Limited Express (has gone?) / Turnpike / Death Mattel

Andy J Ryan Mar 20, 2023

Limited Express (Has Gone) - Annandale Hotel, 13 July 2006
With their sugary sweet and incredibly infectious sound, the uber energetic Limited Express (Has Gone) left us sweaty and satisfied.†

Opening this three-peat of three-pieces tonight were Turnpike. The band has always endeavoured to make music that wasn't comfortable, the drums were an incessant thudding and the bass throbbed in a way that made your stomach lining flap. Even the CSI team would struggle to find even trace of melody in the vocals or guitar work, and it is indeed an intense listen. Whilst Turnpike didn't get any of the crowd's bodies moving, but not a soul left the room and in a rarity, all refrained from talking, so let's call it a draw.
Death Mattel began with drum beats pounding out that would be more at home at a goth nightclub, but they don't stay in any particular musical style for any length of time. The band plays precise blasts of songs, somewhat politically charged - but with added cheekiness, muddled with some chilled searing wit and a dash of bitterness. Livewire front man Matt Downey draws all the crowds gaze whilst the raucous noise behind ensues a unique sounding, albeit brief set.
Returning for their third tour of Australia, Limited Express (Has Gone) was fresh from their appearance at the Soobiesta Festival in Brisbane. Broadly speaking, Japanese acts that make it to our country never seem of the slow strumming nor balladeering variety, but more likely fast paced acts playing in time signatures more towards the punk realm of music. Limited Express (Has Gone) were no exception, energetic is an utter understatement, a humble greeting offered before blazing into a fantastically manic set, playing a number of newer songs which were veering towards "cute".
The band was just infectious, within a few songs the Annandale was filled with unbridled happiness. Singer Yukari spent a hefty chunk of the set manically laughing whilst guitarist JJ played with unquestioned commitment, veering all over the stage and jumping atop the bar like a Coyote Ugly dancer whilst drummer Josh was left at the back to hold it all together. One couldn't help but be caught up in it all, the abundant energy more than filled the gaps in the broken English.
The last song of their blitzing set came all too soon and the crowd united in baying for more. The guitarist gamely returned, genuinely panting for breath from his guitar armed exertions, struggling to form a sentence he eventually gesticulated a hand signal to show we were in for 'one more'. A secret show for the next day was revealed and offered with a petite "Please come, we are waiting for you" before the band mustered one last burst and have gone leaving us all beaming and grinning.