Jax Panik at Tiger Tiger

Posted on: July 30, 2011

Thursday 28 July 2011

First off, I really feel the need to state that I am not a fan of the Claremont-scene, mostly because, while I love gigging, I hate clubbing but also because I don’t have a lot of tolerance for the kinds of people that go out in Claremont*…with all this in mind, the fact that I ventured waaay out of my comfort zone, on a freezing weeknight to the notorious Tiger Tiger, really says a lot about my love of Jax Panik.

Outside, the queue was ridiculous and inside, I felt claustrophobic and old. It seemed more cramped than anywhere I’ve been before and the prospect of wading through the sea of drunken, over-dressed patrons to the front of the stage was pretty daunting.

As I expected, I was met with some hostility but was pleasantly surprised that a few people actually made space for me and showed my camera a lot of respect – congratulations humanity, there may be hope for you yet…

I’d intended to move around a bit during the show but once I found a spot it was clear that leaving it was not an option, I was going to have to actively defend it. The result of which, after the 40-odd minute performance, was that I was more exhausted than I’d been in a long time, and feeling even older than when I arrived.

No exaggeration, it was hands down the hardest gig I’ve ever attempted to shoot – packed to bursting, surrounded by flailing arms spilling drinks on me and the ADHD super energetic musicians racing up and down the stage. It was awesome though; I always have a great time watching Jax Panik and once again, they didn’t disappoint.

Whenever I’ve seen them, I feel like they’re on the verge of exploding from the amount of energy they give and they really know how to hype a crowd. Plus they get up close and interact with their fans which means the world to a lot of them (a girl behind me nearly fainted as she shouted to her friend ‘I TOUCHED HIS HAIR!”). While I daresay the irony of Jax Panik’s music might be lost on the likes of the Claremont massive, it’s clear they too see the band as something of a phenomenon.

*Yes, I know, I’m a horrible person for judging strangers but I do it all the time and I’m afraid I’m not going to stop anytime soon…besides, these people deserve it.