Cabins were the first band on stage at The Annandale and as more people shuffled in, the better they seemed to play. They’re a band doing the rounds of small Sydney venues and their work has started to pay off.
Their sexy cover of Edwyn Collins’s ‘Never Met a Girl Like You Before’ just keeps getting better. They have a definite stage presence that has improved along with their confidence as a band, showing that they’re worthy of more attention.
Though crowd banter still isn’t their strength, the fact they’re addressing the crowd throughout the show is a nice change from the first time I saw them. They finish the set with their hit ‘Catcher In The Rye’ that has most moving and some dancing.
The Treatment are next to play and are loud from the start.
The lead singer urges the crowd to move closer to listen and promises the band doesn’t bite. They’re incredibly comfortable on stage and continue their assault on our ears for the whole set, with a long list of rocking tracks.
Their style is consistent but it would be worth them mixing it up with a slow track here and there, if for no other reason but to give our ears a break. After a set of rock and roll, they shuffle off stage and leave an almost full Annandale Hotel behind.
Tumbleweed arrive on stage and are welcomed by a rowdy crowd, with many wearing flannelette. Lead singer Richie Lewis starts to dance and only stops between songs for the rest of the set. Long hair is being swung around everywhere and the first few rows of the crowd can be seen pogoing up and down during ‘Sundial (Mary Jane)’.
The first part of the set goes quickly without a break between songs, until they introduce a new one. It’s clear that most are here for their hits, with one guy saying “What the fuck, I’d rather hear an old song!” and another calling out for ‘Acid Rain!’ at every chance he got.
Lewis keeps moving around the stage and jumps up on the drum kit during a long solo. The band’s passion for playing live is clear and it’s resonating with the crowd, evident from the number of people crowd surfing.
It’s a rough gig, with one guy almost losing his pants while crowd surfing and another falling over twice, once on his face. That said, there’s no aggression, everyone is getting into the stoner rock vibe.
‘Daddy Long Legs’ is the obvious stand out of this set, with an extended solo and many jumping the whole way through. Showing no signs of slowing, Tumbleweed thrash through another four songs. Lewis mentions their first experiences playing in Sydney at The Lansdowne and says “We should try and relive our past glories for as long as they can last.”
They walk off stage, leaving us with ringing ears and a sense of nostalgia.
Justine McNamara 