The Mess Hall
The Factory, Sydney

The Mess Hall know about trends. A few years ago they suffered comparisons to other straightforward rock & roll duos, but in late 2006 Sydney – where flirting with electro and plundering post-punk seem to be in fashion – they’re like a gust of fresh air. One activity The Mess Hall share with their younger contemporaries is the pursuit of a good time. “Your sad face makes me wanna,” bellows guitarist Jed Kurzel in one chorus, “DROP ANOTHER PILL!” Booming and apish, drummer Cec Condon’s beat sounds like a whole club partying. Sydney usually loves a wiggle, but Friday’s crowd needed a few gin and tonics first. Towards the end of the set, Kurzel even issued a warning. “You’ve only got a few chances left to lose it,” he said good-humouredly, and “I want to see some arse-shaking.” It could have been trite, but not at The Factory. Sydney’s newest venue offers the local scene something often missed: a stage fit for rock stars. It feels enormous and stylish in comparison to the city’s other medium-capacity venues. The Mess Hall’s party did get started, but sadly not until the encore. A few filed off to clubs afterwards, the rest probably went home and spun their favourite record to dance to.

by Andrew Ramadge