Kicking off the night with a bang was Alba Varden, their high-energy danceable rock sound with soaring vocals reminiscent of fellow Melburnians Dukes Of Windsor and Adelaide's Mere Theory. They set the mood for the night to come: passionate, intense and colourful music; engaging visual experience; and above all, high-quality tunes commanding the attention of the early arrivals almost immediately.

They were the surprise packet of the night, and surely won themselves a handful of new fans before making way for Engine Three Seven, replacing Bushido (a late scratching in the week before the show).

Those are pretty hefty shoes to fill, but Engine Three Seven are a pretty hefty band (in the best possible sense of the word). An appearance at the recent Full Scale DVD launch in Melbourne showed what the newly-resident Melburnians are capable of, and the gig-going populace of their adoptive city have welcomed them with open arms—no mean feat in a city that boasts one of the highest concentrations of heavy alternative rock bands in the country.

The atmosphere escalated from rocking to raucus as the room filled up and Engine Three Seven's set powered forward like a freight train, frontman Casey Dean conducting the crowd like a maestro. The heaviest band of the night by a long way, they built upon Alba Varden's hard work loosening the crowd with a frenetic display of quirky and genuinely original heavy rock.

Drenched with sweat, their 40 minutes on stage came to a close with an almighty cheer. They now occupy a space in punters' hearts and minds that Rook themselves used to call their own. The little band that could. Everyone's second favourite band on any particular bill. The band that convinces people to be at a gig they normally wouldn't go to, because they know at least one of the bands is going to put on a fantastic show.

And that's exactly what they delivered.

The Evening Son could not have walked on stage to a more fired up group of people. The liquor had been flowing as fast and hard as the riffs, and all they needed was one final push towards fever pitch before Rook took to the stage, but that wasn't something The Evening Son seemed able to provide.

Their meandering, atmospheric rock sound—while excellent in its own right—did not continue the electricity of the bands preceeding, and the crowd certainly picked up on it. The band were stuck in second gear, like Dead Letter Circus on diazepam, and didn't manage to keep the room engaged.

On a more suitable bill they could be a standout; following Engine Three Seven they stuck out like a sore thumb.

But it mattered not an ounce as the curtains were drawn in preparation for the headline act: Rook, smack in the middle of a hectic touring schedule but as energetic as ever.

It's taken a comparatively long time for Rook to establish themselves among the elite of Melbourne's modern alternative rock brigade, but Friday, October 24th, 2008 will stand as the day they broke into the big time. At the Full Scale DVD launch just three weeks prior they played second fiddle to a resurgent .hinge, but this was their night, their chance to prove why they were handpicked to support Dead Letter Circus on their upcoming national tour, and why they themselves will be headlining national tours not long from now.

Showcasing a mix of new, old and very old material, they demonstrated just how far they've come in their relatively short careers.

If I've had one criticism of Rook in the past it's been the one-dimensional nature of their music: they could always rock, but hadn't really proven that they could be as dynamic as some. Well I'm here to tell you, their new songs add so much—pardon the pun—colour to their music that it's almost like listening to a different band.

The title track from the Add Colour EP—supported at the Espy by special guests Glenn Johnstone of .hinge and Bushido's Guy Shenfield—sees Rook steer away from the relative safety of fast, heavy rock and into the uncharted waters of majestic, soulful rock and roll.

Another new song, "Sonny", brings their reggae/funk influence to the fore. It's always been an important part of Rook's overall philosophy but has never been put so squarely front-and-centre, and they're certainly better for it.

It's these tweaks and additions to their sound that will see Rook in good stead for the future. We already have enough bands trying to be Cog and The Butterfly Effect, so Rook will be able to carve out their own little niche as the slightly left-field alternative for people who like their progressive rock with a little less metal and a bit more of a worldly feel.

For the old school fans, "Then The Jury Decides" is possibly the hardest rocking song Rook have written, with a guitar riff that downright forces you to bang your head, and it's certainly been a massive hit whenever they've played it live in the past. "Fiction" might be out of a job as the fan favourite, I'm sorry to say.

Throughout the show frontman Forbes McKail is no shrinking violet, jumping, jiving, ducking and weaving to all corners of the stage, locking eyes with members of the crowd and flashing his winning smile at every opportunity. Guitarist Tyson Fish seems a lot more animated than usual, thrashing his head while Adam May on bass explores areas of the stage usually reserved for the other musicians.

As a live band, they rival Gyroscope and Mammal for Australia's most fun to watch. They'd give Mammal some heavy competition for most dedicated army of fans as well, and they would have been stoked at the turnout and passionate response from everyone in attendance on such a warm spring evening.

The extended thank yous and bows were testament to their appreciation, and no one can blame them for taking a moment to savour the fruits of years of labour.

Just outside the Espy's Gershwin Room, in the front bar, were Melbourne veterans Bugdust, who must have been cursing what they were up against just next door. Melbourne has a new contender for the position of must-see rock band, and it goes by the name of Rook.

You can catch Rook supporting Dead Letter Circus with Melodyssey throughout the remainder of 2008. The Add Colour EP is out now through Rare Records.