- by Rachel Tinney

Woodland just doesn’t seem to be the right setting for what we are about to hear tonight. To me, Woodland is too pretty, too CWA hall-y to host some garage rock (and self-proclaimed ‘party’) bands. They’d seem more appropriate in well, a garage. But nevertheless here we are, at Woodland, about to witness the brutality of DZ Deathrays’ Brutal Tapes EP launch.

First up, and kicking off almost two hours after the venue opened (making me think my late-ish arrival made me miss most of the action) are Dune Rats. Following the current garage revival and filled with all the clichés of an American counterpart – think US sports apparel; yelled vocals; sweaty, sloppy, I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitudes – Dune Rats are the perfect warm up for the onslaught we are about to witness. For their final song, the boys from DZ Deathrays join them onstage, with Campbell Smith relinquishing his bass duties and joining BC Michaels and Simon Ridley on the drums for a killer party song.

It’s not too long before the smoke begins to fill the room and distortion fills our minds. All of a sudden the d-floor is littered with people keen to get their party on. From the first notes, DZ Deathrays’ well known brightly coloured, strobing lightshow incites seizures among the crowd – no wait, that’s just how they dance. The disco punk duo’s lightshow isn’t the only thing kicking things into party mode though as Simon’s thunderous beats make him look like The Muppet’s Animal on speed. These boys are fast, and they are TIGHT. Powering through song after song, playing mostly tracks from their Brutal Tapes EP, the energy in the room continues to build through favourites like Gebbie Street, Blue Blood, The Mess Up and new single Rad Solar. Shane Parson’s yelps and screams only incite the crowd more when the hear the opening “WAAAHHHH” that is Teeth. Turns out this is their last song of the night and before you can say, “Huh? Already?!” DZ Deathrays have left the stage, no doubt to get in amongst the partying themselves.