More Oz Music month, and another Great Southern Nights gig. Tonight I catch an early show at the Paddo RSL, with Tumbleweed kicking off their tour to launch their latest single, “Shadowland”. On support duties tonight were the dark and mysterious Grinding Eyes.

Full photo gallery, shot for AMNplify, here.

Grinding Eyes

The trio that is Grinding Eyes appear on stage in a swirling psychedelic mist. There was an immediate attack on the senses, with amps cranked to 20 and flickering projectors blasting eyes from every direction.

Almost invisible to the crowd, the band cranked out a set of dark, droning, hypnotic proto-punk bliss. Tortured guitars were squealing and screaming, thumping drum and bass pounded like an engine, all topped off by “fuck you” laconic vocals that accused you of looking.

It was a short power packed set, but enough to warm up the crowds earholes for the night ahead.

Have a listen to their sonic assault here.

Tumbleweed

After a quick set up, most of the smoke had started to clear and the five hairy blokes of Tumbleweed stepped on up. It has been nearly a year to the day that they stepped up on the very same stage, but it seemed like another world. Last time there was a mass of heaving sweaty bodies in front of the stage, tonight the crowd is not so sweaty and politely (kind of) seated.

But the seated crowd didn’t faze them, there was still that same thundering, sludgy, bass heavy stoner rock that shook your insides out. Cries of “is it loud enough” from the stage were met with a chorus of “louder” from the crowd – filling the spaces between the tables with headmelting sound.

Tonight there was an added drug haze induced light show with a few projectors borrowed from the Grinding Eyes, lighting up the demonic writhing and whirling of front man Richie. And there was plenty of appreciation from the crowd – can you mosh in a chair?

Check out their new release ‘Shadowland’ here.

I’m sure that the Brown Note was lurking tonight, seated and COVID safe, of course.