Entering Metro City to the sound of custom-made Gretsch guitars being tuned to AC/DC riffs spoke volumes about the band about to take main stage. In the past 14 years since making it onto the Green Day Australian tour support slot of 1994, The Living End have been delivering their rockabilly punk with feverish dexterity.
Off the back of the release of White Noise , their 6th studio album, The Living End greeted a packed Perth audience on the first date of their tour.
Barging onto stage brandishing guitar, double bass and sticks there was no small talk as the band rammed into the openers. First up were Raise The Alarm and How Do We Know that present as two of the strongest tracks off the new album capturing the audience who chanted along with gusto. With a short return to 2006’s State of Emergency, What’s On Your Radio was given a blast before resuming the showcase.
Make The Call, Loaded Gun and Moment In The Sun made it to the list and were solidly rehearsed efforts. As with any show however, there is that list of hits and misses. With a history in covers and some quirky side steps into genre sampling The Living End keeps picking up a few oddities. Sum Of Us, a foray into the reggae-esk, went a bit amiss while the harder rock edge maintained the crowd’s echoing, gesturing and cheering.
Favourites included All Torn Down, Who’s Gonna Save Us, Prisoner of Society and a highly charged West End Riot with a rock ‘n’ roll chorus in full voice.
With a clipped set it was unmistakable in the eyes of punters to the left and right that a with a back catalogue as rich and with a list of influences deep and wide an encore could only suffice in bring forth so much material but it was bound to be fleshy.
Often, it’s best to be left with a tantalising teaser and with The Living End, any spoiler here may turn out to be just last week’s offering. The grit, showmanship and wild stylings continue as do the rebellious rock renditions.
