After a breakthrough 2009, teen sensations Short Stack land in Canberra to perform at the UC Refectory. It’s set to be an entertaining evening, full of Short Stack’s self-proclaimed ‘pop-punk’ sound, and one the teenage girls in the audience will struggle to forget.
As has often been the case during Canberra gigs, the highlight of my evening is the Canberra-based support act. Atlantis Awaits is an unsigned band, and is already setting the foundations for a strong future. Fuelled by heavy guitar riffs they perform originals as well as a song written by Paramore – clearly a strong influence on the band’s sound.
Special mention must go to the bassist, who possesses an incredible rock-scream that shakes the walls of the Refectory on more than one occasion.
Second to support Short Stack is the band For Our Hero, who provide some generic, yet well-performed rock, before the headliners come on.
Clambering onto stage, the crowd erupt in a high pitch cacophony as the long-fringed, tight jeans wearing Short Stack rise to the stage. Performing with an extra two musicians (two guitarists, who did well to hide the incompetencies of lead singer Sean Diviney) the trio expand to a quintet.
The Stack start off by performing hits such as Princess from their new album Stack is the New Black. It starts strongly and the moderate-sized Canberra crowd receive the music well, with a flurry of arms and voices.
The highlight of this troublesomely predictable set is a drum solo by drummer Bradie Webb. Performing to an electronica version of the Super Mario theme, Bradie unleashes on his kit, showcasing his skill behind the skyscraper-high cymbals. This is possibly the only original moment of the set, which is full of teen-rock cliches, bad jokes, and try-hard posing.
Despite all of this, the crowd, and their parents, enjoy the experience, and Short Stack do well to keep them enthused.
They weren’t bad at all, and perhaps I would have enjoyed them more if I was a 14 year-old girl. My only worry for the band is that they find themselves pigeon holed into the ‘faux-emo’ category.
Regardless of this, their music still attracts live audiences, and live music of any kind is a beautiful thing. So by this logic I must arrive at the conclusion of ‘long live Short Stack.’
