You know how when people go to a concert in the movies, they always manage to walk in at the exact moment that the band is starting? That never seems to happen in real life, but for once my timing was perfect when I arrived to see Magic Spells, and it felt, well, magical - an ideal start to a pretty amazing show. My only exposure to Magic Spells previously has been their single "Empress and Chariot", a lovely, wistful indie-folk song that we've been playing a lot of at 4ZZZ. But the live show is entirely different: while I would have been quite happy with more wispy indie-folk, instead they've very successfully expanded to a full-band sound, with a heavy 60s/70s folk-rock influence and all the drama of a spaghetti western soundtrack. The lead singer is a particularly compelling performer, long hair swinging over her face as she strikes rockstar poses in her flowery robe. The highlight might be their cover of "House of the Rising Sun" - Magic Spells' gorgeously moody, haunting version entirely justifies what might be considered a somewhat cliché song choice. Rumor has it this is their final show, as the lead vocalist is relocating to Sydney, which is hugely disappointing. But after tonight I'll be very interested to see what the band members move on to from here.

Dune Rats are up next, the third time I've managed to catch them live, and easily the best performance I've seen from them yet. Their brand of raucous teenage power-pop is an odd choice next to Ariel Pink's left-field psychedelia, but it's a great show in its own right - they're one of Brisbane's most hyped new bands for a reason. It's always good to watch a band that seems to be having massive amounts of fun onstage, and the energy is contagious as the band members grin at one another while jumping up and down.

Headliner Ariel Pink has a reputation for near-disastrous live shows, complete with onstage tantrums, so when this performance turns out to be relatively normal and sane, I'm slightly disappointed. He reads lyrics from a sheet of paper for a couple of songs, grimaces scarily as he sings, and throws in some random screaming and hissing from time to time, but otherwise, Ariel Pink makes it through the show without incident. Unfortunately, while nothing goes horribly wrong, there's nothing much to write home about, either.

Live, it's almost like an entirely different band - without the hazy lo-fi fuzz of early Haunted Graffiti recordings, or the delicate, ethereal production of his more recent efforts, there's something too blunt and naked about the music. Bizarrely, it somehow reminds me of 80s post-punk acts like Mission of Burma - which would be a good thing, except post-punk isn't really Ariel Pink's forte. There's also a glam-rock kind of attitude about the way he struts around the stage, alternating between coy falsetto and outright screaming. I can't help but notice that the singing is occasionally a bit off-key, and there are some squeals of accidental feedback. The audience seems to take it all in stride, though, with an especially positive response for singles like "Bright Lit Blue Skies" and "Round and Round".

A disturbing laugh echoes as the band leaves the stage, with pedals continuing to loop ghostly vocals and atmospheric samples for several minutes until they return for the inevitable encore. The overall impression I'm left with is of a guy wandering around doing his own thing, not giving a damn whether you like it or not. Whether you do like it will depend on how indulgent you feel towards Ariel Pink's particular brand of eccentricity.

Written by Grace Nye. Photos by Sky Kirkham.