Live Review: The Ninjas & Old Fashion Single Launch w/ The Bikini Machine & The Bear Hunt @ The Milk Factory

On a cool winter evening in Brisbane, packed inside the dark yet stylish digs of The Milk Factory, The Ninjas and Old Fashion gifted the people of Brisbane with a good ol’ fashioned rock show to launch their latest singles.

The smooth sounds of GC boys The Bikini Machine kicked off the evening, immediately transporting the crowd to the heart of somewhere in the South of America with their electrifying classic blues. The singer’s huge howls fit their sound like a glove, and as they told the crowd “This is the loudest we’ve ever played”,  it was clear they were having the time of their lives on stage.

Travelling through time from the 70s to the 90s, The Bear Hunt grabbed the punters’ attention by force.

Travelling through time from the 70s to the 90s, The Bear Hunt grabbed the punters’ attention by force. The band perfectly executed classic grunge features like buzzed-out guitars and brilliant build-ups. The sound rumbled through every body in the room, the raspy, powerful vocals hitting everyone in the crowd square in the face.

Once everyone was warmed up and the drinks were flowing, The Ninjas hit the stage. Opening with crowd-pleaser Kill Em’ All, The Ninjas got the crowd moving with their energetic brand of pop-rock. Bopping and grooving their way through hit after instant hit, what began as a tame crowd soon became a madhouse.

There’s something very European about the swagger The Ninjas carry on stage, or maybe it’s just the impeccable style of frontman Josh Stewart. Like a laboratory experiment combining the energy of The Vines, the singalong ease of Oasis, and guitar chops reminiscent of The White Stripes, The Ninjas brought garage sensibilities to the stage the only way they know how.

From sleeveless shirts and long hair to beautiful Les Paul guitars, Old Fashion are the epitome of what rock’n’roll should be.

The immense energy of Yeah Yeah and Never Had Much Time was so palpable the crowd could taste it, making it impossible not to bob along. The only break in the set came when The Ninjas busted out their latest single Morphine, a prime opportunity for punters to share a ‘lighters in the air’ bonding moment.  To go along with their flood of tunes, The Ninjas had easily some of the best cheeky in-between song banter the fans had seen in a while.

To round out the night, Old Fashion came out to play, bringing their monumental riffs to the stage. From sleeveless shirts and long hair to beautiful Les Paul guitars, Old Fashion are the epitome of what rock’n’roll should be. Taking a mighty swig straight from a bottle of wine before circulating it amongst the crowd, Old Fashion jumped straight into a guitar masterclass – a cavalcade of lightening-bolt riffs and even bigger solos,  moving into proggy territory. Whether it was the huge groove of Stuck in a Groove or the slower jive of Kings to You, Old Fashion were on a tear.

Surprising punters with a cover of Royal Blood classic Little Monster as singer JJ Cole screamed to the heavens, bringing an even more ferocious energy. Finishing up with their huge, head-banging circus of a single Romeo, Old Fashion tore The Milk Factory one last new one.