Review: King Cannons At The East Brunswick Club.

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By Chris Mitchell.

Every gig at the East Brunswick Club presents the same early dilemma. Upon disembarking from tram, does one choose the left door and head straight for the band room, or head for the right door, and into the front bar to fight for a booth.

As per usual, the chance to sit down for a cool adult beverage won out, and the right door it was. As the sounds of Johnnie and the Johnnie Johnnies rang through the walls of the beer garden, what became obvious was the amount of familiar faces at the East. The last few King Cannons shows have been like this, and it gives the gig more of a party in your backyard feel. This is a growing hallmark of the Melbourne alternative scene, check out some shows and chances are you’ll see someone you know. If not, make some friends.

Heading into the bandroom, it was a little disappointing to see that there were fewer punters than hoped. However, it was still early, so after a quick trip to the bar we settled in to watch the Level Spirits. They were interesting, engaging to watch, but they somewhat failed to capture the attention of the majority of the crowd. That didn’t seem to worry the band too much, frontwoman Miss Molly Jen Morrison energetically throwing herself around the stage as the band rocked through some garage rock numbers, heavily influenced by 50s and 60s rock n roll.

By the time the King Cannons hit the stage the room had filled up sufficiently. The Cannons hit the ground running, ripping through Smoked Out City and Gasoline within the first few numbers. The punters were easing into it, and halfway through the set most couldn’t help but bop along the reggae and punk influenced rock tunes.

As usual, the King Cannons had a monster presence on the stage, singer and guitarist Luke Yeoward cutting an imposing figure. His slicked back hair may require constant maintainence throughout the set, but his stage banter is entertaining and he, along with the rest of the band, are flawless players.

They rock through the first half of the set, pausing only to have a drink or run a comb through their hair. In the second act, the Cannons bring out a few of their more reggae influenced tracks, like Time To Yourself, and finally the entire room is dancing.

The performance of new single Take The Rock was a particular highlight. It’s an exciting song and it’s good to hear it getting played on the radio. A quick encore later, and it’s lights up. While the show didn’t perhaps attract the numbers the band would have hoped for, they put on a great show, and their music is too good to be ignored for long. Live, they are more than solid, and even the most pessimistic punter will be shuffling their feet by the end.

Another great King Cannons show. They are steadily building a good reputation in the Melbourne scene, and have carved out a nice little niche for themselves since relocating from New Zealand. It is well worth checking the out, and becoming part of the party family that they are amassing with each show.