Mammal

A full house rocks The Corner Hotel tonight as we’re blessed with four bands on the bill and a mainly blokey crowd buzzing around the band room heavily witnessed with black tee shirts (naturally).

The Kaveliers start off the night with their raw abundance of rock. A three piece act performing some great music and whilst the singer’s voice is strong and at times rather screamy the music doesn’t stand out on its own (yet). Let It Out has some heavy guitar riffs and the song White Lies features some more of that great melody but the vocals taint it a little as I was reminded of a bad Joe Cocker sound.

Jerrico are up next and Wow!, great start to their show, eastern influence infiltrates the room, big heavy build up turning into heavy rock music. The sampling is loaded with plenty of magical rock that makes many punters stand up and pay attention to this band. Awesome tripping drums, then the vocalist enters after a large musical instrumental. They are a five piece band with a big following. Vocals aren’t fantastic but they gel with the band extremely well and I wouldn’t ask for anyone else to sing for Jerrico. Seeing the Sun is off their new EP and gets the crowd pumping, Cause and Effect has a buzzing start along with talking vocals, a great song with passion and a great tune. Promises Made of Glass endures a great beat too. Some of Jerrico’s songs remind me of old Butterfly Effect tunes. This band has amazing energy on stage and some serious jumping around ends their show.

Sydonia are set up on the same stage which makes way for a wait but thankfully not too long. Sydonia are a four piece metal alternative band- cruiser rock signatured with big drum beats. The show starts with a large instrumental followed by smoke covering the stage. Some great music takes us on a journey but with weak vocals – mixing perhaps? Heavy bass and higher vocals that gets crisper as the show goes on. Some serious drum work follows and although they are heavy metal there are many genres of metal to their music in the same vibe. Guitar sounds amazing at times, leading the room into its trance and whilst the crowd lapped up this band, I wasn’t so convinced.

Tunes of AC/DC, Prodigy and Cash keep us entertained whilst we waited for the headline act. Then enter Mammal and need I say more. If you haven’t witnessed Mammal live on stage then where the hell have you been. This is one band who doesn’t relax during a show, the vibe and passion on stage is given to each individual watching them and they return this tenfold. Ezekiel Ox (Zeke) is the front man knowing for his strong political beliefs and he is one who doesn’t stand back on these beliefs, he gets out there and voices them to make his world a better place. Pete Williamson on guitar takes the crowd on and delivers each key with such solid evidence of love of this music that many punters want to be him. Nick Adams is the most inspiring bassist I have ever seen, he is like a monkey the way he jumps around the stage with no inhibitions and Zane Rosanoski pounds the drumbeats adding so much delivery of the music that is mammal – including his lit up drumkit!

Tonight the shows starts with music joined with talking over the loudspeakers then out they come, all seemingly fresh and ready to rock the joint tonight, pictures of eye balls surround the wall behind the band via projected imagery and Zeke has his microphone with an aboriginal flag attached to the end of it. Zeke welcomes us to this explicit show and starts playing The Minority. Hell Yeah is a crowd favourite and is played faster than the EP whilst pictures of flames are projected on the wall this time creating an awesome feel like we are all in the pit of hell. Straight into The Aural Underground where bass is magically played and the drums go off. Think has Zeke egging the crowd on and tonight the whole band is in overload, it’s like entering an abyss where nothing is sacred.

Clear Enough is fast paced and receives a big crowd response. Mr Devil is a slower but of course rock song and the song to dance to is Push and Shove which needs to be experienced by all. Zeke then jumps into a political stream about the misconduct of Aboriginals with enthusiasm and passion – take note all. New songs leap into action followed by Nagasaki in Flames. Zeke informs us that the human instinct is to organize, so take that as you will.

Religion is another quieter tune about working as a group and is a melodic song that includes a top guitar instrumental. Incited takes the crowd away as Martin Martini joins the band on stage for some tap dancing that is soon led to a drum-tap dance off, have you ever seen such an act! The band incorporate Welcome to the Jungle into the mix before heading into the Maker where Pete jumps onto another stage for an instrumental like no other, playing the guitar behind the head and with teeth, Pete knows how to make his guitar sing.

Zeke informs us he is happy to play on Aboriginal (stolen) land and then Smash the Piñata ends the night with Zeke crowd surfing but no actual piñata smashed this time. Zeke ever the frontman says goodbye at the door handing out flyers and thanking us – and we say Hell Yeah!

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