Live Review: SEX ON TOAST, THE DO YO THANGS, KUMAR SHOME AND THE PUNKAWALLAHS

Northcote Social Club  
Those who don't care for musicianship or dancing in their live music stay away in droves from tonight’s single launch for one of the city’s most hyped ‘new’ bands Sex on Toast. Those without prejudice however settle in for a consistently impressive night of deft chops and butt-shaking rhythms. Kicking off with more fluid noodling than Chinatown is guitarist Kumar Shome and his Punkawallahs. With source of inspiration including his cat (El Gato) and familial incontinence (Desperation Dance) Shome can basically write about anything he chooses to, you can be guaranteed he’ll express it via about 40000 notes played in around five minutes. Bouncing off the rhythmic prowess of Bamboos’ bassist Yuri Pavlinov and drummer Graeme Pogson Shome’s tone is warm and drips with sustain, while his solos take flight with John Scofield-like levity and move with a deft ease between any definable genres.

'Mid band entertainment' consists of DJ Lovely Clear Water, who is actually none of these things but is incredibly entertaining and wears a wig backwards and plastic sunnies. Hi-NRG techno and death metal vocal meets in karaoke takes on the Power Rangers theme, Toto and Lionel Richie, the crowd is content to stare agape at this

Boasting a sweet line in elegant funk and boasting a formidable vocal powerhouse in Audrey Boyle, The Do Yo Thangs are a revelation. Songwriter and drummer Hugh Rabinovici leaves the fun to Boyle and co-vocalists Nkechi Koo and Georgie Darvidis whose harmonies drive the sunshine-y funk. Like a summer festival in a band, Rabinovici’s songs have a fresh Lauren Hill/early Lenny Kravitz feel to them and the band’s glorious balance of songwriting skills, musicianship and passion really comes to life in their finest tracks; Indecisive, Make it Real and I Would Follow You. Boyle’s trumpet playing is another weapon in their funky arsenal. Highly recommended.

By the time Sex on Toast pull back the curtain after screening the film-clip for Takin' Over tonight’s launched single, the room is packed solid and chattering happily. In fact, regardless of the nine-strong eighties funk rocket taking off on stage, people chat happily throughout the set. More importantly, who knew there was this many ways to be simultaneously dapper and sexual? Singer Angus Leslie's falsetto, Louis King’s slinky guitar, Gareth Thomson and Marty Holoubek’s seductive rhythms and James Bower’s strangely sensual auto-tuned backing vocals are just the first wave of the charm offensive. With the collective confidence of a frat house and a similar agenda, Sex on Toast take Cat Empire’s conservatorium proficiency and party vibe but wind up somewhere between Prince and DiG. So insane and unpredictable are Leslie and co’s antics and so tight and funky are the songs that by the time the cross-dressers on rollerskates arrive it almost seems a continuation of a theme. Songs or rather, party jams, Potential Sexy, a storming cover of Michael Jackson’s Remember the Time and blinder of a new single Takin’ Over leave no doubt that their time has arrived.