The Bipolar Bears

First to hit the stage were ‘The Bipolar Bears’. They were the perfect band to warm up the amps for the night. Not only did they warm up the amps but they also warmed up the crowd that came into The Espy Basement to avoid the chilly Melbourne winter air. All of ‘The Bipolar Bears’ songs are about mental health as the band is Australia’s number one mental health advocacy band. They played their own blend of original Rock’n’roll, which featured main vocals and guitar from Dan as well as backing vocals from bass player Adam. Adrian was very solid on the drums and he also lent his vocal talents for some backing. Front man Dan charmed the crowd with his likeable personality. A great start to the night from ‘The Bipolar Bears!’

Twin Ages

Wow! A three piece blues rock band that packed as much punch as anyone we have seen this season! ‘Twin Ages’ brought their A game to The Espy Basement and rocked out like there was no tomorrow! Front man Max is a very tasty blues player with some great licks. His song writing is right up there in blues terms and he has the attitude to match! He is backed up by a great band in Angus on drums and Rob on bass. ‘Twin Ages’ put their own rock slant on the blues genre and they have come up with something that is truly their own in the modern music scene! It got really bluesy in songs ‘Wait For’ and ‘Hand Me Down’ when the bottleneck slide came out! A whiskey drenched set from ‘Twin Ages!’

Stone Desert

‘Stone Desert’ brought an international flavour to the night with all three members originally coming from overseas. They even brought their own disco ball! Stoner Rock from the other side of the world, featured bass and guitar grooves playing together with solo’s punctuated throughout the whole set from lead guitarist and front man Jhon. A trippy set from ‘Stone Desert!’

Mercury White

‘Mercury White’ was the first band of the night to bring to the stage keys, violin and a lady! ‘Mercury White’ have a sound that is hard to describe, sometimes full rock songs, sometimes soft ballads. While it may be hard to describe it is not hard to listen to! The use of two lead vocalists in Paul and Tammy, who are both great singers, gives each song a different feel. Paul also plays keys, and Tammy also plays violin. The use of haunting guitar and drums by Cam and Kevin, who also has great feel, rounds out this often epic sound. Highlights of the Set were ‘Cocoon’, ‘My Muse’ and ‘Shooting Star’. An eclectic set from ‘Mercury White!’

Since We Kissed

When ‘Since We Kissed’ took to the stage they seemed like a shy bunch, but when they went into their first song ‘B + B’ something jumped out from under their skins! This band changed the whole vibe of the room in less than four minutes! ‘Since We Kissed’ blasted through a set of infectious rock/pop that had the whole room grooving and smiling! The tunes were catchy and fun for their fans and for anyone who was seeing them for the first time! Vocals were shared between Prairie on bass and Lance on guitar, but you couldn’t ignore the sneaky backing vocals of drummer Alex up the back. An up-vibe set from ‘Since We Kissed!’

Princess Sinclair

The next band on stage was ‘Princess Sinclair’ and this band brought something different to The Espy Basement! Electro Pop Rock Dance music is something that we have not heard in the heats yet this season, but ‘Princess Sinclair’ delivered a very professional set in this genre. The use of four electronic synths as well as vocals with effects by Stephen and Shane, and bass played by Jason ensured for a very diverse dance set. Hell, they even threw in some didgeridoo for good measure! At one stage we nearly had a rave on our hands! An electro set from the ‘Princess Sinclair’ Boys!

The Ambience of Rain

‘The Ambience of Rain’ brought a loyal following from the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne to The Espy Basement. They played light progressive rock tunes and showed maturity in their musicianship beyond their years! Nice use of delay on the guitars created an atmospheric feel while lead singer Scott’s vocals soared above. An instrumental piece in the middle of their set showed off the band’s skills for writing arrangements. There were influences of U2 in ‘The Ambience of Rain’s’ set. A crowd-pleasing set from The Ambience of Rain!

The Story Model

‘The Story Model’ brought a laid back approach to their Indie rock tunes. A collection of songs that calmed the crowd as lead singer and guitarist Mike swooned through some original material. His vocals were backed by some nice harmonies from Parlez who also played bass. In fourth song ‘Let Me Be,’ the acoustic guitar came out for front man Mike as the band took it down a notch for a tune that had hints of ‘Incubus’ in vocals and instrumentation. A chilled set from ‘The Story Model!’

Valley

‘Valley’ took to the stage to play their blend of progressive rock. Their songs were very melodic and seemed to have influences of ‘Karnivool’. A lot of the melody was delivered from Dan on the guitar, but he had solid support from Andy on bass and Paul on drums. Front man James had all the energy on stage as he gave his vocals a workout while the band moved through its powerful set. A progressive set from ‘Valley!’

The Spitting Swallows

The Night finished off with youthful band ‘The Spitting Swallows.’ They got the crowd revved up right away by asking them to clap their hands along to the intro of their first song ‘Chips Ahoy’. Things escalated quickly after rhythm guitarist Jarrad skulled from his own cowboy boot! There was a lot of energy on stage with this band and the crowd seemed to enjoy this more and more as they moved to the front of the stage and rocked out. Final song ‘Suicide’ was a highlight of the set! A solid set of rock/punk tunes from ‘The Spitting Swallows!’