Live Review: The Gooch Palms w/ WOODBOOT & Tempura Nights @ The Foundry
The influence of their recent tour supporting Violent Soho was very apparent at The Gooch Palm’s album launch at The Foundry. Since I’d last seen them perform there several months ago their crowd had swollen considerably, filling up with the denim-clad, moustachioed bunch you’d find filling the room at a ‘Voho gig. As it happened, the launch of their new album ‘Introverted Extroverts’ proved to be more entertaining than anybody there could anticipate.
The night kicked off with local punk outfit WOODBOOT, a high-energy, musically talented, if unpolished start to the festivities. With a thrashy, Brit-punk sound, WOODBOOT obviously draw plenty of inspiration from Brisbane legends The Saints. They emanated an interesting dynamic, with the schoolboy band vibe offset by the cool stoicism of the bass player.
However, there was an unfortunate awkwardness about their stage presence, especially when one of the guitar players broke a plectrum and the audience was kept waiting while they fumbled for a replacement. Despite this, they were definitely fun to watch, bringing surprising vocal harmonies into their music, an unexpected nuance for what seemed like your usual messy punk band.
Nest on the lineup were Tempura Nights, another batch of locals. They jumped straight into Studville, one of their most popular releases from last year. Embodying a cool carelessness, frontwoman Alice wailed into the microphone, drink in hand. Unfortunately, the set was plagued by technical difficulties, with the vocals at times nearly completely inaudible. But Tempura Nights brought it back, rallying with the grungy strains of Mr Tone, and continuing undiminished with their tight yet effortless brand of Sonic Youth-esque sound.
Of course, this was just an appetiser for the main event. The crowd exploded when The Gooch Palms took the stage, flanked by inflatable palm trees and 8-bit pink flamingos. They jumped straight into Living Room Bop, the first track of their new album, and a modern ode to the sock-hops of a bygone era. The Gooch Palms brought their trademark devil-may-care attitude, trading jokes and insults with the crowd the whole night long.
The opening lines of fan-favourite Don’t Look Me Up sent the audience into a frenzy, singing along to every word, and moshing like madmen. The audience participation didn’t there, with something close to half the crowd joining the band onstage for a rendition of Don’t Cry.
It’s important to remember when attending a show by The Gooch Palms the music is only a facet of the entertainment package to expect. A shout-out to a lucky birthday boy (AAA’s very own videographer Angus Fuus!!) in the crowd ended with him being pulled onstage for a ‘shoey’ – A beer fed to him from a stranger’s discarded shoe by singer/guitarist Leroy Macqueen. Those in the front row were also treated to mouthfuls of Jameson poured out by the generous entertainers, with drummer Kat Friend sloshing whiskey around with abandon.
As the night wore on and the lights got too hot, leading Macqueen to shed more and more items of clothing, until Friend finally lost patience and yanked down his tight red undies, leaving him as God made him. As they played the last of We Get By, Macqueen leapt in to surf the crowd in his full naked glory, proving that this Novocastrian surf-rock duo have the hearts of true punks!
Check out our (NSFW) gallery of The Gooch Palm’s show at The Foundry HERE
