Rah, rah-ah-ah-ah. Roma, roma-ma. Gaga, ooh-la-la *record stratch* my mistake, this is GOOD Romance.
I had many differing live experiences with Romance, as they're a band where the location, equipment and mood of members/audience greatly flavoured the experience. Like many Sydney bands, they're a living band, not the execution of a set.
Initial gigs were loveable, scrappy D-I-Y punk rock 'n' roll. Reminding me of those Aus bands that didn't get the full memo from the London or New York scenes, sometimes referred to as Murder Punk. One show there was a newfound power, an unbridled fury that brought to mind the firstwave Japanese Hardcore group The Comes and X (of X-Aspirations).
Both those experiences are captured within this recording. 6 tracks of forceful and beautifully bung pub-into-punk-into-hardcore. Sports fans will know Greg can thump the bass, Max can contort those fingers, Ben can play anything.. (find their musical resumes on Linkedin) it's first-timer-on-record, Jane whose unrestrained and rich in anguish vocals deserve special mention.
More Jane's in music, more discomfort, more Romance. - Nic