Polaroids Of Androids

Black Lips + Straight Arrows + Dead Farmers @ Oxford Art Factory
18/12/2007

The best thing about Tuesday night wasn't the almost inch perfect set from the Atlanta new age punksters. Nor was it the entertaining way one of the singers was able to spit up into the air and catch it in his mouth. Even the Christmas carol encore, although highly entertaining, wasn't the highlight. The defining moment on the night was earlier on when, as hard hitting local band, Dead Farmers, closed their thirty minute feedback-driven set with the jaw-dropping track Violence, the small group of people in front of of me paused mid-conversation and completely focused their attention on the stage. It was more than likely the first time they had heard the Sydney trio and you could literally see their heads collectively explode as the powerful opening riff completely fucked them up.

As the track finished the bassist slopperly launched his guitar in the direction of a photographer in the front row. It was a beautiful sight. Dead Farmers had undoubtedly just earned themselves a whole bunch of new fans.

Straight Arrows were well recieved as expected. Their lo-fi garage sound was a perfect warm-up for the Black Lips, whose loyal fanbase was one of the most politely behaved crowds in recent memory. Not that the sold out crowd didn't get slightly wild during the main event as bottles were thrown, security guards had a constant expression of concern and a beautiful careless attitude filled the room.

Black Lips ripped through an endless stream of well executed jangly tunes - pulling mainly from their latest album Good Bad Not Evil. Although their set was a lot tamer than expected they still had a definite swagger that gave them a forceful stage presence. It wasn't the best show of the year but there was a still an undeniable feeling of satisfaction in the air as the sweaty crowd converged up the stairs and out onto Oxford Street. People had arrived with high expectations and from where I was standing it was clear that the fury of well orchestrated noise did more than enough to meet them.

Words by Jonny