CHECK OUT THE GALLERY FROM THE SHOW HERE.

I was expecting to see a fair few youngsters at Tuesday night’s all-ages concert, yet was surprised that very few under-18s were present. The mood at The Metro was a healthy dose of glee, as fans gathered to support three exciting acts navigating the country.

First to hit the stage was Perth’s Sugar Army, who unleashed songs from their debut EP Where Do You Hide Your Toys. The lead track And Now You’re Old Enough, I Think That You Should Know has received considerable airplay on Triple J and equal enthusiasm from the audience that evening. Frontman Patrick clearly enjoys his role as vocalist, singing to the audience with heart and soul, notably on songs Maybe The Boy Who Cried Wolf and Jigsaw. The other band members immersed themselves in their performance, paving the way for a fun-filled night.

Before too long Shihad made their appearance, and as per usual frontman John Toogood was gracious with his performance. He speaks to the audience, thanks them for their support and gives 110% with every show. The band’s humbleness and eagerness to please denotes that music stardom has not overpowered them, as they played a bevy of beauties from the Beautiful Machine album among older pieces such as The General Electric, Comfort Me, Wait and See and Pacifier. Shihad is the best thing to come out of New Zealand since The Peanut Slab, and heart-rates raced as the tempo was raised on Minds Sedate. The audience jumped in unison, throwing fists into the air to illustrate their approval.

The same enthusiasm was extended to the headline act Gyroscope. They opened their set with All In On One followed by Doctor Doctor, as the audience cheered and sang along. Forming in 1997 in Perth, the post-grunge rock band has a strong following, as the audience hung onto vocalist Daniel Sanders’ every word. Guitarist Zoran Trivic and bassist Brad Campbell were dynamic, playing in unison as drummer Rob Nassif pounded his drum kit with great fury.

Their latest album Breed Obsession debuted at number 1 on the Aria Charts – and judging by audience participation, everyone that night had a copy at home. Sander’s vocals were crisp and dynamic, singing Raindrops, Dream vs. Scream, Stay Forever and Fast Girl with clarity and harmony. Surprisingly, Midnight Oil’s Beds Are Burning was given a very faithful rendition too. A highlight of the evening, it’s nice to hear a cover to spice things up. The night ended on Snakeskin, and after such a meaty set-list there was no room for complaints.