The Norwegian pop punk quartet visits Australia.

We headed into Brunswick’s Howler on Thursday night to catch the one and only, Sløtface. With their debut record, Try Not To Freak Out about to drop this Friday, the crowd tried not to do just that but were as excited to hear it as the band were set to perform.

The Norwegian four piece made their trip brief, coming to the country for only two shows, completely worth it. They made sure they gave the Melbourne crowd everything they got. Taking off in their distinct style, it took a couple of songs to get the night’s proceedings off in full force, but once they were there it was contagious.

Backyard with the raw guitars and collapsing drums really intensified in the backroom of Howler as the crowd got caught up in the magic. The chorus had everyone yelling along, “We are adventuring in our backyard” and amplified into a choir like moment.

“Who has work tomorrow?” singer Haley Shea asked. Most hands shot to the ceiling. “Well let’s all forget about that for this next one”, which lead into an outright rowdy moment that was Take Me Dancing. Coming from their 2016 EP Empire Records, the crowd must have saved their energy for that song as this combined burst of force was unlike any other exploded in the room.

Their confidence throughout the set was set at 100 and it was sceptical to watch. The way Shea moved across the stage and interacted with the patrons made the show feel that more intimate. And fellow band mates, guitarist Tor-Arne Vikingstad​, bass player Lasse Lokøy​ and drummer Halvard Wiencke followed suit. Vikingstad slaying hard on the guitar made me feel exhausted just looking at him. The whole show was very casual, with bassist Lokøy walking to the back of the room to get the sound right on his bass. Walking back through the crowd, jumping back on stage and continuing with the next track like a pro.

We heard new tracks too, Magazine and Pitted fresh from their forthcoming debut album. Creating these explosive moments in the set makes me believe that this record has a few tricks up its sleeve. Pushing the stereotype has always been Sløtface‘s aesthetic, these two tracks embody that and so much more. Performed live made them that more energetic and epic.

We only have to wait a little bit longer for the rest of their new album. And hopefully they come back sooner rather than later.

Photos: Liz Stephens