Squidfinger; Circus Murders; Cinema Prague
Metropolis
May 22, 1996

With a vast sea of fresh, frantic faces mingling with the local constabulary for the start of Kiss My WAMI volume 3, the Metropolis atmosphere was, for some, a bitter-sweet occasion. As the new look Fremantle 'cleaners' hovered about - badges and truncheons symbolising the new family-orientated Fremantle - the kids put their feet and torsos airbourne for three of the Port city's favourite nutters.

Squidfinger broke-out their own flamboyant regalia for the show of might, Chris Carpenter bashing and slapping the bass with his trademark cape adding that glittering glee to the awkward occasion. With WAMI award, hyper-glucose cakes powering the winners and grinners, the current Fremantle's-favourite-(per)sons zoomed through their funky Oysterhead set, wielding their own love-truncheons for the bouncing bodies. Micheal Dean's flaming guitar antics may have even drawn the fire brigade into the action.

Uncuffed, the erotic Circus Murders schmoozed with dancing fingers and feet threatening to trample Mr Plod. Tonight, not daring to unveil their much talked-about new bizarre performance pieces, the Murders' hit parade came thick and quick - Confusion In A Spanish Blind Man, Soy, Harry's Cafe ... and 'bass' Matt Cheetam even had his long locks unbound for the first time ever. Circus Murders, confounding as ever.

To see Cinema Prague on a huge stage is a real treat. Commencing with the earth shattering Say It's The Day, well, picture 500 people launching themselves skywards. It was another faultless, note-perfect and textbook-defying performance. And the highlight of highlights? Their late-80s jazzy, death-metal reminiscence called Change. Full of that angst that fuelled those days at The Old Melbourne, maybe a few law-makers present were shown that you can't bridle music as easily as the venues themselves.

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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