Live Review: Shutup Shutup Shutup w/ Turnpike, Sleepwell, & Hanny J @ Crowbar

Last Friday Brisbane punk trio Shutup Shutup Shutup officially launched their single The Spit at Brisbane’s home of the heavy, Crowbar. Having recently changed their name from Release The Hounds, it was bound to be an interesting night, with a diverse range of acts on the bill.

First up for the night was solo acoustic artist Hanny J, who cut a lonely silhouette on stage with her acoustic guitar and mic. I was prepared for music along the lines of Passenger or Ed Sheeran, but I was proved wrong within seconds of her set. With a fantastic voice that wouldn’t be out of place in a pop-punk band, brutally honest lyrics, and melodic yet forceful guitar lines, Hanny J took the audience by surprise. With a confidence that only comes from experience, she powered through her set with a smile on her face as she belted out her heartfelt anthems, and left the stage to a hearty round of applause.

Next up were emo-punk outfit Sleepwell. The Brisbane-based rockers poured their hearts into the set, smashing through their songs with an intensity and earnestness that isn’t seen much these days. Seeing a band channel a combination of Defeater, Brand New, and other emo/melodic hardcore acts was refreshing, especially because they did it so damn well!

“…the three punks tore through their set smashing out some stellar riffs and bangers to the small but dedicated crowd.”

The only part of the set that was a bit of a letdown was the live mix, which saw the vocals nearly drowning out the more melodic guitar lines and crossing the gain threshold of the mic. All in all Sleepwell put on a fantastic set, I highly recommend you check them out if you’re at all into emo-charged hardcore.

After a bit of a delayed start the evening’s third act Turnpike hit the stage. I was intrigued to see this act because after quickly having a suss of their Facebook profile I failed to find what kind of music they played. After seeing them I’m still a bit confused to be honest, but nonetheless they put on an impressive show. They launched into a set that blended extremely melodic parts that exploded into walls of aggressive Converge-esque brutality.

With some early melodic hardcore influences as well as some drone influence, Turnpike seemed to bewilder the audience as much as entertain them, and at the end of their set they were met with a few lukewarm claps mixed with a stunned silence. I personally enjoyed them and do recommend you throw them a listen if you’re into bands like Dag Nasty, Modern Life Is War, or Converge.

Finally, Shutup Shutup Shutup hit the stage. After thanking the crowd for sticking around, the trio launched into a blistering set. Combining a particularly Australian sense of humour, as well as the musical sensibilities of Every Time I Die and The Bronx, the three punks tore through their set smashing out some stellar riffs and bangers to the small but dedicated crowd.

As well as bearing a passing resemblance to Keith Buckely of Every Time I Die, frontman Liam Edward has a remarkable vocal similarity, albeit as an Australian counterpart, switching from ear shattering screams to more melodic singing and interspersing the set with some cheeky banter.

“…the band’s name change from Release The Hounds to Shutup Shutup Shutup seems to have revitalised and repurposed the trio.”

Amidst songs about drinking and Toadie from TV show Neighbours, the band debuted their new single The Spit. Describe by the band as about “swimming on a beach on a normal day, and chasing a beach ball into the surf only to get caught in a rip, and having the feeling that you’re about to f*cking die come over you”, The Spit is a raucous punk romp that more or less is Shutup Shutup Shutup at their best.

After a quick breather the band smashed through the rest of their set, leaving the audience feeling energised yet exhausted from watching the three sweaty punks perform with such intensity. The band’s precision timing, blistering riffs, and burning intensity showed they’ve got some serious chops and their own brand of highly infectious Aussie punk is not for the faint hearted.

Despite hitting a few bumps in the past year, the band’s name change from Release The Hounds to Shutup Shutup Shutup seems to have revitalised and repurposed the band, and if their single launch show is anything to go by the trio are showing no signs of slowing down or lowering their sights!