Troubadour, July 12 2008

Brisbane band, Side Effects opened Violent Soho's album launch with their style of melodic hard rock. Their vibrant, can't-help-but-nod-your-head set was laced with catchy rock tunes including "The Day My Hair Went White" and "Ratville QLD". A series of drumstick twirls and a guitar change later and Melbourne's Reptiles took to the stage.

The grunge inspired set of the Melbourne band seemed to drag. Their lack of stage presence and a series of songs that sounded like the first track on repeat, left this reviewer in high anticipation of what Violent Soho had to offer.

Violent Soho, not constrained to the songs from the new album "We Don't Belong Here" or the size of the Troubadour's stage, unleashed the fury they are renowned for. "Love Is A Heavy Word", "My Generation" and "Son of Sam" sparked off the enthusiastic crowd into a head banging ensemble - not missing a beat. The cover song encore brought the night to a brow-wiping pulse-slowing end with punters eagerly shimmying their way to the merch stand.