The air was thick with anticipation at the MoshPit Bar’s 7th birthday bash as Goldfish Smarts, a Manly-born alternative-indie-surf-rock amalgam, took to the stage like a pack of howling wolves. The night was poised on the edge of chaos, a tempest brewing in the sweat-soaked air of this tiny, beer-stained den.

Formed in the turbulent year of 2018, Goldfish Smarts emerged from the northern beaches of Australia—a gang of six miscreants, each bearing their own tale of rock ’n roll survival. Front and center was Phil, the enigmatic lead singer, his voice a thunderclap echoing off the walls of the Moshpit. Flanked by Michael and Mark on guitars, the duo wove intricate riffs that sliced through the haze, while Mike Szymanski’s bass and Stu Freeman’s drumming laid down a rhythm so raw it felt like a primal heartbeat.

The set kicked off with „Focus,“ a blistering anthem that grabbed the audience by the jugular and refused to let go. From there, Goldfish Smarts unleashed a barrage of hits—“Voice Inside My Head,” “Feel It Coming”—each song a journey through the highs and lows of the human experience, underscored by Mo MacRae’s bluesy harmonica wails that seemed to echo from some lost delta.

The crowd, a swirling sea of bodies, responded in kind. Limbs flailed, drinks spilled, and in the midst of it all, Goldfish Smarts surfed the tumultuous waves they themselves had conjured. Phil, the maestro of madness, prowled the stage like a caged animal set free, while Michael and Mark traded guitar licks with the intensity of dueling samurai.

As the night hurtled towards its inevitable climax, Goldfish Smarts unleashed their final onslaught: „Let Me In.“ It was a testament to the band’s ethos—raw, unapologetic, and laced with a desperate yearning. The Moshpit, now a writhing mass of ecstatic energy, erupted in a final chorus of chaos.

In the aftermath, as the sweat-drenched audience stumbled back into the Manly night, one thing was clear: Goldfish Smarts had left an indelible mark on the 7th birthday of the Moshpit Bar. They were not just a band; they were a force of nature, a reminder that sometimes, amid the perils of rock ’n roll nothingness, brilliance can still emerge 😎🏄🍻