Live Review: Good Boy @ Black Bear Lodge
Brisbane was a popular kid on the block Saturday night, with live music seeping from under the doors of what seemed like most music venues in Fortitude Valley and surrounding local favourite nooks (but how long for – cough, lock out laws?). Not an easy choice to make, but one to be proud of, Good Boy was the pick of the night, with the opportunity to catch the local lads celebrating their fresh EP ‘No Love For Back Home’ just too sweet to pass up.
Moments into opening the set, and somewhere between the first few strike of Tom Lindeman’s guitar and the intro of vocalist and bassist Rian King’s aussie-twanged humming vocals, the packed out Black Bear Lodge started to move. Just warming up, the grit of the electric guitar and bass intertwining sent smooth swirling waves over the fans, sending out invisible shakkas of indie-rock gnarl as they began to jump head first into the hype surrounding their debut EP.
“Patriotic to say the least, the trio were donned out in their best how’s-ya-father vintage, worn caps, denim, and button up’s, noting King’s Ruggers, that are seemingly growing shorter as Good Boy’s appearances increase.”
With it’s summery dreaminess Waste Days or Ease Your Temper was a crowd captivator, with cymbal pizzazz from drummer Stu Mckenzie and the harmony of King’s vocals breathing plenty of life into the live rendition. Fast paced and funky Higher followed as the crowd linked arms to headbang, jump, and scream. It seemed to be a mosh of old and seemingly new friends, all just there having a have bloody good time. Patriotic to say the least, the trio were donned out in their best how’s-ya-father vintage, worn caps, denim, and button up’s, noting King’s Ruggers, that are seemingly growing shorter as Good Boy’s appearances increase (complaints are none). Collectively, their stage presence was full of energy, and very present.
Titles like Your Mum’s Your Dad and a slow whammy that hits you right in the feels about a deceased dog were technically tight between the group, but it was the familiar and (locally) famous Transparency that brought it home. The politically charged single that won them the reigning title of Brisbane’s pick for 2016 St Jeromes Laneway Festival had the entire crowd screaming word for word, begging for some truth! Played live the melodic guitar riff builds you up and coaxes you to dig out all your frustrations and release them in many powerful fist pumps…and more than likely screaming for “a little transparency”!
The audience, soaked with sweat and peaking with extreme levels of serotonin, watched as Good Boy pulled away from the microphones as the lights came on, and just like that we were all back home, catching our breaths and thinking of a beer…and probably King’s pins for a few more seconds. All the love boys, congratulations on the EP and great set!
Read our interview with frontman Rian King HERE
