In the hardcore punk music strand, mixed bills are something that has been missing from contemporary culture due the increase in selective listeners, expansion of the genre, accessibility to a variety of music styles and the unearthing of this once underground culture.

However, recently, Resist Records (the record company that has essentially a straglehold on the Australian punk hardcore music scene) has begun to re-introduce mixed bills, in order to promote variety, expand their listener base and devlop profit. This was provenm when two bands shared the headlining spot at a recent Resist Records endorsed show at the Cambridge Hotel on the 24th May, 2008. The two bands featured were Her Nightmare (from Melbourne) and Jungle Fever (originally from Adelaide, now residing in Sydney). Both bands are considered front-running hardcore bands in Australia, and alhtough share different sounds, are close friends and touring stallwarts.

Jungle Fever are currently playing a string of shows before they disband in July, with the band’s hsitroy spanning 4 years and a quiver of releases on both vinyl and CD. The band source their influence from American youth crew predecessors of the 80’s such as Youth Of Today, Better Than A Thousand, Gorilla Biscuits, Bad Brains and many other Cleveland, Seattle and New York bands. The band has undergone many lineup alterations with Gabe (the lead singer) and Jiggsy (the lead guitarist) the only remainning originals.

Her Nightmare bost one of the more confronting, imposing sounds in Australian hardcore, channelling influences such as Integrity, Earth Crisis, Hatebreed. Her Nightmare bring their largely metallic form of tough guy hardcore to the stage, headed by the 130kg plus power lifter, Luke Baina on vocals. After just completing their 3rd release, “Come Anarchy, Come Ruin”, Her NIghtmare’s sound is thicker, angrier and more intiidating than ever before.

 

The show began solidly, with numbers dwindling through the door, as the support bands, The Abandoment and The Secret Death, got the wheels slowly turning for what was sure to be a show with a happy ending. Jungle Fever took to the stage, with a discheveled Gabe, swinging limb from limb, in a psychotic, sweaty, crowd involved frenzy, as he blurted out sonds such as ‘Babylon’ and ‘Stayin Alive’, in a set that was over before the crowd knew it, leaving the crowd searching for beverages to restore their energy for Her Nightmare.

Her Nightmare stepped up next, with anm intro track that was enough to shake the glasses off the stage, with front man Baina in true form, with a violent assault of power, resilience and disgust as her stood over the small crowd below. Lead guitarist, Chizza was his energetic best, driving the tunes to songs such as ‘Innocent Seven’ and ending with the forever brutal ‘Lock and Load’.

 

All in all a very exciting, fun and breathtaking show by all.

 

Drew.