Live Review: Parquet Courts, Tyrannamen, Ausmuteants, Terry, DJs Etta & Tilly

After wandering around Melbourne University in search of Shimmerlands, we eventually follow our ears and find the outdoor auditorium. The food truck section is separate, so we grab some sustenance first.     

Everyone obviously heard Terry were worth checking out (just like us) and arrive at exactly the same time, which causes a massive queue at the Shimmerlands entrance. Somewhat surprisingly, there are still limited tickets available at the door. There's some rad people-watching on offer and we can't believe the amount of hipsters doing the 'ironic' bogan haircut thing at the mo'! We get inside just as Terry finish, but they were fun to listen to in the queue and multiple cowboy hats on heads on stage could never be a bad thing.

Some beers are more expensive in here than they were at the food truck section bar, which is a l'il baffling. There's mist spraying down from the periphery of the bar structure and organisers have gotta be chuffed with this barmy evening.  

Ausmuteants present catchy guitar goodness with raw edginess, but their banter needs to stop: no banter unless you're funny, ya hear? They're at their best (read: awesome!) when shouty.

Ian Dury's Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is always welcome and DJs Etta & Tilly have gotta be commended for their amazing between-set selections (I Can See Clearly Now is also lapped up by the crowd). Quality 'celebrity' sightings include Blake Scott from The Peep Tempel, Ambrose Kenny-Smith from King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Brendan Huntley (Eddy Current Suppression Ring) plus some guy who wants you to think he's Tim Rogers.

The guitar's up way too loud during Tyrannamen's opener. By song two, though, they sound absolutely smashing. Drummer Chris Gray may look like Fabio, but he drums like an absolute demon. "Woooooow!" gang vocals sound shit-hot. "I've never been to university, but I hear it's good," says lead singer Nic Imfeld before adding, "and expensive". Imfeld gestures toward Gray and points out, "They're not his drums" - so the drummer is even better than we thought! I Don't Want To Go To Jail is vitriolic brilliance and My Concrete is laid down with oomph. Tyrannamen's energy throughout is sky-high, which is difficult to sustain, but sadly during their last two songs (including I Can't Read Your Mind) they seem spent.

DJs Etta & Tilly are back and Barry White's Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe gets everyone limbered up for Parquet Courts. Who doesn't enjoy a bit of al fresco dancing? "It smells like wood chips of some sort," a random says after sniffing his beer. A cute Parquet Courts intro tape shares some fun facts about each band member and also includes the definition of an actual parquet court. We're also warned that yelling out requests "is futile" via this voice-over. And although we're encouraged to enjoy ourselves and get into it, the voice points out, "This isn't a bloody Hatebreed gig". When the band eventually arrive on stage, they've adopted a drab colour palette (except for co-lead vocalist/guitarist Andrew Savage who dons a very bright green top). All Parquet Courts members look like they went to university (even if they didn't graduate and the other co-lead vocalist/guitarist Austin Brown says stuff like, "Shit yeah, hey!"). Brown's keys are pleasantly folk-tinged at times and we decide Parquet Courts are the Beastie Boys of indie rock. Playing the way they do is a sure-fire way to silence audience chit-chat - they absolutely demand your ears.  

There's a lot of geeky guitar tuning going on between songs, but it pays off and Master Of My Craft ("ForGET about it!") is a rollicking delight. Borrowed Time is a total highlight and when Parquet Courts lock in it's with a pit-bull grip. Shimmerlands boasts many elevated vantage points around the quadrangle and up on the platform around the bar area. Some leaves are freed by the breeze and gently fall as we dance along to these glistening live versions of Parquet Courts' songs. The vocals during Sunbathing Animal call to mind The Jam-era Paul Weller and rambunctious guitars thrill. We'll be back, Shimmerlands - what a vibe!