Live Review: NED & THE MEDS, DEAF! DEAF!, THE TRUFFLE PIGS

A House Party, Brunswick

House parties! The odd neighbour aside, who doesn't love bands playing in a living room? This is a classic example of the sort of party that shouldn't be missed (keep an eye out for another series of backyard DIY House Gigs is happening throughout summer). Tonight though, from between the floral sofa pushed against a wall, and a vase of artfully arranged shuttlecock "flowers" against the other, amidst occasional power outs, dodgy sound, stubbies, cigarette smoke, raised laughter, coats, bags, earnest conversations, and about 60 audience members of varying intoxicated states, came the music.

At the ungodly and frankly unattended hour of 9PM, came a concise set from The Truffle Pigs who played their bowed electric guitar/experimental noise set to great acclaim, "wild" said one, "intense" said another. Following some impromptu improvisation from Hugh of Summer Cats, came Deaf! Deaf! Shoving squealing mics into their amps, beating three drums (one skin broken), hacking a bass (one string broken), slicing at a guitar (two strings broken), bashing a heavily distorted keyboard and skronking three notes out of a sax, this no-wave three piece worked in total abandon, changing instruments for each song and forcing their music through a wall of tiny amps. No question, here was what lesser bands flounder to get at; genuine and joyous no-wave; energy that needs no melodic constraints. Tara Green, mic in one hand beating a floor tom with the other and sounding like a burning matyr, visually and sonically galvanised their free-form noise assault. If someone could give guitarists Kieren Hagerty and Shaun Short a pick before they strum their fingers to the palm they might last long enough to gain a following.

Sharing only a venue in common, some members of Ned And The Meds were thoroughly hammered by the time they started, a fact that only helped their indie-cuntry tunes go down well, especially the astute and hilarious Hickford CC and Lucky Paw, both of which raised spirits, voices and the odd bottle. Against the obvious sonic constraints, frequent audience-baiting insults from Ned and amp malfunctions, guitarist Alysia's musicianship shone through and carried many of the songs which obviously had great lyrics but which were lost tonight. Worth catching even without a PA. Bring on summer and bring on more house parties.