There just aren’t enough bands that allow two blokes to sing into the same microphone, and with their ‘50s doo-wop meets ‘60s roots, Melbourne locals Little Red fit the bill eminently. On Thursday, ANZAC Day eve, they headlined their first show at the venerable Corner Hotel, and, only about a month after successfully selling out the Northcote Social Club during their residency, they managed to do a respectable job of filling the decidedly larger Corner on the eve of a public holiday.

Thursday night was the release of Little Red’s single ‘Witchdoctor’ which, while having been a live staple for some time, serves as a good lead-up for the much anticipated debut album, slated for a July unveiling. Of course, why bands insist on having ‘single launches’ or ‘album launches’ is beyond most of us; the song which ostensibly had a place of honour took up a position in the middle of the set list, and didn’t actually score any mention of note from the band themselves.

That said, what the evening’s festivities did achieve was to expose more Melbourne music fans to the ever-growing talents of Little Red’s live show. It’s difficult to praise the performance of a band which Wireless Bollinger included in its ’10 Bands to Watch’ issue last year without appearing to be justifying some of the site’s own hype. But it is also difficult not to be staggered by the vast gulf in quality between Little Red’s earlier shows a year or so ago, and the increasingly professional outfit that strode confidently to centre stage.

With every performance they make, Little Red seem to have added new songs to their expanding repertoire, and the night opened with a number of tracks that were relatively virginal, at least to this humble correspondent. In fact, the first half of the set was devoid of songs that once peppered their earlier gigs, tracks like ‘Waiting’, ‘Coca Cola’ and the centrepiece, ‘ Witchdoctor’, all having to wait their turn. Instead, there were songs like ‘Stare in the Face of Love’, and ‘We Get High’, each borrowing more from their Eric Burden-era Animals roots, rather than the café-from-Happy Days sound of their earlier days, perhaps an indication of the overarching sound that will emerge on their debut album.

Also, songs like ‘We Get High’ hinted at a slightly darker tone than existed on their earliest numbers. Where once it was girls, soft drinks and catchy harmonies, it’s now harder drugs, rootsy grinds and songs like ‘She’s Not the Only One’ and ‘Forget About Your Man’. But this sneaking depravity seamlessly integrates with the more naïve moments, and sits nicely with the balancing act between twee 50s rock and dirtier rock. The presence of three (ever improving) vocalists in Tom Hartley, Dominic Byrne and Quang Dinh is a perfect vehicle for Little Red’s multiple personalities, Hartley’s gravelly growl in particular the continual highlight.

So, in the interests of shamelessly pushing the WB agenda, Little Red indeed remain a band to watch, although it is unlikely you’ll need to go to as much effort to see them in the future: they’ll probably be finding you. Can’t wait for July to roll on.