This edition of the All Tomorrow’s Parties’ Don’t Look Back series featuring music legends Died Pretty and Ed Kuepper re-creating their classic albums Doughboy Hollow and Honey Steel’s Gold was always going to be a golden opportunity for the older set and aficionados of Australian indie rock. But, given the steep cover charge, would they come? As a chorus of cheers greet the arrival of Ed Kuepper, the answer proves a resounding ‘yes’.

Kuepper is in an expansive mood as he chats amiably about the origins of the album between tracks. His penchant for mixing his guitar low, however, sucks some of the life from rambling, instrumentally discursive tracks such as King of Vice and Friday’s Blue Cheer/Libertines of Oxley. It’s frustrating to see his fingers flicking across the fretboard as his strumming hand frenetically dips and weaves only for the subtle guitar textures to disappear under the drone of Peter Oxley’s bass. It doesn’t help that Jeffrey Wegener’s drumming seems to lack its usual flair.

More lyrically driven, the debauched love songs Way I Made You Feel and Everything I’ve Got Belongs To You fare better, and the mix finally comes right with a brooding rendition of instrumental closer Summerfield where Alister Spence’s keys play against Kuepper’s guitar lines perfectly. Applause duly given, much of the crowd heads to the bar, only to be surprised when Kuepper unexpectedly encores with a blazing version of Electrical Storm that builds and builds to a wall-of-noise finish. Stunning.

The personnel of Died Pretty take to the stage almost before anyone notices. Ears perk up, though, as soon as guitarist Brett Myers strikes the opening notes of Doused. Scores eagerly lend their voices to the tune, but none can hold a candle to distinctive howl of Ron S Peno.

The same line-up that came together to record Doughboy Hollow in 1992, the fivesome of Peno, Myers, bassist Steve Clark, drummer Chris Welsh and John Hoey on keys hit their straps with an ease that belies the 16-year span since they last played a set of live shows together. And even if the snappily dressed Peno has lost a little hair and looks increasingly weathered by the years, he still exhibits the energy of an evergreen, dancing, prancing and shadow boxing around the stage as he sings with undimmed passion.

The crowd responds joyously as the band works through the front half of Doughboy Hollow. D.C.’s jabbing keys are jaunty as ever and Godbless rocks with energy, while Satisfied forms a melancholy one-two with signature heartbreaker Sweetheart. The latter is probably the highpoint, with a good portion of the crowd bellowing the title lyric in time with Myers’ backing vocals. All the while, Clark grins like he just scooped lotto as he beats out the bass line.

As the set progresses, it’s clear the album has aged beautifully. The martial tones and Peno’s echoing megaphone delivery on Battle of Stanmore wedges weirdly against The Love Song, yet it’s precisely right. Out In the Rain turns into another nostalgia-dripping singalong, then the main set – and the album – concludes on a plaintive note with Turn Your Head.

Of course, it was never going to end there, and Peno says as much when the band returns. Two extended encores feature a slew of songs from the back-catalogue before the evening winds up with one of their earliest hits – Final Twist. An apt ending and proof that occasionally looking back might not be such a bad thing after all.