Words Anthony Moore.
Photos + live footage Barry Takes Photos.
Swedish fuzz-rockers Truckfighters never stop touring. They were only last here a year ago with sold out shows and Australia doing what we can to adopt them as our own. With another successful run of dates in 2016, it was Melbourne’s turn to once again completely lose their shit over the Truckfighters!
As punters started to cruise in, Them Bruins kicked the night off with determination to rev up the room and those who came down early were transfixed. Vocalist Joel Griffith was engaging nonstop with the crowd; holding his mic out, looking them in the eye, and jumping out onto the floor getting right up in their face. It wasn’t offensive and angry though, more like a best mate trying to prove a point that you need to look at all the awesome going on right in front of you. Them Bruins remind me of the anti-establishment bands of the ‘80s, like Midnight Oil and at times there’s a lot of Peter Garrett in Griffith’s delivery. Although they have heart like Midnight Oil, their more akin to The Killers driving sound. Catchy hooks that are shot straight to the core, no stupid bullshit just perfectly crafted kick you in the face rock songs. The stand out for me is definitely ‘Outrun The Future’.
Fuck The Fitzroy Doom Scene really do have the coolest name going around, although, Chugga and The Fuckheads are chasing them down. Lucky that FTFDS can back up that proclamation! They started with a cruisier sweeping and long build, something almost reminiscent of the spacier Monster Magnet. It seemed to grow for hours, grabbing hold of the crowd tighter and tighter with each strum, stepping it up a notch and getting faster, louder, more manic and dangerous until they finally exploded in a sea deep canyon of riffs and beer raising rock. With each set, FTFDS seem to somehow manage to get better. They also ripped into a ferocious cover of Motorhead’s ‘Ace of Spades’ sung by bassist Luke Bolton whose growling vocals are always a stand out. When he steps up it feels like there’s contrasts between himself and when guitarists Dave Ferguson and Jake Hills are singing; heaven and hell, good and evil. Go listen to ‘White Crystal Lady’, there’s some great Jeckyll and Hyde moments in that song.
Truckfighters always come out guns a blazing! The Prince gig was no different. Kicking straight into ‘Mind Control’, the opener from their latest album, Universe, it takes no time before guitarist Niklas ‘Dango’ Källgren is running all round the stage like a little kid seeing new shiny things in every corner of a toy store. Truckfighters put out one solid release after another and fans obsessively collect every variation, yet it’s when you see them live and are immersed in that addictive energy that you’re aware of the power they have on stage. During their most played and one of their most popular songs, ‘Desert Cruiser’, the entire bandroom floor was bouncing. The new renovations at the venue look great but Truckfighters nearly merged the two levels of the Prince into one.
The energy really was nonstop and kept exploding off the stage, Enzo’s snare rang out light gun shots across the room as Ozo’s bass danced around dodging bullets. Whenever Truckfighters play, they’re gigs are one of those rare sights where you see everyone with a massive smile on their crazy head banging faces. And you know it’s been a great gig when the travelling to every show merch guy only stops throwing his head about when he’s checking for shirt sizes in the dimly lit back corner of the room.
Truckfighters blew Melbourne apart with yet another massive set of frantic highly energised fuzz rock and no doubt they’ll be back on our shores soon, it seems Australia is addicted!
Check out other recent Truckfighters posts on Desert Highways:
Truckfighters Prince Bandroom live photo gallery HERE!
Niklas ‘Dango’ Källgren interview HERE!
Massive thanx to Premier Artists and Beehive PR for allowing us to shoot Truckfighters backstage. Check out the exclusive photos below!