The Jacks, Assassination Collective, Actor/Model, Shooting at Unarmed Men - Pony

Cup eve is a strange night of the year, everyone feels obliged to go out and enjoy themselves but haven’t quite got over the weekend yet.

The Jacks play an uncomplicated rock-a-billy punk crossover and certainly look the part, resplendent in turned up jeans, shirts, t-shirts, low-slung guitars and tattoos aplenty. The music’s not complicated, there’s no messing around, no confusion over what to expect and an awesome start to the night.

Assassination Collective take to the stage in their usual shambolic glory, trying to fit 7 members on any stage is hard, nigh on impossible at a venue like Pony. The band compromise by bringing their awesome loud and raucous sound into the audience, the rotating vocalists bounding around the venue shaking everyone out of their holiday lethargy.

Actor / Model are an odd choice on the bill, their mellower sound sandwiched between several louder and more frantic bands. A couple of songs in the set drag a little, wandering into meandering instrumentals that feel extraneous to what are generally catchy and interesting numbers.

Shooting at Unarmed Men’s gig schedule has been somewhat sporadic and random over the past year, a situation that beautifully summarises the band’s music. One of the tightest three-pieces in Melbourne the songs are definitely punchy, catchy and well crafted, but full to the brim of tangents, suddenly flying from one random part to another without notice or prediction, a refreshing change from a sea of predictable bands. The audience tonight are just as unpredictable with some of the most bizarre heckles anyone (including front man John Chaplet who’s probably experienced a fair few) has heard in a long time being shouted, screamed, sung and hollered throughout the entire set. Despite this Shooting at Unarmed Men pull off a brilliant set, somewhat enhanced by the situation, airing new songs, playing some old favourites and reminding Melbourne that despite their absence, they are still a musical force to be reckoned with.

Published in InPress