Did we happen to mention that the ‘Gunners’ supervisor is Kyle Jenkins from the Suicide Swans who played with his band in Brisbane out the back of Metro Arts a couple of weeks ago at the Brisbane Festival. Check out this review by Clare Kempnich at News Unlimited..Yep he’s got a beard, and he’s not the only one.

‘Out the Back’ at the Metro Arts theatre was honestly a goldmine for musical discovery. Artists such as Oliver Tank, Twerps, and Mosman Adler were amongst the talent that graced the intimate back-alley stage, but in my opinion none were as memorable as our own Suicide Swans. The Brisbane/Toowoomba band have recently come together as a stable five-piece (after sporting a rotating roster of musicians) and delivered their self-titled debut EP earlier this year.

The band: Kyle Jenkins, Ben Lancaster, Matt Doe, Kristian McIvor, and Glen O’Shea are equal parts man and beard and have an instantly appealing charm. Picking up their instruments, the band kicked things off withPlatinum Hurricane – a fast-paced tune that perfectly showcases the band’s unique mix of rock/country stylings. From the first song, I was hooked. It only took me about two minutes before I was hastily purchasing the EP from iTunes, and about thirty seconds more before I was declaring them “a fucking excellent band”. Think the likes of Ben Salter or Mike Noga, but throw in a bit of the Drones’ raucousness and you’ve got something similar to what the Suicide Swans sound like. It’s the kind of music that truly makes me feel patriotic; this is what should define the Australian music industry, in my opinion. No shit, honest, down-to-earth music; straight up.

The rest of the set is bloody brilliant – they’re swapping instruments at a rate of knots, and they truly just sound amazing. Highlights for me wereOh Any and Union – but to be honest these are just the extreme outliers of an amazing bunch of tunes. If this is just the humble beginnings for Suicide Swans, then I can’t even imagine the heights they will come to. Honestly; a shock. A shock to be so enamored by a band that I scarcely knew before seeing them live. I’ve become a true fan, and await their upcoming shows. One to watch if you’re into good music.