The Globe - Sat Jan 19

Tim Steward and his multi-talented band – who really are overdue for a name – are constantly trading instruments; three songs are debuted amid selections from Steward’s first album, How Does It End. Though his solo efforts consist of clever and memorable pop songs, the sight of Steward earnestly lashing away at his electric guitar casts the mind back to his time with Screamfeeder. Not The Same rates among Steward’s strongest contributions to the Brisbane rock scene since the early 1990s.

Between sniping at tomorrow’s Big Day Out headliners Rage Against The Machine for their irrelevance and Grinspoon for their lack of talent, Intercooler deliver a polished collection of well-crafted rock tunes. Singer Phil Ballantyne and guitarist Darek Mudge trade muscular chords throughout killer tracks like Carving Others, before Mudge cheekily riffs on some of (Rage guitarist) Tom Morello’s classic lines. Drummer Damon Cox jokingly throws a stick at him: ‘You’re outta the fuckin’ band!’ It’s okay, Damon: every guitarist since 1992 has done the same. Tonight’s crowd is small in quantity, but sizeable in support: the band is easily coerced back onto stage for two tracks from their 2002 debut, Old School Is The New School. Here’s hoping their support slot for Local H in April garners a larger audience.

ANDREW MCMILLEN

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