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Cairns-based funksters Hot Rubber Glove somehow managed to cram themselves (all 8 of them, with more left behind in Cairns!) on the tiny Squeeze Club stage, and proceeded to crank out some of the finest good-time vibes this side of Bob Marley. You know the recipe - combine some tight hip hop beats with those tasty free-flowing basslines, add some wah-coated guitar, mix in the funky clav sounds of "Superstition"-era Stevie Wonder and some sultry sax playing, coat with some "Peace and Love" vocals, shake vigorously, and voila! Your party has arrived!
The triple vocal assault of Jo Starr (capable of both searing wails and subtle harmonies, often in the same breath), Morgyn's environmentally-friendly toasting and D-Kaz Man's anything goes approach (complete with some brilliant on-stage antics which the crowd lapped up) were a delight - at times when they locked in together, it was difficult to tell where one voice stopped and the next one began. All of which would have been irrelevant if it weren't for the flawless musical backing of the rest of the group, with Crystle's sax and Dino's superb keyboard colourings complementing the solid backdrop of the rhythm section perfectly. Hot Rubber Glove were hot indeed, and tonight's show only served to whet my appetite for seeing them on their home turf with their line-up intact. (Click Here for a review of their latest CD Conscious Fusion.) |
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It was going to take something quite special to top Hot Rubber Glove, and while Plasma were up against it from the start with their note-perfect impersonation of Blink 182 (one of this reviewer's pet hates), they delivered their tunes with such enthusiasm that it was hard not to nod the head in appreciation. With a line-up more accustomed to putting on their school uniform than a rock show (indeed, the drummer was all of 12 years old, but clearly a Rock God in the making), their performance was no worse than some of the bigger names of punk today, and they are certainly better-credentialed to speak to their peers than the Blink's and Pennywise's off the world. A few slightly worse-for-wear punters even took it upon themselves to liven up proceedings with some moshpit shenannigans, which culminated in beer-spitting and a good old fashioned pile on. The punk spirit lives on, albeit in a slightly diluted form.....
~Kris Swales~
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