Bands: Osaka Punch, Terrestrials, Altria
Venue: The Evelyn, Melbourne, Australia (Naarm, Woiwurrung country)
Date: 18 / 11 / 2023
Review by Ziggy Thunders
Photos by Ben Eldström
Altria
Altria are a five piece, hard rock band hailing from Melbourne, Victoria.
They kicked off the night with a perfect range of sweeping solos and wicked twin guitar riffs, bass and drums that provided a solid thundering foundation and an angelic demonstration of vocals ranging from melodic to growls.
The audience was moving instantly, their presence and chemistry onstage was immediately infectious. Their banter with the crowd was fun to watch, especially when they tricked everyone by announcing a Maroon 5 cover but launched into a cover of System Of A Down’s Toxicity instead. They nailed the SOAD cover as well as another of Metallica‘s Enter Sandman.
Altria ended their set with War, an immediate banger with a pop punk taste, this song was a perfect note to end on. They certainly left me wanting more though, these guys are going to be a band to keep an eye on.
Terrestrials
Second on the bill for the night were Terrestrials, a Melbourne based four piece alternative rock band. These guys do not mess around. They took the venue on a journey of soaring, operatic vocals, gorgeous vocal harmonies, hard hitting, rolling drums, a thundering bass tone, and rhythmic and technical guitar work.
Terrestrials pays homage to previous Aussie progressive rock bands that paved the way for the genre such as Dead Letter Circus, Karnivool, and The Butterfly Effect. So if you enjoy those guys, definitely check out Terrestrials!
A personal favourite track of the night was Triggers, featuring ethereal guitar work, anthemic vocals, and steady driving bass and drums. During the last song a special guest appeared in the form of an inflatable air dancer (the wacky waving-arm car yard things), which also inflated the room’s mood to even higher levels.
The band stated during their set that this was their drummer’s second last gig with Terrestrials, and what a way to be sent off.
If you happen to be in Melbourne on the 16th of December, go check out their album launch gig at The Toff! If not, go check it out on whatever streaming service you’ve sold your soul to.
Osaka Punch
Osaka Punch are a four piece band hailing from Brisbane, currently touring for the recent release of their record Mixed Ape. This was the second last stop on their Australian tour, and what a note to almost end the tour on. The energy was off the charts and the air was electric before they took the stage – you could tell this was going to be outrageously good fun.
The mood is set as the Beverly Hills Cop theme plays, the band emerges, a sequin jacket catches the light, a charming smile from the vocalist and the audience erupts into joyous dance.
There is something for everyone here – genre twisting and bending and mashing – sleaze funk mixed with progressive riffs, rhythmic breakdowns that you could dance to, synth reminiscent of the best of the 80s, bass lines that brought the funk out and drums that served fills that merits only the best stank faces from fellow musicians.
We were treated to a stellar setlist, which featured songs off the new record Mixed Ape such as Kamikaze and Hall of Shame (certified bangers), along with some good old favorites from previous releases such as Actibreeze (also a certified banger). They added a small cover moment of Push It! by Salt-N-Pepa which whipped the crowd into a frenzy, and a hint of I Love the Nightlife by Alicia Bridges which miraculously fit in so well to their mishmash of genres.
They closed the show with How We Operate, ending a perfect evening of pure unhinged fun with pumping riffs that made heads bang, campy vocal deliveries in the absolute best way and infectious grooves.
Their new album Mixed Ape is out now, the last show of their tour is on the 2nd of December at Norton Music Factory, Sunshine Coast. If Osaka Punch play a show near you in the future, I would strongly suggest going, I can guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Gig gallery
