Eos
Swanbourne Hotel
August 9, 1996

When a local band puts in the effort, it's quite amazing how their organisational energies, lighting rig and fervent sticker distribution can turn a beer barn shindig into a sweltering mass of pogoing punters. Allow the band a little more room to act like rock stars - as in keeping the audience waiting in near darkness with smoke machines and red lights upping the atmosphere - and once again the exotic dizziness of a rock concert comes to the fore.

Eos may make a shade of Perth music which continues to shun, or be shunned from, the well defined circuit of Perth's pop bands, but their efforts to grab this night's Swanbourne multitude has to be applauded. The blinding lights, swirling mists and big cymbal-crashing finishes were the perfect partnership with their anthemic Australian rock sound, a combination which literally forced the whole building full of people to jump and swish their hair around, led by the similar antics of the glam-rock hair farmer on stage, vocalist and bassist Keith Anthony.

Although Eos' genre is quite simply ten years out of date, their assembled fans lapped-up the Eos banner and spot-lighted monologues, the logos slapped on the back of surf shirts and eco-rock sensibilities, to create a genuine event for all concerned (who were concerned). Mega anthems like In Memoriam and One Land almost had the crowd holding hands, or was it an exchange of the Aurora CD launched on the night? Maybe.

While several lads may have woken up the next day foggy and with stickers planted on their aching heads, a whole lot more left the building with a new appreciation of live music and the ruckus it can create. Mind you, without the whistles and bells ...

Adam Connors

The West Australian is W.A.'s state newspaper. The versions appearing here are the unedited versions which were subsequently edited for space, clarity and reality for publication by editors Sue Yeap and Ara Jansen. Italicised comments in the body of the reviews/interviews - if present - are the notes I sent to the editors to clarify certain situations such as missed deadlines, personal disasters or simple non sequitur, which always makes for good reading.

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