Gig Watch: The Currency - Northcote Social Club

By Sean Lynch
Visit The Currency Official Website
Click Here To Listen To Songs from The Currency's latest EP

CLICK HERE to check out tunes from The Currency's latest self-titled EP.

When I was striving through a swade of bad fashion, bad skin - come to think of it - bad hair as well in my mid-teens, there was nothing me and my pals enjoyed more than chucking on a good old fashioned punk rock album and jumping around like dickheads.

But as time has gone on, I've found that my musical taste has broadened somewhat than a few loud chords and a chrous to chant - but you know what - I kind of miss that. So it was with a bit of excitement that I headed down to the Northcote Social Club with a couple of pre-drinks in my belly to catch the newest band from former Living End drummer Travis Dempsey, The Currency.

Admittedly, The Currency is an odd mix on paper - billed as an Irish/Punk/Folk/Rock band (even Dempsey is willing to admit that their style is aimed at a "Niche Market"), so you are expected to walk in there 'sort of' knowing what you're in for. Heck, the actual band name stems from the nickname given to the children of transported convicts.

We headed to the bar to fill up on a few ales. The crowd was already buzzing, and the support band had yet to come on stage. After we downed a few more in the newly renovated NSC (which has renovated to include an amazingly impressive Beergarden) we headed back into the band room. 

Support band Coué Method (which included ex-members of cult early 90's outfit Mid Youth Crisis) got the crowd going with some raw, sweaty energy before the large seven piece line-up (combining fiddle, piano accordion, tin whistle and mandolin with rock instruments) of the Currency took the stage. To be honest, you're not sure what to make of it at first. This is meant to be a hard punk act, yet there is a rather timid and pleasant looking lass playing the fiddle - and a guy playing the smallest, thinnest flute I've ever seen (hardly an instrument to "Rock Out Hard" with).

But, bugger me, these guys were good - flutes and all! Drawing on their colonial past, Celtic tunes and tales of convicts, pirates and bushrangers, The Currency delivered a sound with some pretty sweet melodic hooks, sing along shanties and an uncompromising punk energy.

There were shades of The Living End on display, with Demsey's presence being felt right throughout the show. He really is an amazing drummer, something which seems to get overlooked because of The Living End juggernaut - but the guy is really good. In fact, many of the beats are the driving force behind some of the better Currency tunes - including The Gates of Hell, which has recently started to get some air play.

It's certainly not going to impress everyone, it even might wear thin on some Living End diehards expecting another West End Riot, but these guys have a good thing going. You'll find that, no matter how hard you try not to, you're feet will begin tapping to the "Toora-loora-loora-ly" - and by the time you get home, you'll feel like chucking on some of those albums from year Nine (wearing one of those Grandpa caps) and running round the house pretending to play a shitty baseline.  Really good fun!

Extra points right off the bat for The Currency team handing out a free EP upon entry, always a bonus to leave with some free stuff!

Overall: 70%