The Hot Lies, The Getaway Plan, The Open Season
Adelaide Unibar
Sat 1 July

I arrived at the Unibar at the very responsible time of 8.15 pm, not really expecting that many people to be there. But to my surprise, the venue was already almost at capacity. I arrived just in time to hear the opening chords of local band The Open Season. They're a band that I've seen a fair few times in the past so I knew what to expect. Pretty straight up new Aussie rock. The crowd appreciated their set and I have to say that they're getting better every time I see them.

Next up were The Getaway Plan. I'd previously seen them when they supported The Alkaline Trio and Taking Back Sunday. They were a very professional and proficient outfit with all of the moves. Sadly on the musical side of things they didn't impress me. They seemed to concentrate on being technically adept (which they were) but ignored the melodic side of things. Their singer became annoying with his over the top and underperformed vocal stylings. Despite this the crowd was crammed up the front enjoying every minute.

On a lot of occasions there's not that much difference between support bands and headline acts, tonight was an exception. Helped along by a feverish crowd and strobe-filled light show, The Hot Lies powered through their set which included pretty much everything from both of their EPs as well as a new track and a cover of Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time. Although the rest of the band was rocking out as hard as they could, all eyes were on frontman Pete Wood. Constant touring has allowed him to develop a brilliant rapport with crowds, giving them many opportunities to sing along and take choruses into their own hands. Not only are they a tight outfit, they have the songs to back it up, songs like Ghost In The Mirror and One For The Memories have the ability to get even the most jaded (i.e. me) foot tapping. Even after the millions of times I've heard it, the highlight of the show for me was their encore performance of Bullet Holes And Black Lines. They're local boys, and now they're getting the recognition they deserve.

Sam Vinall

PIC: Fiona Stafford