Verge Collection @ Bloodhound Bar, Brisbane - 5/8/17

 
I want to first start out by saying what an awesome venue! The Bloodhound Bar in Brisbane fortitude valley is an awesome space and captures the urban hipster bar theme perfectly. The upstairs area where the gig was held is pretty small, but if anything, this was why I loved the spot so much! Warm lights and rustic décor give this place an intimate feeling, highly recommend checking it out next time you find yourself in the valley.
 
The first band to start off the night were punk rockers Guava Lava, and yep, their music is just as groovy as their name. These guys make you dance. Old school punk rock, eat your heart out! The stage presence of the band really amped up the vibe of the night with the singer sporting a bright pink pant suit and heaps of charisma. I spoke to her after the set and she said “I just take my glasses off and let go… fake it till you make it”. Fast paced punk with nice melodies and poppy lyrics was the perfect way to begin the night.
 
Next up was local band Electric Zebra who absolutely nailed their set. This band is a beautiful mix of grunge and post-punk, with angst filled lyrics complimented by the singer Keelans powerful voice. Their track 'Ambition' was unquestionably a standout for me, with emotionally rich lyrics and a danceable guitar riff the tune was well received by the audience, everyone was up and grooving. I blink, the bands most recent release is an absolute banger with gorgeous vocals and an enthralling melody. Electric Zebra played an awesome set and I look forward to seeing them grow, definitely keeping an eye on these guys!
 
I honestly can’t think of a single back yard party I have been to in the past year that didn’t feature the nostalgic track by  Verge Collection, “Our Place”. This band is like flicking through a photo album of your high school days, capturing the Australian youth culture seamlessly. The band is currently touring following the release of their new single “For the story”, a surf rock inspired tune with melodic guitar riffs and a set of lyrics which are ridiculously relatable. The room was very squishy when the band took the stage, everyone crowding into the small space for the main act.

The bands front man Ben Arnolds’ undeniably thick aussie accent greeted us in a way which made you feel like you’ve known the guys your whole life. Verge Collections sound slightly differs from track to track at times feeling a country rock vibe and moving to a spacey surf rock sound in their track postcodes. When they played 'Class of 09' everyone sung along to the lyrics which resonate so well “Drinkin goon in the middle of the park”.

The summer anthem of 2016 'Our Place' was the song which launched the boys success and seeing it live was amazing! The energy in the crowd as we all sung along and danced was incredible, 'Our Place' is an absolute top track and so quintessentially Australian that it never fails to be a fan favorite. The guys finished their set with an epic cover of Motorheads 'Ace of spades'. They really got to let loose and rock out on this track which ended the night on a very big high! 

Review by Chloe Sankey