Competing with the Mardi Gras for bodies was never going to be easy, but throw in shonky promotion of the dates and you’re left with a semi full room.

Judging from photos on the walls the band headlining has filled the same venue previously and with the gig signalling an end of their hiatus and the release of their third CD just moments away, Saturday night at the Annandale should have been packed with eager fans. Not to worry though, because those that did make it to the show witnessed something brilliant. After The Fall are back and they have gone from strength to strength. Judging by their performance last night it shouldn’t be long until they are playing sold out rooms again.

Around 8:30 the first support act of the night took the stage to a lacklustre crowd. The Wahas’ youthful, hair-sprayed pop came at you like a thumping pulse; you could feel it in your lungs and all the way up in your teeth. Their mostly hook-less, driving chord progressions pushed you through their half hour slot; however the first vocalist’s tones left a lot to be desired in the band’s live quality. The Wahas, a garage pop band with uber-mod envious hair, interchanged between three singers throughout their set, one of them actually able to semi-control his pitch which came as a nice little surprise. A mixture of Iggy pop circa ‘Lust For Life’ and the entire back catalogue of The Cure, the Sydney band filled the room with a strong backbone of sound. If they spent less time teasing their hair and more working on their vocal pitch, they could have the potential to be a very exciting, fresh and unique band.

Next installment of the night was Lover from Newcastle. A three-piece indie band, they resemble the musical love child of Bloc Party and Faker after being trapped in a room with The Killers ‘Hot Fuss’ on repeat for hours. With hooks coming out of their sweat glands, Lover played an instantly accessible and memorable set. Obviously not a stranger to the stage, Lover were tight, well presented and entertaining; throwing in a quick Coyote Ugly moment, dancing on the bar for good measure. If anything you wanted them to rough themselves up a bit, to loosen the ties and drop a note or two.

Leading up to 10.40, the back filling as the shy congregated together out of the lights. Preferring to dance rather than rush the stage, the audience atmosphere was relaxed and it was an attitude that was mirrored in the performance of the head liners.

The new look After The Fall, noticeably without their second guitarist, didn’t suffer from the lack of sound that might have been expected. Doing a one-off show after the release of their single Cut Your Losses and to road test some of the material from their anticipated third studio album, After The Fall braved the thin crowd and returned in front of the red velvet curtain of the Annandale.

A mix of old favourites including Fighter, Mirror, Mirror and Concrete Boots as well as a track from EP As Far As Thoughts Can Reach and a plethora of fan favourite album tracks had all members of the audience – whether rookies or veterans to the After The Fall discography – suitably entertained.

However it was the three or four new songs they threw into their set that really blew the crowds away. Displaying a more mature sound than Always Forever Now the melodic tracks saw Ben Windsor picking up the reins in the form of a guitar. Mixing heavy riffs with drum beats and rhythmic tempo that could have been taken straight out The Grates live set, the road tested tracks were well received by the audience. New song Break Me saw the band reverting back to the catchy as all hell choruses that have worked so well for them in the past, and a rendition of their single Cut Your Losses proved that it was as popular in the Sydney live scene as it is on radio. All indications point towards an exciting new album from After The Fall coming our way soon.

Sometimes a little more animation from lead singer Ben Windsor could have been injected into the set, but overall the band produced a stunning performance that greater highlighted the band’s future direction than its previous achievements.