, makes for a better recording(?). Still pissed I lost the SD card containing the bootleg of the last incarnation of Heart Flew with Robert on vocals but I’m loving this new direction all the same.

Teen Sex

Full set recording here: http://www.mediafire.com/?gmzpg6hjlegf747

Teen Sex (don’t worry, I changed the filename) is Rohan (drums, vox, effects. of Kitten Party) and Alrey (circuit bent gear). Performing under total darkness outside until Alrey’s handywork on wires has come into play with triggered strobe-lights almost sending myself into a trance-state by staring into them and being blasted with disjointed, harsh noise. It’s all about the experience here, people are shielding their eyes & ears as the strobes & volume go up in intensity as the set follows. A frontal assault alright, not for everyone obviously but those who sat on their hands left afterward with their jaws dragging behind them.

Gerald Keaney & the Gerald Keaneys

Full set recording here: http://www.mediafire.com/?9vn1cvp7jj44dj5

Always looking forward to seeing Gerald perform he doesn’t disappoint tonight with some material I’ve heard before (ASPC ’09 festival, last week’s squat-show) but totally accosting the crowd once again, songs filled with witty lines where you need to take a second to double-play & laugh, off-the-tip quips, and being backed by two Gerald Keaneys.

Cured Pink

Full set recording here: http://www.mediafire.com/?qsk5x4rfpm441b8

Cured Pink recently toured Victoria & a date up in Cairns launching his cassette released by Sabbatical records; this is the local launch. An amorphous project – past members, sounds – which is now pin-pointed directly as a brutal, ear-drum tearing industrial-noise act: Tonight he’s set-up inside with a handful of effects, bass guitar, and a pile of steel beams & sheets. With the volume exceeding my recorder’s capability I’m personally having a bit of moment where my ears are actually hurting – right to the point where you can hear cracking. The set ends with Andrew throwing around the steel beams into the sheets and then right toward the amp.

Yout Dem

Full set recording here: http://www.mediafire.com/?jybsttvaid183ny

Though plagued by microphone problems, Yout Dem keep everyone dancing and close the night with another great show for those who stuck around until the end.