Photos + Review: Brendan Delavere
It’s officially the second day of summer, the weather is warming, the beaches are getting ready for an influx of swimmers and sunbathers. Festival season has started with numerous sideshows for Good Things and Spilt Milk fests all happening this week across the country and in the midst of it all, a little rock band from Scotland are halfway through a nation wide tour. With a Sydney show on the steps of the Opera House imminent, a stop over in the northern Illawarra suburb of Thirroul is a much more intimate affair.
It’s a Tuesday evening, Thirroul hotel is swarming with folks having an early schooner or two before crossing the street to the gorgeous Anita’s Theatre. For those in early who weren’t joining the huge lines for merch or beers, opening rockers Delivery treated the crowd to a poppy blend of indie rock and garage punk. Hailing from Naarm/Melbourne, the five piece waste no time with their half hour set. With a four pronged vocal attack, the trio of guitarists, James, Jordan and Scarlett and bassist Rebecca trade riffs and harmonies, each taking the vocal lead on each song. Deadlines, The New Alphabet, What For?, the set filled with cuts from recent release Force Majeure. Warming the crowd up nicely for young and old alike.
As the lights dimmed on the gorgeous theatre, the Welshman entered the stage to the theme from Naked Gun, alas without any slapstick hilarity ensuing. Opening the night with the highly appropriate, The Dark of the Matinee, the band rolling straight into new tracks from 2025 release The Human Fear, Night or Day and The Doctor. It’s a broad setlist, covering their twenty plus year discography. Walk Away, Do You Want To and Audacious, Alex Kapranos utilizing every inch of the large stage, pacing back and forth, reaching out to the crowd, excitedly jumping when the hook reaches its crescendo.
“This next song is about a girl, she was 27, but for the purposes of the song she was 17” introduces Jacqueline, the first time this track has been played on this Australian tour, to rapturous applause. “And for those who are still celebrating Halloween”, Black Eyelashes with its jangly circus rhythm and Eastern European flair.
Getting things rocking again, Michael, Love Illumination and Triple J Hottest 100 number 1, Take Me Out kick it into top gear, there’s no mosh pit but it’s hot and sweaty down there.
The encore is a five song affair, starting off with Ulysses, Hooked and Alex taking on a written fan request in Glimpse Of Love. The Fallen comes next, talk of scrapping it due to playing Glimpse was discussed but Alex told the band to “play it anyway”.
Closing out the 20 song set with the hugely anthemic This Fire, with extended riffing, drum solo, band introductions as well as getting the crowd to get down low. Now this reviewers thoughts were that this is no Slipknot crowd and as such people’s knees aren’t as spry, mine certainly included.
Half the crowd slowly stood back up before the band hit the bridge, but those still squatting gave it their all, with a couple of enthusiastic jumps and hands in the air.
A standing ovation and a big bow from the band signaled the end of an amazing Tuesday night of indie rock n roll.
