Millencolin @ UNSW Roundhouse,Sydney (02/04/08)

Fri 4th Apr, 2008 in Gig Reviews

HAVE A LOOK AT THE PHOTOS FROM MILLENCOLIN’S SYDNEY SHOW HERE.

I need to be honest before I set out on this review. My passion for Swedish punk rock band Millencolin faded some time ago when they released Home From Home in 2002. Essentially, I have been impartial to all of their releases since then ( Kingwood being the exception) and I am sure that it is in no small part due to the fact that they have evolved from a punk rock band into a well oiled pop-punk outfit.

That said, it was time to make my way to the UNSW Roundhouse for tonight’s invasion by the lads from Sweden. I was somewhat surprised by the choice of venue because if memory serves me correctly, they were at a larger venue on their last tour. Making my way in, it struck me that the crowd appeared quite small (due to the fact that upstairs section was not open) and I was pondering if Sydney had got to the point where we just have too much happening at the moment.

To my surprise, the crowd was significantly larger than my first inspection, particularly in the segregated 18+ area. For this reviewer it indicated one thing – quite a few punters were not worried about missing opening band The Getaway Plan. Arriving a little late, I cannot offer any type of subjective review but I will say that it didn’t sound like my thing. However, the floor was partially full with people enjoying the show, so they obviously have appeal.

So 9.30pm rolls around and Millencolin take to the stage with their breakthrough hit Penguins & Polarbears before moving into the title track from this year’s Machine 15 . The room was full instantly and the crowd soaked up the energy from the get go. Judging by the heat inside the room and the flurry of bloodied noses that came out seeking attention, I’d say it was a true punk rock gig in every sense.

I’ll be the first to admit that I was pessimistic about what the set list might contain given the direction that Machine 15 has seen the band take. But, to give credit where it is due, they covered almost every album and it would have gone over well with even the most diverse of fans – ranging from Bullion (from 1995’s Life On Plate ) right through to the current single Detox and everything in between.

The biggest crowd-pleasers were certainly those that came off the band’s most successful album to date – the now 8 year old (wow!) Pennybridge Pioneers . Just as they opened with a tune from the album, they closed out their main set with No Cigar, whilst throughout the set we heard Fox and the acoustic anthem appropriately titled The Ballad. The album also got a run in the encore in the form of Pepper. Given the popularity that these songs still enjoy, I wonder if we will see them in a couple of years playing it in its entirety to mark its 10th birthday.

In terms of production, kudos to the boys for bringing out all of the backdrops from their previous tours. The falling backdrop, whilst not costing a great deal to put on, made the show interesting. It proved the band had actually put some thought into the tour because – let’s face it – they could have played with no backdrop and minimal lighting without worrying their loyal fan base.

The only thing about the whole experience I could critique would be management of the venue. Note to UNSW management and promoters: Either open upstairs or at least slide the doors across so that those wishing to enjoy a bevy can do so without looking through a narrow doorway with every other like-minded viewer. Oh, and as good as John Butler is, we were there to watch Millencolin, including their banter in between songs, not to listen to the house PA competing with the band.

Sorry about that folks, I’ll return to surmise that Millencolin rocked the Roundhouse and brought about a classic punk rock show that I just did not think they were capable of. Tonight was the fifth time I had seen them and they were as energetic now as they were way back when at Wickham Croatian Sports Club in 2000.