The northern suburbs of Perth have a new live music venue after the official launch of The Baltimore, which was headlined by WA giants Gyroscope with strong support from Blindspot, Filth Wizard & Crimea. The all-ticket event was a complete sell out with numbers limited due to Level 4 COVID restrictions but that didn’t diminish the buzz around the venue, as the expectant crowd grew throughout the evening. Promoter Big Tommo Presents picked a near perfect line-up of bands, who covered a host of genres & styles, all the while building the crescendo of energy for the night, before the Gyros threatened to blow the roof off… well, tear it down literally but we will come to that all in good time.
Kicking off the evening were Crimea, a four-piece Alt-Rock band led by Dylan Dimitriou on vocals & guitar. They powered their way through their set and laid down some solid foundations for the night ahead. Joe Caddy (Guitar), Anthony Lomma (Bass) & Joshua Acquarola (Drums) completed the quartet.
Filth Wizard are a band I have been following intently for the past twelve months. This was the third time I had managed to see & hear them live and each time they just get better & better. Solid from front to back, they are a band that are hard to pigeon-hole as one minute they pack a huge grunge punch and the next they rock out with some intricate six-string work from guitarist Clayton Brown (he has the most intense pedal board I’ve ever seen). Jess June is quite possibly one of the hardest hitting drummers in town right now, as well as incredible to watch and along with Jenna Hardie, they have such a tight rythmn section with which to build on. With telecaster slung across his shoulders front man Benn Burdette added sublime vocals with Brown’s harmonies helping to bring it all together exceptionally well. The eight-song set was finished off with their excellent debut single ‘Snowflake’, with the band launching the video clip for the single on August 15 at Lucy’s Love Shack.
The party atmosphere grew as Blindspot took to the stage, with their popular power-punk set that had the audience enthralled and it wasn’t long before large sections of the jostling crowd were singing along word for word. Formed back in 2011, Blindspot are seasoned performers and they made sure the headliners had a rowdy party-ready throng to perform to, as they charismatically worked the crowd to a near frenzy. A highly enjoyable energy filled set.
It’s hard to believe that Gyroscope are celebrating almost twenty-three years in the music business, as tonight they burst back out on to the stage like the mere teenagers they once were, with the COVID restrictions releasing them like caged animals. Powerful, hungry and playful the ‘Gyros’ treated the baying crowd to a set that delved into all four of their albums, as they zig-zagged through their discography with front man Daniel Sanders adding daredevil theatrics throughout.
Bursting out of the blocks with ‘Don’t Look Now But Think I’m Sweating Blood’ Gyroscope took tonight to another level and that is no disrespect to the three superb support acts that were on before them. ‘Bloodstreams’ from their 2019 EP ‘4YRLV’ was soon followed by ‘Fast Girl’ before the band revisited their debut album ‘Sound Shattering Sound’ playing ‘Doctor Doctor’, which was to be the first of four they were to play from the 2004 release. Sanders, hidden under a mass of sweaty hair, enjoyed stage diving moments as he threw himself at the crowd with every opportunity. ‘1981’, ‘Crooked Thought’ & ‘What Do You Know About Pain’ kept the crowd guessing just what would come next as the Perth band continued to tease with their eclectic set.
Latest recruit, drummer Sim Dreja was relentless with his work while bassist Brad Campbell & guitarist Zoran Trivic showed just why Gyroscope still command such a strong following with a musically tight set befitting any stadium show. ‘Midnight Express’ & ‘Driving For The Storm’ took us back to when it started once more. Audience participation wasn’t just to be vocal as Sanders stood precariously on the crash barriers on more than one occasion, held keenly & carefully aloft by fans.
The highlight on the night (we all drew breath wondering how it would all end) saw Sanders attempting to tie his iconic guitar to the lighting rig before falling back into the crowd with his mic cord rapped around the lighting. Pushed back up Dan grappled & grabbed at the rig, swinging like an alcohol ravaged primate before punching a hole in the newly renovated roof – the Gyros had left their mark but still the band played on. ‘O.K.’ & ‘Safe Forever’ warmed the audience’s vocal cords before Gyroscope launched into their biggest hit to date ‘Baby, I’m Getting Better’ followed by the outstanding ‘Snakeskin’. A breathtaking set and fitting end to a night of great music.
The final words need to go to venue owner Ian Strover who has been a huge supporter of original live music at the venue over the past five or so years and the newly revamp rooms look and sound fantastic. With The Baltimore being a mere thirty minute trip up the Mitchell Freeway from the city it has become another accessible venue for our bands to visit & perform at. Let’s hope that Perth bands & punters alike take full advantage of this most northerly of live band spaces and help carry on Ian’s dream of strengthening our music scene.
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Linda Dunjey Photography
