‘What’s our identity?’ Melbourne’s Floodlights are putting a much-needed spin on Aussie pub rock

If you ever get a chance to see Floodlights, the Melbourne five-piece bringing a refreshing spin on the age-old pub rock trope, you’ll see exactly what I mean.

There’s a lot to be said for keeping it simple.

If you ever get a chance to see Floodlights, the Melbourne five-piece bringing a refreshing spin on the age-old pub rock trope, you’ll see what I mean.

They jumped on stage at Crowbar on Parramatta Road and tuned their guitars loudly. One thing is made clear from the get-go. There’s no rockstar pretentiousness, no glitter. No bullsh*t.

As they rip into their set of music that my mates and I have come to describe as “poetic farm-rock”, my mind immediately asks me if this is the best band in the country at the moment.

If we’re judging purely on capturing the essence of Australiana and our history in music, Floodlights are definitely up there.

It has echoes of Paul Kelly splattered with a bit of post-punk noise. There’s shouting and pleading. Sombre trumpets, wailing harmonicas and explosive drum lines paint the air as the audience gets transported to what feels like an outback campfire hosted by beat poets.

Singer Louis Parsons clearly listened to a lot of Bob Dylan growing up. He wears his thick Aussie accent proudly and in a way that drags you into each song. There’s an addictive earnestness to it that gives their songs a tangible weight and an air of nostalgia.

Their song “Small Town Pub” sums up their catalogue well. It begins with an ominous, up-tempo minor arpeggio on a twangy Fender Telecaster, which leads into a short spoken-word passage that points out some of our nation’s more uncomfortable truths.

“What’s our identity? Stubbie shorts and a culture cut short.”

Enough said.

Singer Louis Parsons clearly listened to a lot of Bob Dylan growing up.

In a live setting, most bands are judged on the strength of their choruses. “What’s the point if you can’t sing along?” pub rats around Australia cry.

Luckily, Floodlights are able to do both.

They can hit you with a wall of slam poetry and still get inside your head with brilliantly simple melodies that will stay with you.

The short but memorable “Human” is a belter in this regard and stays on the edge of your mind for weeks, while “Lessons Learned” is truly a song of its time and is very much worth a close listen.

Lead guitarist and harmonica player Ashlee Kehoe is also a driving force on stage. The harp breaks that intermittently wail over the high-charged pub rock give the set a powerful injection of folk that adds so much character.

The live set is exactly what you want to see at a pub. It’s loose and sometimes ungainly, but it doesn’t matter because the vibe was set from the very first song.

The set closes with their most popular song, “Nullabor”, an honest monologue of a man feeling the need to escape the city for a much needed “people drought”.

As a musician, I automatically judge bands on how much they make me want to record a song or jam with my mates.

Floodlights had me strumming the chords to their tunes late into the night as soon as I got home.

Lead guitarist and harmonica player Ashlee Kehoe is a driving force on stage. Picture: Lizzy Sedger

The band has a following of about 33,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and appears to be growing their fanbase overseas with international tours booked and selling fast.

It’s in this growth period where many great artists do their best work and it’s exciting to see them grow their already impressive smorgasbord of tunes with new songs released regularly.

Their 2023 album Painting of My Time is an instant classic and a must-listen for anyone into DIY rock-n-roll with an edge.

Floodlights are currently on tour through Australia before heading to Europe in November.

October 11 - Torquay Hotel, Torquay, VIC

October 12 - Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, VIC

October 19 - Ability Fest, Melbourne, VIC

October 24 - Valley Loft, Brisbane, QLD

October 25 - Bangalow Bowls Club, Bangalow, NSW

October 26 - Thomas Surfboards, Noosa, QLD

Originally published as ‘What’s our identity?’ Melbourne’s Floodlights are putting a much-needed spin on Aussie pub rock