Wood & Steel

The opening night of the Emergenza season had arrived on a beautiful sunny evening at The Espy in St Kilda. Kicking off the night were three young guys called Wood & Steel who brought a loyal crowd with them and kicked off the night in style! Some of the playing was so accomplished it was hard to believe it could come from fellas so young! A couple of acoustic rock tracks opened up the set but it was when Addison picked up the electric that the band really hit their straps and looked more comfortable. A good amount of stage banter with the crowd kept the show light hearted and enjoyable, again another good trait shown from such a young band. Well done Wood & Steel!

Madi & McKenna

Next onto the stage were an acoustic duo called Madi and McKenna. Madi has a beautiful and very natural voice while Jimmy provides solid acoustic rhythm guitar to accompany her. They started with a cover before playing one of their own original tunes that went down very well with the crowd! Fourth song of the set ‘How much you mean to me’ Jimmy dedicated to his late grandma which was a nice touch and a fitting tribute as the song was the highlight of the set! Beautiful sounds from Madi & McKenna!

Tony Besselink

How can you describe this band? You can't! Just go and see them and prepare to have a laugh! The lyrics of Tony are hilarious takes on everyday life and never have I seen a band silence a crowd and draw them all to the front of the stage like they did with everyone hanging on every word to see what the next punch line would be! Throw in a bit of Theremin for something different and then the recipe is complete! Toward the end of the set the band admitted to running out of hits and would now play the appropriately named 'Filler Track' which had the whole crowd singing along! Something memorable from Tony Besselink!

Facets

Facets call themselves an indie rock band and that is a very accurate description! They know the style they are playing and execute it very well. The four piece played their hearts out on the stage and will be happy to have put on such a performance in front of the film crew that came along to shoot the show! The band was very tight in most aspects although the vocal was a little pitchy at times along with some nasty feedback from the guitar but nothing that can't be improved with more rehearsals. The track 'Lost' was a highlight of the set! Facets had one of the more polished sounds of the night!

Carpe Diem

The biggest crowd of the night came to support experienced local rockers Carpe Diem. The loyal fans lapped up a set of Carpe Diem original tracks! Another instrument we haven't seen on the stage recently is the double neck 6 and 12 string electric guitar which made an appearance and was a real eye catcher! Final track ‘Beat of the drum’ was a real riff rocker and highlight of the set! The lads seemed to grow in confidence the longer the set went on! Horns up for Carpe Diem!


Plymouth

These guys crammed themselves and their many instruments onto the espy basement stage and produced a wall of sound that made their fans sway with delight! The psychedelic nature of their songs reminds the listener of Bands such as 'The Doors'. No doubt these guys love playing music and sharing the stage with each other, they just need to work a little more on leaving some room for each member to breath in the band and not play over the top of each other constantly. Then this band could do anything!

Friendly Neighbourhood

The most intriguing set of the night came from solo performer Friendly Neighbourhood! A mix of samples, synths, guitar and what could be best described as social commentary rants playing over the top. It definitely had the crowd interested and seemed to move a few people in the room. A brave concept and great use of experimentation!

San Sakaar

The tightest band of the night were San Sakaar who showed of their distinct sound and style to close heat one in the espy basement. Each member is very accomplished in their chosen instrument, particularly Van on drums and Thiv on vocals. San Sakaar won many new fans on the night!