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Smith Street by the Railway

By Li

I made a trip to The Railway Hotel, on Friday as I’ve heard that they feature some pretty darn awesome local acts there from time to time. That week, a good mate of mine persuaded me to there for The Smith Street Band’s show.

It took me a while to figure out its whereabouts, as The Railway Hotel’s tucked away in a quiet corner in North Fremantle, nearby the dock and marshaling yard.

Upon getting there, I finally figured why most people I know would never take the trouble to drive all the way up there – it’s just out of the way and there’s nothing close by.

The interior of the Railway was nothing desirable; with mysteriously stained couches and strange scents lingering in the room, but none of that mattered as soon as The Smith Street Band got on stage.

Featured on Triple J unearth, the folk/punk band act have forged a reputation as one of Melbourne’s most exciting DIY bands. The Smith Street Band has an album with Poison City Records called No one Gets Lost Anymore – really worth trying out!

Overall, the show was emotionally exhilarating and absolutely amazing as the band played their hearts out. Amongst the many things I love about Smith Street that sets them apart from many punk acts these days, are their witty and poignant lyrics – with quirky song titles like Postcodes (For People Who Will Not Arrest Me) and When I Was A Boy I Thought I Was A Fish.

They’re definitely worth checking out. Click here to get to their Facebook page.

Once All Very Small

By Li

Last night, my housemate and I decided to check out Sorrento’s for some classic Italian dinner. Sorrento comes highly recommended by all food lovers, so we figured it was about time we checked it out for ourselves. Plus it’s located on James Street in Northbridge – great nightlife, when the rest of the city goes to sleep.

The restaurant was packed when we got there and cramping into a tiny table made me feel all the more uncomfortable. Fortunately the smooth jazzy charms coming from Once All Very Small made it all disappear.

The jazz quartet, Once All Very Small comprises of the ever-charming vocalist Emma Gage, pianist Esther Li, bassist Jesse Byrom-Carter and drummer Barnabas Courtauld. These talented young musicians are all 3rd year WAAPA students undergoing their Bachelor of Jazz degree. It’s exciting to see where this jazz quartet will launch themselves to, upon graduation.

In performance, the combination of their jazz skills and onstage energy make them really exciting to watch. What I love most about Once All Very Small is their ability to rearrange straight-up jazz and classic pop songs to give birth to a fun-loving contemporary sound of both worlds. I suppose it also has to do with their natural charm that appeals to all crowds.

I’ve known Emma and Esther for a while now (ex-neighbors); Emma would ninja into the living room and belch her music upon us and Esther would be up all night practicing the piano. I’m so glad to see how well their quartet’s going. The passion and love they have for music and performance is amazing. I don’t expect anything less than success for Once All Very Small.

Milhouse at the Stang

By Li

I love Wednesdays because it’s Perth & Northbridge Backpacker and Student night. You find all sorts of great deals in each block around the city.

My mates and I were feeling a little peckish after an early dinner, so we swung by the Mustang Bar in Northbridge. Starting from $5 you get a range of Aussie BBQ sausages, salads and drinks; perfect when craving for some simple munchies on a Wednesday night. It’s great that the Stang stuck by their usual opening hours – ANZAC Day.

The Stang’s always filled with lively atmosphere. The pool tables by the front are always occupied by enthusiasts, diners towards the back, a domino of patrons by the bar and of course, the mosh on the dance floor.

The band that played tonight was Milhouse, a five-piece rock/pop cover band. The Perth-based band pumped-up the crowd by kicking off with a pretty impressive cover of Black Eyed Peas‘s Lets Get It Started. Milhouse also rocked out Bryan Adams‘s Summer of 69, Foster the People‘s Pumped Up Kicks, and a shuffle of other cool tunes.

They’re a fun band for covers, but didn’t leave a lasting impression on us, but it’s always fun to see what goes on at The Mustang Bar.