There’s one name in the pop punk and emo circles that just screams quality, and that name is Hopeless Records. Their roster and alumni have put them up on a pedestal with the likes of Sub Pop, Drive Thru, and Kung Fu Records in terms of groundbreaking acts in the genre. Tonight we’re checking out one of their Australian acts, Trophy Eyes, who have made the global trek to end up in the basement of Slay.
First up is Out Of Love. They’re poppy and punky with a bit of shouting and sometimes fast singing that approaches a bit of the hippy hop. With their first song, I was reminded of that band who had the one hit wonder ‘Walkie Talkie Man’. The name will come back to me, but being in Slay’s nuclear bomb proof basement means I can’t even Google it right now (it was Steriogram). As the set goes on, I can hear some Heart Attack Man, Hot Mulligan, and bits of the more indie side of the spectrum. It’s not full on anger nor hate, this is fun, happy tunes and it’s very catchy.
The main support is Happydaze hailing from – I think – Glasgow (I was wrong… it’s Edinburgh). They’re definitely Scottish and I’m thrilled that they’re halfway up this bill. It’s fantastic to see local bands become national touring bands. Initially, I panicked as I watched them hook up a laptop to a digital sampler amp. I’ve reached the stage where I’m seeing this at every gig and I’m getting a bit fatigued with it. I just want to see four friends play live music on a stage. When I’m in a basement punk rock show, I couldn’t care less about production value. If the guitars are in tune… it’s a bonus.
The use of pre-production is minimal, though. There’s the occasional electronic beat and synthy intro, but at least I can’t hear additional guitars. The music falls more on the side of modern emo… think Early November with big scoops of Neck Deep and The Story So Far for that pop punk element. There’s a lot of energy on stage, especially from the bass player who could pass as Nicky Wire’s younger sibling. At some points the singer was talking in an American accent between songs and that was weird.
The room is packed wall to wall for Trophy Eyes and it’s a proper sweat box. They come on and kick off with ‘Blue Eyed Boy’ which is a decent signal for the crowd to start moving properly. There’s plenty of jumping and moshing with the occasional crowd surfer. Last time that I was in this venue for Neck Deep, there was no barrier and it was a constant flow of crowd surfers and stage divers. Tonight there’s a barrier and I think that’s what’s keeping the crowd at bay rather than the energy. That’s not to say that they’re not loving it. The appreciation is vocal rather than kinetic and it’s powerful. Tonight, and recent shows, are securing Slay’s place as a perfect small venue for shows like this. Enough room to breathe but plenty opportunities for proper dancing and there’s a relaxed attitude towards it.
The majority of the movement on stage is courtesy of guitarist Josh Campiao, although there’s plenty of jumping by lead singer John Floreani. John promised the crowd that he would give them everything he had tonight as long as they returned it and it seems like everyone is sticking by their word. The crowd are clearly here for the older tunes, but the new ones from ‘Suicide and Sunshine’ have been well received. ‘Choke’ and ‘Chlorine’ are definite high marks of the night, second only to the energy being put out from the stage. Another case of an astonishing basement show at Slay.
Photos by Catching Light Photography