- There is a buzz of excitement that permeates The Bearded Lady tonight as we prepare to receive the sonic delights on offer from three of Brisbane's favourites. The support for these local legends is clearly evident, and amongst the sizeable crowd I see many familiar faces turning out to cheer on their comrades.

Goosebumps are first up, with their fresh approach to both the construction and delivery of live music. As their name suggests the subject material for their songs borrows heavily from the works of author R.L. Stine. The band openly admits to the lyrics being lifted directly from the pages of the Goosebumps series and that each song is an ode to various stories within the collection. The novelty doesn’t stop there either; Goosebumps are bringing a touch of pageantry back to the music scene with their matching green Tshirts displaying the Goosebumps logo and glasses similar to those worn by Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: Next Generation. Goosebumps are well worth checking out, particularly if you are a lover of fast paced melodic blends of the punk, pop, horror, rock genres, wrapped up in strong feminine energy. May I also express my enjoyment of seeing a Keytar being used as a feature instrument. Took me straight back to the 80’s. Final comment - definitely check out Goosebumps as soon as possible.

The kings of heavy, pop, rock, Muddy Chanter are next. This five piece has lots of support in the crowd tonight and they sure do know how to please with the musical smorgasboard they dish out. The songs can be boppy and light one minute and then seamlessly descend into a heavy, fuzzy, thrashing of distorted guitar. The antics of lead singer Beej Vaughan reminds me again why coming out to see bands perform live instead of staying home and playing their songs on your stereo is totally worth the effort. Tonight we are witnessing a Tshirt auction for a give away Tshirt. Genius entertainment for free - it doesn’t get much better than this folks.

The headliners tonight are, the inimitable, ROTH. This impressive four piece have been on the Brisbane scene for the past four years and are continually adding new tunes to their versatile repertoire. Lead singer Nick Milnes is donning his signature head gear which has become synonymous with this talented performer. He looks as smooth as his voice sounds. There are many things to enjoy about seeing ROTH live but one key feature would have to be Milnes’ vocal delivery and the magnetic energy he produces on stage.

Collectively ROTH bring a sound that is a fusion of bluesy, surf, brit pop featuring clean, crisp lead guitar licks and driving bass. ROTH are truly impressive performers, they can scale the most complicated time signature changes with flawless ease. Their songs are captivating because the progressions are so unpredictable; a feature that sweeps you up and takes you places you don‘t expect. ROTH are definitely pleasing the crowd tonight there are smiles and dancing feet a plenty; a real party atmosphere surrounds us. I am finding myself wishing to see ROTH play a bigger venue where the electric vibe they are creating could ignite a much larger audience.

It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to watch this band mature in the local scene to the point now where they are well positioned to accept greater opportunities. There is a huge amount of quality live music on offer almost every night in so many smaller venues on the Brisbane music scene and so many bands who are not getting the wider recognition they deserve; ROTH are definitely one of those bands.

- Jae Salmon