Music Vice: Abbe May And Sex Panther at Amplifier Bar, Perth, Western Australia

Abbe May and Sex Panther at Amplifier Bar
Review by Music Vice contributor Danny Crombie - January 19, 2009

Who the fuck is Abbe May? I keep seeing her name everywhere....without a half decent internet connection I'll never find out it seems. I arrived in this country one day late to see her playing with The Black Keys - gutted. She has a band called The Rockin' Pnuemonia - what a great name, with such a random Chuck Berry reference they must be good!

Tonight I'm watching the Simpsons, it's that one with Mother Simpson in it where she destroys Mr Burn's germs - one is called Rockin' Pnuemonia, it is fate!

I look in the Xpress magazine for shows, Abbe May and Sex Panther it says - not much info there....I check Drum Media magazine - it doesn't even say Abbe May here - what's going on? Why are you eluding me!?

Fuck it, we go to the Amplifier bar anyways, it's the first time me and the girlfriend have really been out in a long time - she wants to get drunk and I want my ears to hurt by the time we leave the show.

We came into the show and caught the tail end of Pond, who were excellent. They made brilliant part instrumental music like psychadelic hard rock with bongos and a singer with the voice of a rabid Dylan. They're a real good tight band who could pick up a record deal now if they wanted to I'm sure. They're a band to look out for and I'll be following their trail over the time I'm here.

Suckulent Love Cunt stood around for a good 20 minutes before playing, the two girls at the front looked bored as fuck and not into anything they played at all. The drummer and guitarist looked really into it and I'm sure they could do a lot more without the excess fat. Everyone seemed to love them for some reason. The singer sounded like an FX'd up Lily Allen who really couldn't be bothered and the keyboard (or synth or whatever you wanna call it) was really out of time in parts and we gave up half way through which is something I hate doing.

After that, a cool girl with a Bettie Page fringe called Hayley Beth and a big raspy voice took to the stage, She reminded me of a girl from New York who's name escapes me at the moment, she was really good but not earth shattering - she has a lovely quality to her voice that will make some great recordings some day.

Next up was one of the loudest goddamn things I've ever heard, Sex Panther who are a four girl sex force. There's nothing hotter in my mind than a girl who can play bass guitar, I don't know why but it's hot as fuck. I spent the rest of the night convincing my girlfriend to learn how to play (I know, I'm sick in the head). Anyways, Sex Panther had the one known as Abbe May on lead guitar tonight and man, she kicked a whole heap of ass! I think they need to keep her on guitar as she brings that band over the edge. I don't know how to describe the band but I know/hope they'll amount to greatnesses of some sort, their music was like a tidal wave and their name is the most fitting I've heard in a good while.

If this is the standard of bands in Perth I'm gonna have a really good time, keep 'em coming!

Danny has currently relocated himself from Scotland to the sunnier climate of Australia. Visit Danny's site at www.dannycrombie.co.uk to check out his music and photography.