A day of heat is to culminate in a night of noise for punters arriving at The Hi-Fi, but my arrival is unfortunately too late to catch an early set from Slug Guts. I have no doubt they killed it though, going by their recent LP launch. Next up are visual/audio duo Abject Leader. Sally Golding manipulates images running through two projectors while Joel Stern provides esoteric washes of analogue noise, making for a compelling set. It’s sadly the last Brisbane show for sludge metal three-piece Grey Daturas before a possibly permanent hiatus. The seamless and cohesive improvisation they launch into is the work of three very talented and synchronised musicians, making for a fitting goodbye performance. Legendary Melbourne outfit Primitive Calculators command attention with their odd marriage of distinctly Australian punk with laptop-generated beats. Frontman Stuart Grant surveys the audience on whether they’re loud enough between tracks, but everything gets cranked up anyway for what is a fun set.

Lightning Bolt then set up on the floor in front of the stage. Before of a shrine-like tower of amps, Brian Gibson takes up his bass and Brian Chippendale straps on his mic-equipped mask before sitting down to the drums. Soon everything erupts into the aggressive aural assault of Sound Guardians, sending the punters into a frenzy as they close in tight. Chippendale’s movements are a blur as he rains impossibly fast hell down on his drum kit and moans heavily processed vocals through the mask. Gibson looks sedate on bass but his playing is anything but. The crowd surge and collide like a cyclone around the band, with the music corrosively spewing forth from the eye of the storm. At times it looks like everything is about to collapse, a constant threat of the band being swallowed up. The set rushes past with no signs of slowing down from band or audience. Functions like blinking or breathing are put aside to focus on the musical catharsis taking place. It’s one hell of a live experience, unique to an incredible band.

MICHAEL PINCOTT