Following the greatly anticipated alternative music festival that was Soundwave, featured acts Socratic, All Time Low, Boys Like Girls, Plain White T’s and headliners The Starting Line, banded together at the Gaelic Club, Surry Hills, for what came to be an electrifying sideshow gig.
The venue crowded early with jumpy boys sporting sideswept fringes and screaming girls barely out of adolescence, all impatiently waiting to catch the first glimpse of the bands they had emblazoned on their t-shirts. It felt strangely as if I was back in high school when the cutest boy in school would perform shirtless with his less-than-perfect garage band in the old hall. Which lucky girl would capture the lead singer’ eye? Who would be fortunate enough to catch the drummer’s sweaty towel?
Finally the lights dimmed and Socratic took to the stage as the audience’s hollering continued. Playing tunes not unlike Australia’s Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males, but lacking their originality, they managed to engage the audience with their pleasant melodies and crazy bassist antics. They also served to remind me that I was a long way from the high school hall.
The anticipation of the bands to come was, however, clearly evident in the faces and attention spans of the edgy spectators, and when the lead singer-slash-heartthrob of All Time Low appeared before the crowd with his prized Gibson guitars, their excitement was revealed in their ear-splitting screams. The moment that the increasingly-popular band began to play, the audience went crazy with the animated female contingency fighting for the attention of the band’s members. The tightness of the band was genuinely impressive, and the guitarists’ rhythm completely spot on. As their most recognised song, the upbeat Let it Roll, fired up, the mosh pit got underway, with each strum of distorted guitar fuelling every jump and fall.
If the merchandise sales were anything to go by, Boys Like Girls was the main drawcard for a great many of young, pierced and hair-dyed crowd. Their popularity came with reason, with the band offering the best performance of the night. They had it all – a quirky and incredibly talented lead singer, catchy hooks and rhythms, and an undeniable ability to get the crowd raging. From beginning to end they never ceased to impress, only becoming more confident in their presence on stage as their set went on. It seemed that everybody in attendance knew the lyrics to all their songs. Things were a lot quieter once the boys finally left the stage as the room emptied somewhat, with Boys Like Girls fans disappearing with satisfied grins and sweaty foreheads. Did they not know there were two bands to follow?
The Plain White Ts had a hard act to follow, and unfortunately did not meet up to their match, producing a performance that was not too distinct from Socratic – entertaining yet lacking substance. However, standing in the midst of the crowd whilst the band played their hit ballad Hey there Delilah rewarded the endurance of those youngsters who stayed behind. It is indeed a beautiful song that needs to be listened to in a live situation to be appreciated for its aesthetic value in its entirety.
The lights dimmed, a girl in a pink t-shirt went hysterical and from the corner of the stage walked out ever-popular The Starting Line. From their first to their last song of the night the band was fantastic. It was obvious, through the commendable tightness of the group, that they were not new in the performing domain. Each song sounded just as good as those on their albums. When the chords of the most anticpated song of the night resonated through the venue, the crowd went wild screaming at the top of their lungs “you can have the best of me”. You could see in the faces of all around that this band could transcend emotion through music. This band succeeded in making their music a whole body experience. The Starting Line definitely lived up to expectation and proved themselves as masters of their genre.
Last night’s gig at the Gaelic Club provided fans of the genre an intimate environment to get up and close with their chosen bands. And for those fortunate souls who also attended Soundwave, the gig served to further their appreciation of the performing acts and to whet their appetite for great alternative music.
