As typical with sold-out shows at the Arena, the event truly begins with the hundreds-long queue down Brunswick Street sporting all sorts of band merch. Most headed to the bar once doors opened at eight, and Red Riders began playing soon after. The sound system was painfully loud, probably illegally loud, even the bar staff were wincing and many fans at the front were moving back (pass-outs, however, were not allowed).
Red Riders are a serious but not heavy rock band, with obvious 80’s rock influences (rockier side of The Cure and U2). The band were comfortable, jamming about the space on the large stage and played their set of mostly-recent songs (including Slide In Next To Me and My Love is Stronger Than Your Love) with great stage energy in front of the already large, mostly beer-drinking crowd. At one point a man who can only be called ‘Crazy Cowbell Guy’ was brought onto stage by the band. For one song in the set he leapt around the stage banging that cowbell, leaping into the audience like a madman. This was the highlight of the Red Riders set, the rest of the set could have been more impressive if the musicians had more inter-member dynamics (which they can do, for example their combined vocal harmonies are very well done and add so much to their live show).
End of Fashion arrived on stage to cheers, singer Justin Burford abandoning his usual colourful clothing to dress all in black save for striking Adidas shoes. They burst into ‘Lock Up Your Daughters’ and spent very little time in between songs. Notable features of their set included guitar solos set up as call and response with the audience shouting back, an out-of-places sounding Robert Johnson-style blues/country song played by Justin alone, and everything about the drummer Nick Jonsson. Without doubt the greatest possible enjoyment from an end of fashion gig is gained by watching Nick on the drums. He is a drum monster with all the energy of the rest of the band put together, his hair flying with the beat. He never seemed to tire. Definite strength of the night was ‘Too Careful’ which was introduced by long suspense. End of fashion seemed to be going towards their more rocky numbers for this concert and they played many of their songs harder and faster than usual, which was very effective, especially when playing to an arena of punk rock fans. The band obviously got along very well on stage, the brief moments where band members ‘rocked out’ to each other added incredibly to the bands presence and the atmosphere.
The Living End, strangers to noone in Australia, are a superb live band, and never disappoint. Before they arrived onstage the crowd had quickly grown restless, chanting for the band to begin at the top of their lungs. The trio took to the stage, drummer Andy entering first, Chris with newly-bleached blonde hair and then Scott, with his double bass sporting a slick new paint job. This became very apparent as soon as lights went off momentarily, when the checkers and skulls on his bass glowed brightly in the dark. Not ones to mess around, the band cheerfully smiled at the sell-out crowd and burst into fast new track ‘’Till the End’. The set was full with every one of the better tracks from newest album State of Emergency, but also with a number of Living End trademark improvisation moments, which are where the band really steal the show. The most impressive example is when Chris played a five-minute intro to ‘All Torn Down’, complete with virtuoso Santana-style solos. The Living End’s incredible stage attitude and skill in live show completely puts aside the usual limitations of a three-piece band, the sound was huge and at every moment the band connected with the audience. A crazy psychobilly moment thrown into the show has Chris playing slide guitar with a Corona bottle, the beer fizzing over as his playing gets more frantic, then Scott jumps onto the top of his double bass, effortlessly balancing on it while slapping the bass lines. He didn’t miss a note.
It sounded like the world was singing at you during songs like ‘Second Solution’, the crowd were loud and ecstatic. All the old favourites were played between newer songs, with such an aggressive energy that noone would guess they had been played nearly every night for ten years. Encore chants began as soon as the band started to leave the stage.
The band courteously returned with recent radio hit ‘Wake Up’. The effect of an enormous room of people singing the ‘Wake Up’ chorus chant around you is surreal – the way it had been heard countless times on record or on the radio was magnified by a hundred when the whole Arena were yelling the chorus towards the stage.
The band then treated the crowd with their excellent cover of ‘Tainted Love’, dedicated to their support bands, and finished with a very powerful ‘West End Riot’. The crowd left in awe. There aren’t many truly great live acts in Australia but The Living End are certainly one of them.
