Coopers After Dark Review presented by PBS.fm

Thursday July 21st @ The Thornbury Theatre
Boomgates, My Disco and Tumbleweed for the PBS Coopers after dark live broadcast.

It’s a typical winter’s night in Melbourne, there’s a bit of drizzle and a very late cab driver, but in our hands we have the good stuff, longnecks of Coopers pale ale. What a way to start the evening a cab ride to the Thornbury theatre, even though we are running twenty minutes late we get to experience the epic’ness of the live broadcast that PBS106.7fm are presenting. Lukey D (from Every Body Moves) is spinning some great Aussie rock anthems and maiming the airwaves in the chaos of the live broadcast, and right on time the live music begins.


To open the night Boomgates play a dazzling set of garagey fuzz goodness, it’s the first time I’ve heard them and I am mighty impressed. The intermixing of all your favorite Melbourne bands can never really be a bad thing. With members from Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Dick Diver and Teen Archer the opening set hits the spot, all of the bands imperfections are exactly what makes them perfect. Steph Hughes (Dick Diver) compliments Brendan Huntley (Eddy Current) on vocal harmonies superbly it’s a grand mix.

We finally arrive at the Thornbury theatre and this is the first time I have attended this fine establishment. High roofs, peculiarly patterned moroon carpets, seated tables on the sides of the venue it looks like the kind of place that you would throw a prom or in this case a damn good party! Good looking waitresses are handing out tea sandwiches and great anti pesto delicacies. The beers are flowing with free beers on entry, and to my surprise the Coopers Dark Ale that they are promoting is actually tasty.

To top it off My Disco are playing, I haven’t seen them in over a year at which time they were nothing short of remarkable. I am genuinely shocked at how much the trio has improved in this time, there new catalogue is superb. Benjamin Andrews guitar slices into their second track like a newly sharpened blade would slice into flesh and he keeps the fresh sounds coming through the entire set. Rohan Rebeiro's solid and precise percussion skills are the standout of the evening, remarkable. The set is phenomenal to say the least. An hour of absolute raw power.

To finish off the evening the audience experienced an older generation of psychedelic grunge goodness. Tumbleweed kept members of the audience happy with an influx of heavy riffs and hair.

A ‘sehr gut’ evening indeed! Thanks very much Coopers for putting on such a fine event and PBS.fm for the fine broadcast.