Well, that got pretty out of hand. A few songs into Money For Rope’s set, and the entire bottom half of Cherry had turned into a mass of screaming, violently flailing scoundrels that swallowed any innocent bystanders on the sidelines. It was the logical conclusion to the pressure that had been building since the night began with opening act, Bec and Ben.
Although they were finishing up their set as we arrived, what we did catch was a short glimpse of some real gut-crunching rock. As the name suggests, Bec and Ben consists of Bec on drums and Ben on guitar, with both taking on vocals. There’s a sweet little spot in rock heaven for duos that make big harsh gritty rock, and Bec and Ben emanate it from every snare crack and guitar strike. Do yourself a favour and jump on this bandwagon before it really starts rolling.
Recently gaining a management deal from Cherry owner James Young, Drunk Mums are one of the best bands coming out of Melbourne. Despite playing some real ball-busting rock, there’s something peculiarly interesting about how they carry themselves on stage. You could call their music garage rock and maybe even liken them, musically, to The Hives' older material. However, Drunk Mums have a style all unto their own which needs to be experienced to truly get a grasp on it. They’re like erratic creepy rock monsters, complete with dedicated tambourine freak Isaac Forsyth throwing himself about on stage in a state of drug induced madness. Cherry was throbbing with people by the end of their set showing Drunk Mums popularity is set to keep growing and growing.
For those unfamiliar with Money For Rope, they’re a six-piece rocking soul outfit whose first striking difference is their inclusion of two drummers. Throughout the set, drummers Christopher Valdemarin and Nigel Moyes acted like pistons pumping huge amounts of energy into the rock machine that is Money For Rope. The heat started growing inside the bar as people packed closer together and finally the pressure gauge blew with Cherry’s dance floor exploding into a raging whirlpool.
The band soldiered through the set as microphone stands and instruments started flying around. The band played through songs from their first album with a few newbies speckled in as a preview to their upcoming release set for next year. Newest single, "Nova Pilota", nudges soul a bit harder than the rest of their catalogue but still gives off the same rock pheromones.
As the crowd crawled towards the two small openings to chilly sanctuary, a debate started over who the better band that night was. Drunk Mums or Money For Rope? Drunk Mums had that psycho tambourine player and Money For Rope managed to hold on tight as their gig dissipated into anarchy. However, it’s like asking what show is better out of Peep Show and Metalocalypse? Both are fucking amazing and you should see them at every opportunity you get.
