Hunx and His Punx live in Sydney, review
Entering a venue when you’re already late, with a mass of people flowing out in the opposite direction always an unnerving situation. Thinking that the set-times for the double-headliner of Shannon and the Clams/Hunx and His Punx in Sydney would be reflective of those in Melbourne the night prior, I rocked up just as elated punks were flowing out of Oxford Art Factory after what had been a ‘brilliant!’ set by Shannon and the Clams. I asked two girls if it were really true – ‘did I actually miss Shannon?’ They vacantly said, ‘uh, yeah…?’. Fuck.
Anyway, I still had Hunx’s rauncy performance to look forward to. In the interim I crowd-observed. What a delightful bunch of happy people had come together for tonight’s gig – so much leather, such high spirits. Cute boyfriends dragged their cute girlfriends on the dance floor to twist along to Le Tigre’s Deceptacon and other upbeat riot grrrl classics.
Shannon had said in our recent interview that the show would be more like a comedy act, there was certainly some laugh-out-louds with Seth Bogarts between song banter. For example, “Does anyone have a boner yet? Can I see?… I heard people in Australia had smaller boners. ” I’m surprised he didn’t pull his dick out once in the whole show…
Throughout the gig he was rubbing beer cans down his tights, showing his bare ass at least once per song and shoving punter’s heads in his crotch. Otherwise he was happily emptying his six pack of beers on the front two rows. Charming dude.
He was dressed the part in a leather jacket with ‘MAN-EATER’ written under a nasty looking pink cat and graffiti leggings with his stage name written all over and enlarged on his bum. The ensemble was created by the poster-paint master/costume designer, Peggy Noland.
Hunx and his fetish-wearing backing band played a new track, You Think You’re Tough, where Shannon took the lead vocals. She is a by far a superior singer, (which is why I was pissed off that I missed her solo-set), but what Hunx lacks in his musicality he makes up for his camp, over the top bouncing, parading, eccentric confidence with which he dominates the stage.
The Hunx and His Punx set was all over within around half-an-hour, which was expected for a punk band playing one minute (or thereabouts) songs. In their last five minutes they ran through a 20-second screamy number, Don’t Call Me Fabulous, which Hunx wanted to play twice over, then closed the set with doo-wop romancer, Lovers Lane.
I could have done with more of these call-and response, teengirl-phonecall-in-the-60s slowdance numbers in the set but I think I would have gotten my fill within Shannon’s set (had I been there). There was no encore, much to everyone’s disappointment, but, we all made it out before lock-out in good-intending, rowdy spirits.
There are a few shows left on their Australian tour (plus a last minute added Melbourne gig), check the dates below:
Tues 22 Apr | The Zoo, Brisbane
with The Gooch Palms + The Babe Rainbow
Thur 23 Apr | Rosemount Hotel, Perth
with Doctopus + Special Guests
WED 23 APRIL | The Curtin Bandroom, CARLTON
with The UV Race + Scott & Charlene’s Wedding
Words and photos by Carol Bowditch.
