Polish Club, Press Club, Molly Rocket @ The Gov, Adelaide 14/4/2022
Oozing pure fun, freedom and feel-good vibes, Polish Club blessed an enthusiastic Adelaide crowd along with friends Press Club on a barmy Thursday night at The Gov. Adelaide’s own new wave grunge band Molly Rocket were the support act. They performed a Pixies cover and their originals Dive and Kiss You Dead; offering echoes of a modern Nirvana. Vocalist Georgie’s balance between her guttural 1990’s vocals and sweet persona surprised us all, undoubtedly winning new fans.
Special guests, Melbourne’s four-piece garage punk outfit Press Club burst onto the stage and immediately grabbed our attention with the electric Headwreck from their 2018 debut album Late Teens. Instant excitement spread through The Gov when charismatic lead vocalist Nat Foster jumped off stage and sang in the faces of a few fans. The set became wilder as the band fiercely performed songs from their second album Wasted Energy, like Separate Houses. Separate Houses was defiant, heart breaking and intimately honest, enhanced by Foster’s melancholic and furious vocal stylings when she sang “I keep on pretending that I am getting better”.
Foster’s balance of hardcore raspy vocals and beautiful melodies complemented her magnetic stage presence. Before soaring into the crowd for a second time, Foster serenaded us as she sat on the stage barrier, casually swinging her legs while softly singing Suburbia along to the band’s deep bass and drumbeats. Foster approached a lucky crowd member and got the audience to crouch down before we jumped to the chorus singing together “I left my heart in the suburbs. I can’t relate to what you say!” Cancelled, their new track coming out in one month, is another addictive song to add to your Press Club playlist. It showcased Foster’s dominant Australian twang, adding to the song’s catchiness.
The band explore nostalgic adolescent years with resilience and sensitivity in their lyrics and instrumentals. Foster’s natural confidence and long blonde hair thrashed around on stage as the band played Late Teens. She humbly expressed how much the band love Adelaide, saying we’re “the nicest”. Raw, visceral energy filled the venue and left audiences satisfied and wanting more. We were ready and pumped for Sydney’s Polish Club now.
Polish Club smoothly strutted out, setting the crowd off with Whack, their crowd-pleasing track from the 2021 album Now We’re Cookin’. With arms open welcoming us, enigmatic and suave lead vocalist David Novak swayed and sang “Can I ask you for attention?!” His groovy moves and guitar skills lead us into the emotionally elevated anthems Clarity and Don’t Fuck Me Over. Polish Club add their unique rock spin to covers and throughout the night, the band sporadically played a few. They surprised us with their chilled Like A Version of Doja Cat’s Say So and the heart breaking Everlong, an ode to the late Taylor Hawkins from Foo Fighters. Showcasing his effortless and detailed drumming talents, John-Henry Pajak gave it his all in this.
Iguana, named after their 2019 album and Breakapart are dynamically different songs but were equally engaging when fans boogied and proclaimed, “I might stay forever, I may break your heart”. Feel-good rock was balanced with seriously ethereal vocals from Novak. Throughout endearingly candid mumblings and whispers on how they were in awe of the great big Boost Juice at Adelaide Airport, the guys gave us some ballroom dancing with their guitars wedged in between them. Experiencing Polish Club on stage felt like we were all partying together, as we watched a group of great mates drinking, hugging, and stirring each other up. They performed the popular Stop For A Minute and their catchy, very sexy new single Unstable, filled with the smoothest and coolest guitar riffs.
Just when we thought we couldn’t have laughed or enjoyed anymore musical talent, Polish Club performed their arguably most loved cover, The Wiggles’ Apples and Bananas. Along with ensuring we eat a healthy diet, throwing a tray of cucumber and carrot sticks out to the audience, the boys wanted to keep us clean. They sprinkled hundreds of moist wipes at us, with the packet labels reading “Now We’re Cookin’” and “Polish Club makes me moist!”. The frantic end-of-night energy continued. Novak showcased his talented vocals by singing about fruits and the boys chaotically threw their guitars in the air at each other. After the final hilarious festivities, Polish Club left the stage and waved goodbye to a scattered group of carrot sticks and fans. Songs from Polish Club, Press Club and Molly Rocket were wonderfully infectious, leaving riffs, vocals, and memories in your mind, probably for months until they return.
Live Review By Zara Zampaglione