Bleeding Knees Club @ Alhambra

Completely insane. Well that's what it felt like Easter Sunday when everyone's favourite Gold Coast duo, Bleeding Knees Club took to the stage at Alhambra Lounge. Supported by  Brisbane's Gung Ho and Dune Rats, the night was anything as sombre as the holiday is perhaps intended. 


Bleeding Knees' Alex Wall and Jordan Malane have known each other for years but 18 short months ago, they both decided to teach each other guitar (neither of them could play) and throw some songs together. They often admit that the entire venture was originally a bit of a joke, even their name is reference to "giving head on gravel." Theirs is a success story unlike many home-grown bands circulating the Australian music scene at the moment. Before many people in Australia even knew of their existence, British publications were raving about the latest lo-fi garage group our little old colony had produced. NME even included Bleeding Knees in their Top 50 Bands to watch in 2012.

  

Despite their limited experience, the pair have very distinct ideas about what they wanted to sound like as a band. They recorded their latest EP with Dev Hynes (Lightspeed Champion, Blood Orange) in only five days. Nothing To Do was released earlier last month before the boys began their tour around Australia.

Although Gung Ho is actually the name of an old US sitcom, the Brisbane group are definitely reviving the title in a whole new way. The group bounced up onto the stage, quite excitedly although I didn't take much notice at the time. Once they started playing however, I was completely surprised at the sound they were producing, much more sophisticated than their youth had lead me to expect. Side By Side was an absolute highlight of the entire evening, drawing quite a large crowd away from the bar in a dancing frenzy. You can listen to the song on the band's Unearthed page: http://www.triplejunearthed.com/GungHo

Dune Rats were equally as fun although perhaps a bit more intoxicated. This didn't seem to bother the crowd although for all their hype I couldn't help but be mildly disappointed. Perhaps it was because the songs that they have recorded and gained such a following for were a little difficult to distinguish with all the raucous. Their performance definitely improved with time though and I certainly don't think that they should be dismissed as just another garage band just yet.  

Bleeding Knees Club worked their way through what seemed to be their entire catalogue, and everyone absolutely loved it. Every so often Alex would pause and ask Jordan which song they should do next before they'd launch into another energetic frenzy of scratchy guitar and tomfoolery. Jumping from the Bass Drum, into the crowd or across the stage, no one was standing still for more than a moment. Nothing To Do and Teenage Girls were standouts, and the crowd did not need to be asked twice when Wall told everyone to storm the stage. By the last chorus, chords were flying, people were flying for that matter, security guards were panicky and everyone was laughing. They may not have a whole lot of experience under their belts, but they sure know how to have fun.