Gig Review: The Buoys at The Night Cat, Fitzroy, 19 March 2022

After years of lockdowns, the disappointment of countless cancelled shows, and the whispered hope that one day things might feel anything close to normal again… live music is back, baby!

And holy cow, what a phenomenal re-introduction!

We were back in Melbourne after an extended absence. Babysitter organised. Looking good. Feeling pumped. We walked into The Night Cat in Fitzroy in giddy anticipation.

The Night Cat, if you’ve never been, is a brilliant venue for live music. It’s perfectly grungy and eclectic. The stage sits in the centre of the room, with plenty of standing room and little tables all around. It generates a really cool atmosphere, and the ability for the bands to connect with their crowd in a much more intimate, genuine way.

The first act was Tamara and The Dreams – a late call up (literally day-of!), but you wouldn’t know it. For the most part they were a tight, polished four-piece, and the odd error only added to their charms. They play an emotional, heart-on-their-sleeve brand of indie rock that is raw and affecting. Also, shout out to their excellent cover of ‘Fuckin ‘n’ Rollin’ by Phantastic Ferniture.

Next up was Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Hallie. Funny, vulnerable, high voltage – some Holly Humberstone vibes. We got a delightful sneak peak of yet-to-be-released track ‘Do It’, ‘Sympathy’ proved to be a huge crowd pleaser, and ‘Babysitter’ was exactly the right note to get everyone jumping up and down.

Finally, the main event emerged to ‘The Boys Light Up’ by Australian Crawl and rapturous cheering. They were electric. Everything I was certain they would be when the ferocious ‘Lie To Me Again’ was released in mid-2021. The Buoys are an all-caps ROCK BAND, one of the most energetic and gifted to emerge in this country in the past decade.

Up front, lead singer Zoe is a magnetic presence, her voice soaring over a crowd whose eyes couldn’t help but follow her as she sprinted about the stage.

But The Buoys are hardly a one-woman show. They are a cohesive beast, a sonic avalanche. At one point, as Zoe and Hilary fell to their knees, shredding guitars in each other’s faces, and Tess pounded the drums with power and precision, as guest bassist Bridget did her best to keep things grounded, it felt like the whole crowd was riding a surging wave – this was blistering, pulverising indie rock music. And we all got to experience it together, live!

Live music is back. The Buoys are incredible. Life is good.