The Moral Panics

The Moral Panics kicked off our first semi final for 2014 in the The Espy Gershwin Room and you could tell straight away that this band loved the bigger stage! The improvement in this band since their first show with us in The Espy Basement was evident straight away! The band was tighter, more energetic and polished! They started with an intro piece before jumping into ‘Leave’ which really opened up the semi final with a bang! ‘Walk Me Away’ was a killer tune that really upped the vibe in the room and was a highlight of the set and showed off all the elements of the bands; Steph’s great vocals, Campbell’s amazing drumming and Jack’s smooth guitar playing. The band brought it down a notch for a slower acoustic song in which the whole band moved forward to play stringed instruments. Whilst it showed off Steph’s vocals really well and was a touching tune, it seemed to bring down the set a little too much which was rocking at the time. Unfortunately for The Moral Panic some of their equipment let them down on the night, so hopefully they can make some repairs and continue to show everyone what they have got! For the final song the band rocked the house down! Steph put the bass away and just went hard which the crowd lapped up with efforts to make the show go on! An awesome set from The Moral Panics!

Guzzler

The rockers Guzzler hit the stage with their usual impact but unfortunately not their usual strong following of loyal fans. What you can admire about these guys though is that it doesn’t matter how many people are in the room they still give their performance everything they have, leaving nothing on the stage! In the middle of the set, the band played a song called ‘Rock ‘n’ roll’ which was a real stand out! Some awesome guitar solos were on show in this set from guitarist Matt which this listener couldn’t get enough of! The father and son rhythm section was tight as usual. A rock fuelled set from Guzzler!

Nathan Varga

Our next act was Nathan Varga; the one man band who makes a huge sound with a single guitar. Slotting in after a rock band may be daunting to some, but Nathan made light work of it as he went into opening tune ‘Blue and Green.’ This song started off with two capos on the guitar and ended with three! Midway through this song he also put the guitar on the floor and played it with one hand while also playing the Cajun with the other hand, amazing! This is also a word that can describe Nathan’s extreme talent on the guitar! Although Nathan impressed in his first show in The Espy Basement, this set just seemed like the next level from him! A lot more class was on show with a more polished sound and a sense of a young guy who knows what path he is on. Nathan also likes to tell a few tales between his songs, ending with an emotional story before playing quite an epic piece. It’s always an enjoyable journey with Nathan Varga!

Dr Malone

Dr Malone is a swampy southern blues band that knows what the blues is and knows how to play them! Led by dreadlocked front man David and adequately backed by Johnno on the drums, Walter on the Bass and Brendan on lead guitar. They have catchy blues songs that somehow come across as happy songs that could cross over to a radio friendly market. ‘Crocodile Tears’ was a standout tune of the set with its memorable chorus and syncopated instrumentation. The boys rocked out in their final song getting up on the drum riser and bringing the energy! Thanks for the show Dr Malone!
Midnight Shifter
Plenty of energy is brought to the stage when Midnight Shifter plays and plenty of musicianship too! Influences of Incubus, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and even Rage Against the Machine can be heard in the music of this band. Midnight Shifter is a band that are well suited to the Northern suburbs of Melbourne’s city. The boys have some groove and I’m sure they will be kicking around the scene for some time.

Mantis and the Prayer

In what seemed to be a common trend appearing in this semi final, Mantis and the Prayer came across immediately as a totally different band. The band was so much tighter and the songs were a lot more developed, which helped make what you could once feel was going somewhere in The Espy Basement now seem like it was on the right track! Also the addition of a very solid drummer held this ensemble together. A band that is hard to describe definitely cover some styles with their eclectic sound. ‘The Sting’ was an upbeat tune to finish the much improved set from Mantis and the Prayer!

Dojo Collectors

Dojo collectors are a three piece who enjoy their time on stage. You can tell that they enjoy each other’s company and sharing music together. Some interesting headgear was worn by bass player Damian. ‘Manglewurtzles’ was a highlight with it’s simple structure and honest lyrics. A nice collection of songs for the Dojo boys!

Oglivion

With tasty beats and a smooth tongue, Oglivion’s tunes brought a healthy dose of hip hop to the Gershwin room. For the semi final Oglivion indulged the crowd with a new and refined set to ensure maximum crowd enjoyment. The set ebbed and flowed from dance floor bangers to soulful jams. Oglivion clearly puts a lot of time into his lyrical content and matches song themes with catchy beats and melodic hooks. As always an enjoyable time watching Oglivion!