There’s something awfully special about heading to a gig at a local haunt, featuring a local band and all surrounded by familiar faces. Residual’s gig was such a gig and boy did it feel like a Geelong love-fest.
With the white brick walls of Kubu Studio filled shoulder to shoulder with sweaty, somewhat beer-drenched people, all eyes were on the band as they blitzed through their new tracks, throwing in a few old ones for the fans. ‘All For You’ went off without a hitch, and despite only being out for a few weeks, the crowd were singing along to every word. Having seen the band play about a year ago, the growth was already evident. The set was tighter, the dynamic on stage was fluid and everyone seemed to really know their shit. The banter between Andy Rankin and Sam Burtt was particularly entertaining. As for Sam Burtt’s vocals, there’s a rawness that’s so intriguing but hard to pin down. It’s reminiscent of other musicians but also purely unique. ‘Numbered’ was a fine exhibit of his vocal abilities.
It’s often said the crowd is the greatest reflection of where a band is at, and with shirts thrown into the air, beers tipped from heights into mouths and crowd-surfing all a feature, you could say they were all having a pretty good fucking time.
Reviewed and photographed by Amanda Sherring
