Watt’s On First Birthday Party @ Ding Dong Lounge
Subscribe
X

Get the latest from Beat

Watt’s On First Birthday Party @ Ding Dong Lounge

wattsonreview.jpg

What usually happens in Melbourne between the hours of 6.30pm and 9pm? Yeah, lots of things but nothing like what occurred at Ding Dong on this grey and mellow Friday early evening. This music journalist, online video blogger, interview dude Dan Watt has been doing this weekly kinda gig guide thing on Beat TV for a year and he had a party to commemorate it.

Chosen to play was certified Melbourne hard rock royalty Tom Lyngcoln, of The Nation Blue and Harmony, along with techno purists FORCES. Lyngcoln’s set consisted of stripped back versions of The Nation Blue catalogue reaching as far back at 2001’s A Blueprint For Modern Noise with a stand out song National Anthem along with Copper from 2004’s Damnation. Lyngcoln is a consummate storyteller and his stories a very Australian and very glum. I hope one day his lyrics are taught to private school kids and those kids then kill themselves.

After Lyngcoln’s set, like any event with free beer, courtesy of Quiet Deeds, the mixed crowd – Melbourne bands, bookers, Factory X fashionistas and Dan Watt’s friends plus totally smoking hot girlfriend – all those unknown to each other were quickly becoming friends.

FORCES’ set was incredible. It’s a bit of a copout to not throw more adjectives into that initial pronouncement but the reality is that vast complexity of their synth driven layers is so visual that trying to describe it in words would be an injustice. Alex Akers and Thomas Henderson cut an intimidating swathe through the minds of those watching with their post-apocalyptic beats and their ultraconservative aesthetic (checkout their song Specialize for a reference point).

In the immortal words of Hilltop Hoods, “what a great night!” and “I love summer days!”

BY WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN

Photo credit: Brandon Cook

LOVED: When FORCES asked Dan’s permission for something and he said, ‘Of course you can! I’m not forces you to do nothing!’

HATED: When Dan inserted a thumb in both Woodward and I.

DRANK: Quiet Deeds.