a rockin' main course

After an entrée of American ensemble music, I headed down the road to the Basement to hear GangAwry – a local progressive rock band who were celebrating the CD launch of their latest album Politics.

Aside from a quick glance at their MySpace page the night before, I’d never heard of these guys before. My friend – being an avid fan – had organised a bunch of us to check them out. She certainly wasn’t the only fan. The basement was packed with friends, family and groupies who drank heartedly, singing along with the words of almost every song and cheekily heckling the band members.

My friend was probably the biggest heckler of them all: “your mother loves it”, she screamed at one point before glancing mischievously at one of the band member’s mother who was standing just a few metres away smiling proudly.

It’s rare to see such a level of intimacy at a rock gig (although the small, personal nature of the venue naturally played a role here), and it was interesting to catch a ‘behind-the-scenes’ glimpse of the support that these guys obviously have for their music making.

As a band, they were extremely tight and well-rehearsed – a very slick act with excellent stage presence. I did leave feeling a little uninspired though. Their formulaic riffs and harmonies left me yearning for something far more cutting edge and new...