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It’s been a hard life for the Adelaide music scene. For years we’ve been annually skipped by international acts and cruelly nicknamed ‘a bump in the road.’ So when we get a band like Rocket Science in our state who announces mid-set; “This is the best fucking show of the tour,” naturally, we go nuts.

To start, however, the Melbourne rockers were greeted with a rather stagnant crowd. Performing on Thursday night at Jive to launch their fourth LP Different Like You, the choice of weekday probably didn’t help their numbers. Sure, it was a Thursday and we all had to work the next day. But given Rocket Science’s ten year career and the amount of hits they’ve had, I expected a larger audience. Not to mention my surprise that the majority of punters that had rolled up tonight were leather jacket clad and pushing 40.

So far, the night was looking a little grim.

Support act openers Mona Lisa Overdrive did their best to warm things up. As no strangers to the motions of performing at Jive, the local foursome got up on stage and performed best they could. Yet unfortunately, despite a solid set, they failed to draw shy punters away from the safety of the bar.

Second support act, Sydney trio The Shake Up, did a better job of this. Perhaps this had something to do with their taking of the stage with full-throttle Rock Star aplomb. Playing a series of thick garage/rock tunes reminiscent of The Vines and Jet, these lads took no hesitation in bringing leg kicks, superfluous guitar riffs and head bangs aplenty within their very first song. It was their kind of there’s-only-sixty-people-here-but-we’re-going-perform-as-if-it-was-sixty-thousand confidence (albeit a little misguided) that succeeded in drawing people onto the floor. However, their constant digs for attention via vocalist Miles Selwyn quickly became annoying; “Hey guys, good show yeah? We’re playing with fucking Rocket Science!” Luckily, much to the glee of everyone there, he was silenced mid-set after a punter at the back yelled “Get on with it mate!”

Finally we had the men of the evening – ten-year rock veterans Rocket Science. Let me start off by saying that vocalist Roman Tucker is possibly the craziest, sweatiest, creepiest, tallest motherfucker of a front-man I’ve ever witnessed. It’s one thing to hear Rocket Science’s unique music on an album, but to actually experience a live rendition of Tucker’s banshee screams, keyboard plunges and theramin solos is really something else.

So, the show. The lights flared and the show began, and before us on the stage stood quite a sensible looking outfit of men. Yet from the first guitar chord, Rocket Science quickly began to dismantle this deceptive look of debonair – by literally taking it off.

“This is the best fucking show so far,” Tucker exclaimed after removing his second shirt, his glistening chest greeted with a roar of cheers. Perspiring the equivalent of a Pacific ocean down his face, the front-man held nothing back – including sweat glands. Playing out the majority of 2004’s LP Eternal Holiday and a number of new tracks from new LP Different Like You, Rocket Science proceeded to please fans with popular hits Being Followed and Modern Life towards the end. The set wrapped up with a triple-barrel encore, in which Tucker jumped on an amp in all his six foot four glory before hopping down to make some mean solos on his theremin. With his eyes intently following every hand movement along the thin antennae, it was awe-inspiring to see the range of sounds he could create with the slightest finger flick.

Finishing with a leg last of drum and guitar solos, and two attempts from Tucker to crowd-surf (the first time he jumped the crowd dropped him), Rocket Science ended their show sweaty and bruised. But damn, was it awesome.

“Thanks very much,” says drummer Kit Warhurst. “What’s your name? Thanks to Stephanie especially,” he adds, after spotting a youthful female in the audience. An attempt to corral some groupies early, perhaps?

Given only the basics, Rocket Science took them in and managed to spin out gold. Though I’m sure no-one really expected it, the night was one of those amazing and rare performances that exhibited a special connection between band and crowd. And this only proves, Adelaide, that quality reigns over quantity. ‘Bump in the Road’ this.

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