Light the Fuse CD Launch live review, X-Press, June 2005
Light The Fuse CD Launch - The Volcanics - Fourstroke - The M-16's Amplifier Bar, Saturday, June 4, 2005

Anyone with a soft spot for straight up rock 'n' roll, or a curiosity to have a crack at tinnitus, got themselves a chubby at the prospect of seeing The M-16's, Fourstroke and The Volcanics on the one bill. After all, it's been a long time since such a lineup was an option in Perth, and will probably be longer still until it happens again, so the Light The Fuse CD launch was, more or less, a treat.

In true M-16's fashion, the night opened with a bang. The musical equivalent of wearing two fighter jet engines as earplugs, The M-16's exceed both the decibel and intensity thresholds of the human body, and do so with some serious moves. Ken Watt has to have one of the most exciting voices in rock 'n' roll at the moment, and with a band that is made up of some exceptional musicians, The M-16's' mark is well and truly potent. Though he is undeniably the frontman, Watt's bandmates are certainly not off in the shadows, and on this night in particular, where spirits were soaring and everyone in the band at some point made it to the front of the stage, they were a solid, unshakable unit. The guest appearance by James Baker on drums for Television Addict was, shall we say, a little plagued, but memorable and a great gesture nonetheless, and showed just how well (and in such good humour) The M-16's can keep things together.

Surprisingly, though of course not unfortunately, Fourstroke were to be slotted in the middle spot, from which they put on the performance of the evening. Sporting a new drummer who looks frighteningly like Nick Oliveri, Fourstroke were absolutely brutal sounding, and have their 'no bass' compensation so wired between both guitarists that a blind man would not have been able to tell the difference. Further adding to how impressive they were, Fourstroke's mix was crystal clear, so that every little guitar harmony, vocal aspiration and drum hit was present and striking. With some super duper Iommi-style riffs, a distinctly 'stoner' tone, and balls-out choruses, it was very hard not to feel a little jipped that Fourstroke no longer reside in these here parts, because their presence is sorely missed.

The Volcanics pride themselves on being true to rock 'n' roll (to the degree where they don't even refer to themselves as a 'rock' band) and this very by-numbers approach is what, ironically, makes them distinct. With seemingly no desire to morph or evolve rock 'n' roll, The Volcanics provide authenticity in place of experimentalism, and regardless of whether such an ideology floats your boat or not, it is one that comes with a lot of power. Frontman John Phatouros could quite easily have been plucked out of an epoch not seen in three decades, and on stage he lives and breathes the role as the classic rock 'n' roll singer. It's always a relief when bands actually work up a sweat on stage, and The Volcanics - every member included - give off an energy that can turn a still crowd into a dancing one... not as easy a feat as it sounds.

Closer linked to The M-16's than to Fourstroke, The Volcanics have helped usher in a new echelon of Perth rock 'n' roll that the likes of Screwtop Detonators have developed from, and as a source of inspiration, one could do a lot worse than to have any of these three bands as a model.

The Light The Fuse also launch illustrated an interesting point about the Perth rock 'n' roll scene that has been a slow evolution in the making; the audience is starting to get younger. This is a sure sign of outreaching influence. Whereas early on the majority of attendees for M-16's and Volcanics shows were people old enough to remember what Perth rock 'n' roll used to sound like, now there is an almost even mix of the veterans and the rookies, who are embracing the traditional as the contemporary.

Between The M-16's and The Volcanics there is also an amazing camaraderie, made particularly special on an occasion such as this one, and a DIY ethic that salutes independence, and extends a middle finger to the complacent. Musically this spirit translates into raw, yet honed, energy, of which these bands have a seemingly limitless supply. The eventual size of the audience indicated that the appeal of this approach is growing exponentially, and graciously the bands gave their all to confirm why so many people have faith in these acts. It's not too bloated to say that there is a certain level of pride Perth punters feel for bands that actually seem to give a fuck, and with the homage that is Light The Fuse, the pride felt by the bands for their home town is more than obvious. As it always has been, the lure for both Perth punters and bands to shift to the larger metropolises is significant, but tonight's performance really did stress the dismissive-ness in the rhetoric of 'why would you want to live anywhere else?'

MIKE WAFER