This evening is my first visit to The Milk Factory. The last time I was here it was The Joynt. Somehow the place seems even more vintage and rustic than I remember it being before. Either way, The Milk Factory is a perfect live music venue for a cosy experience. I'm excited to see the line up tonight as Tesla Coils and The Vultures are bands I have not heard yet. Always love hearing new bands and there are so many in Brisbane to hear, with new ones popping up all the time.

Tesla Coils kick the night off in exceptional style. From the opening Bass loop and slicing synth I was instantly hooked on this dark, electro-rock. The singer, with his shock of unruly, black, spiralled hair and brooding eyes, would look equally fitting at the head of a revolution as he does on stage leading this impressive three piece. He has a great voice too, reminds me a little of Matt Berninger of the National. Tesla Coils are infectiously quirky with songs about dinosaurs in space and all manner of eccentricities. They are a delight to watch and magical to listen to; I will gladly line up to see them again.

The Vultures from the Gold Coast are good. They are very good. They don't exactly push any envelopes, but who uses snail mail these days anyhow? They don't need to push new ground because their solid command of the bright, meticulously melodic, surf, blues, rock they skillfully deliver, leaves no question about their right to take a spot amongst the cream of the local rock crop. 

I also like the way The Vultures encourage audience participation. Tonight they offer a free tshirt for the best dancer which inspires a solo contender from the crowd, (who can only be described as the Human String man) to compete. The Human String man spasms and flails his way to certain victory and that is entertainment at its finest folks. No way will you see anything like this on the box in your lounge room.

Finally the moment has arrived for The Con & The Liar to bend our ears in new and interesting ways. Launching their new single tonight, 'Sick Seedy', there is a detectable air of excitement in the room this evening. The Con and the Liar are a funky, slinky five piece who obviously have a great following, evidenced by the crowd instantly tripling in numbers as they take the stage. Captivating – is the best word I can use to describe The Con and the Liar, I was instantly captivated. I have heard their music before but only in recorded format, seeing them live was a whole other level of satisfaction. 

The band has chemistry and undeniable musical talent and when those two ingredients come together there is a certain kind of magic that happens. Spellbinding, mesmerising and thoroughly enjoyable. Basically, think of any superlative you like and it will apply to describing the performance The Con and the Liar are giving this evening.

Once again the interaction between band and crowd is in top form, as singer, Callum Halstead, jumps into the crowd to serenade us up close and personal like. Interaction like this is another reason why I like attending small venue gigs. 

The Con and Liar are versatile too, spanning a few genre's tonight from experimental funk to flashy rock. The audience are loving it to, which is obvious by the way they are dancing along.

If you haven't already got The Con and the Liar on your list of 'Must See' bands then grab a pen and fix that problem right now.

- Jae Salmon