After initial plans of playing atop a flaming jumping castle strapped to the roof of a Daihatsu Charade while driving around Footscray were scuttled, Super Wild Horses decided to launch their debut six song EP at North Melbourne’s Lithuanian Club.

Ever been to Lithuania? Walk down the club’s long hallway lined with old maps and pictures of Lithuania’s past and this is the closet you’ll get to a Baltic RSL that doesn’t require a flight to Vilnius.

Having missed the street press listings, there was some apprehension from Super Wild Horses – Amy Franz and Hayley McKee – that the turn-out for tonight would be low. But then there is that whole “internet” thing. And the fact that Super Wild Horses, with their minimalist pop, have become quite the local “buzz band”.

The UV Race is always an entertaining if “different” experience. Tonight, we’re standing in a Lithuanian club watching a band fronted by a guy from Warragul who is wearing a sombrero-like hat with an Australian flag patch on it. When Marcus sings, “I’m so tired/I’m gonna be fired” on ‘Dog’, you feel his pain. The set is full of loose, primal party punk rock.

Nobody can accuse the UV Race of being slouches when it comes to playing live shows either. Earlier, they had played at the Tote with Late Arvo Sons, and there was even talk of a midnight gig at some bike courier party where there would be an expectant fight. Halfway into their set they are joined by Franz and McKee who add another element to the band’s loose shambolic spirit.

Next are the Twerps with their New Zealand-inspired, broken-down pop. Their strum-alongs are catchy, their voices sweet. Tonight they remind me of the fragile sounds of Eric’s Trip mixed with Flying Nun. Interest in the Twerps is growing by the week. It’s thoroughly deserved.

Over the past year or so, Super Wild Horses have gone from a nervous opening act appearing at the bottom of most bills to a popular live act on Melbourne’s esteemed Aarght! Records roster. The turnout tonight attests to their climb through the local music ranks. By the time the duo take the stage, more than a few cases of the six-dollar Svyturys beer had crossed the bar and the general mood of the room was “drunken good times”.

Super Wild Horses are about as minimalist as garage rock gets. Whether it’s guitar, organ or just shouting over a simple drum beat, the key to the band’s approach is youthful vigor and fun. The chanted “hey hey” at the beginning of ‘Standing On The Corner’ sounds half high-school pep rally, half Shangri La’s, while the droney keyboards of ‘Super Wild Horses’ has a darker but no less energetic vibe.

As the pair swap instruments and songs, people dance and photographers click. The room helps create a more informal party-like atmosphere and when the girls shout out ‘How Do You Sleep?’ it all feels like one big Lithuanian indie-rock hoedown.

by Tim Scott