After a successful launch last year which saw The Healer's best ever mid-week crowd pack the venue, Firetruck chose to return here for the launch of their latest EP It's A Place. Though they didn't quite draw as many punters out of their winter hibernation as last year, a fair few of the Firetruck faithful made the effort and were well rewarded for their troubles. The guys kicked off with "I'm Cookin'" from the new EP, a funky rockin little number which culminated in one of the many "wanky rock endings" of the night! As the riff-laden "Where to land?" from their debut release pumped through the crystal-clear sound system, I found myself nodding in recognition to what is one of The 'Truck's catchiest tunes.

Firetruck have a remarkably assured stage presence for a band who have only been together for a little over a year, and as their set wears on Justin, Keith and bassist John in particular start to pull out some big rock moves and really get into the tunes they are feeding the crowd. Their sound is tough to pigeonhole, at times funky, at times almost punky, but always rocking in some way, shape or form. Justin's vocal delivery occasionally recalls Tim Freedman from The Whitlams (and I mean that in the nicest possible way), and he has an uncanny knack for the witty lyrical observation - "Bad Attitude"'s opening salvo "Hey Mr Fucking Newspaper, aren't you full of shit" and the singalong of "Sex is not the answer, sex is the question" from "My Suggestion" (a personal fave which for some reason isn't on either of their releases to date) being just some of his many gems. The only real criticism I can find with the Firetruck sound is that some of the heavier moments don't have the punch that they probably should. Nonetheless, they have the tunes and the moves to take their music to a wider audience, and tonight the home crowd lapped up every moment. ~Kris Swales~

WIN FIRETRUCK CD'S!!! Firehorse has three signed copies of Brisbane three-piece Firetruck's new EP It's A Place to give away. Just email editor@firehorse.com and tell us who is your most despised person in Australia and why. The wittiest replies will win!