The Handsome Family

The Handsome family proved to be a very interesting band in the current alternative country and folk scene. With a great sense of humor, they guided the audience through different passages and anecdotes that could have perfectly fit in a tea afternoon with the mad hatter (the original Lewis Carroll hatter, not Johnny Deep´s lame impersonation).

They cared about the show, and everyone seemed to be having a good time, enjoying a little bit of Brett´s soloing here and there and Rennie´s jokes during the interlude. Their album is also quite enjoyable and you should (!) give it a listen if you haven´t yet.

A great asset for the Melbourne Festival, together with Steve Mason and Yo la Tengo.

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As a Rival

This time I had a very special guest from Sydney by my side. After a few wines and a home roasted chicken, we somehow managed to get on the train to Footscray with a flask in the pocket (with 15 y.o. scotch in it, so it wasn´t as dodgy as it sounds) and showed up at the Reverence Hotel just on time to see these guys warming up mid-way through the first or second song.

As a Rival is one of those few bands that –I´d dare to say- can guarantee you a really good night. With a half empty room (the fact that you could hear the sound crystal clear for free on the courtyard may have had something to do with this) they played as if their own life depended on it. Incredibly young, these three punk rockers can deliver a smashing sound with no additives that will feel like time-travelling back to the 90s punk scene.

It was fun, and it´s such a shame that they are not around more often. If you are thinking on going to Soundwave Festival, you should definitely check them out next time they play in your town.

Thanks for reading.