AAGH BATS!

Show Us Your Fangs
Independent

Frontwoman Tobi-Lea Gogilis made quite an impression when she first appeared on the Perth punk scene a few years ago, simply by rocking up to her first show with no pants on.

This sexually empowered bravado has carried over into her music and, as Aaagh Bats! developed, one wondered whether we would in time see some kind of Courtney Love character emerge.

If this EP is anything to go by, then the answer to that question is: perhaps, but certainly not yet. That’s not to say there is a dearth of talent on display - quite the opposite, in fact, as the band covered more ground in less time than most new acts - but there is a large chunk of what makes a band fantastic missing.

Stylistically it’s a slightly clumsy meld of punk and metal. If you like that Jack Endino thing then you might appreciate that more than I do, but whether or not you dig the Slash solo in Cheap Cunt is another matter entirely.

So it’s a bit hit and miss, although Say It To My Face is a great aggressive little tune and Sexy Bitch full of enough vocal swagger to suggest that Gogilis, at least, is worth keeping an eye on.

_BEN WATSON

xpressradio by X-Press Magazine

NEWS

DEMOLITION MEN

Steal some green dye for your mohawk and put a safety pin in your eye, because seminal UK punk band Subhumans are heading over for their first ever Australian tour. Featuring the 1981 line-up that recorded their debut EP Demolition War, the band has been busy in recent years with releases through Fat Wreck Chords and their own label Bluurg. They drop into Amplifier for a show on Wednesday, September 12. Tickets go on sale through Oztix on June 15, so you might want to set a reminder...

ANXIETY ATTACK

New Zealand’s first most popular musical pop act named after a Michelle Pfeiffer movie, Ladyhawke, is gearing up for a big 2012 with her second album almost ready to go. Known for her gems My Delirium, Paris Is Burning and Back Of The Van from her ARIA Award winning debut album of 2008, she returns with her new album Anxiety on May 25. She then takes the album out on tour and will play her first WA show since Southbound last year at The Bakery on Tuesday, July 24. Grab your tickets from Handsome Tours from tomorrow, or head to ladyhawkemusic.com for presale information.

[MORE NEWS]

FASHION

GARTH COOK

Countdown To Perth Fashion Week

The inaugural Perth Fashion Week is fast approaching, and established Perth designer Garth Cook is counting down the days to his standalone show on Friday, April 20, at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. Though he’s currently full of enthusiasm for his forthcoming Spring/Summer 2012/13 collection, six months ago it was a different story entirely…