There is something quite enthralling about the unknown; some shy away and some claim the throne, but all are aware of this presence. MOFO Borgust! was my first MOFO gig, and when the line up happens to be of Cinnamon Sin, Jimmy the One, Grilla Dvision with Jimmy Flipshyt, and Odius (which aside the latter, all are new to me), and when it happens to be at a quaint German Club (also new to myself), a force had begun to dwell inside, and insist that I prepare for the unknown.

Each act was called on by chance, encouraging the audience to expose and challenge themselves to the unknown. The night was set in motion with one act that enveloped the room in a staunch swing that reflected the nature of the event; a celebration of genres. Red, black; sharp, classic; classy, sexy – 5-piece Cinnamon Sin was first out of the hat and gave a performance enriched in its blend of gypsy folk, blues, and jazz. Guitar progressions raked along the accents on chords, haunting moans of a saw and bow chimed along the swaying midnight groove. Accordion and keyboard arrangements layered the shine to a smooth Cadillac of a voice that burned up every now and then, flaring the power of her engine as the songs rolled by. The only thing I can’t fit into this imagery respective of their atmosphere is the fact this was in a German Club, with steins instead of wines! I knew then that the dwelling force might do me well this time.

Next on stage was Jimmy the One, a trio of high schoolers hailing from Saint Mary’s. Age aside, JTO took the audience into a new light, one strongly harking to sounds like The Strokes, Pond, and Cage The Elephant. I also heard at times the sounds of the British Indie scene (Bloc Party, anyone?) and – shock, horror – Australians Tame Impala. From the first song to the last, I was impressed with the grasp this trio has of their progressions and structure. The white strat donning a rather skilled guitarist (age considered, of course but by no means contradicting) spoke of arpeggios and chord voicing to the bass player’s harmonies both on the strings and vocals. The timing of the drummer was tight, and sure that’s a great aspect, but his cross-over patterns and control was even better. Originals had a means of their own, oozing psychedelia through the settling aroma of Cinnamon Sin in their verses, then ringing out harmonies and grooves true to the Indie side of their spectrum. What sealed the deal? Second song on the set, Raconteur’s Steady As She Goes. What JTO added to that cover really had me wondering what more these guys can do, and how far they could go in Australia’s basking glory of Indie and contemporary/alternative rock.

While the crowd enjoyed JTO by the chairs, and by no means once more a contradiction to their performance, ‘Beastie Boys 2.0’ Grilla Dvision (sbeekONE, Tommy Chong and new member The Aktavist) and Jimmy Flipshyt had the dance floor occupied with an all-or-nothing show. These guys jumped in and out of each others rhymes in a way it reminded me of Beastie Boys, but maybe that’s because there was three of them and I’ve been recently listening to them. Hard rhymes. Good times. Beers? Steins! If you dig Aussie hip-hop, it’s worth giving these guys a listen to. (p.s. As cool a Marshall amp is, they’re not coasters. Nor is the note on the amp.)

Gig three for Odius, ending the night with their best performance yet. The high-octane showmanship of frontman Lucas Blackburn once again drew many beers and cheers in the air as they ran through their originals. Little mistakes were made aside from a mishearing causing lead guitarist Adam to miss a lead run, but by the end of the set, an encore was the public demand after yet another improvement of performance, and their cover of Lamb of God’s Omerta might had been played for the last time.

MOFO’s next gig is sponsored (unofficially) by Christopher Walken at MOFO Live at the Balaclava Hotel September 13th

Alex Flower

[wpsr_facebook]

Follow @NQMusicPress
[wpsr_sharethis]