At the Warp Records showcase at The Pheonix, I caught the end of Pivot (pictured above and below), their set jam packed with new material. Yes boys and girls, the Sydney/Perth via London three-piece are back, and you better believe they sound better than ever. They ended the night with “O Soundtrack to my Heart” – which as far as I know was the only old track. Nonetheless, they had the crowd gripped throughout – an impressive feat for any band playing solely new material – and I must feel pretty chuffed to have them (partially) representing my hometown.
Ontario, Canada’s Born Ruffians (pictured below) followed, and were just about everything you’d expect them to be – pretty damn cool. But with limited audience interaction, and an underwhelming stage presence, I didn’t feel myself drawn in to the set. Nonetheless, Luke LaLonde is a wholly capable frontman, a standout on the guitar, Steven Hamelin a brilliant drummer, Mitch Derosier a masterful bassist … and this is a band who are capable of great things. With tracks like “Hummingbird” and “I Need a Life” already under their belt, this is a band with a worthy fan base. I hesitate to say, however, that the new tracks they played tonight don’t feel like they’ll make the same impact as their earlier material – but will nonetheless be worthy additions to their catalogue.
Say It, their long-awaited follow-up to Red, Yellow & Blue will be released in June.
