Thrice, Alkaline Trio, HotWater Music, Nation Blue @UNSW, Roundhouse, Sydney,05/02/2004

Mon 23rd Feb, 2004 in Gig Reviews

T’was a typically muddy Thursday night when I wandered down to the Roundhouse to see a line-up I don’t think I’ll be able to match for a long while: three of my favourite bands on the same bill.

First up was The Nation Blue whose frenetic stylings seemed to leave the small early evening crowd a little bewildered. Playing music that melds the dynamics of the Pixies with the experimentation of Aphex Twin (albeit with guitars) to a crowd of young impressionable pop punk kids will do that though. The constant guitar tuning trouble and playing a set of brand new material off their forthcoming album didn’t help tonight’s set. Now don’t get me wrong, I love this band but tonight’s set was not the best setting for them nor their best performance. I highly recommend you go and buy the ‘A Blueprint For Modern Noise’ album and ignore what I have wrote about them.

After TNB it was off to the shitty new smoking area for a relax and chat before Hot Water Music came out to tear me a steaming new arsehole yet again. Like Bad Religion, HWM can’t put a foot wrong with a consistent style and unswervingly brilliant songs. Opening with Remedy and Trusty Chords from latest album Caution they then proceeded to play a range of songs from their many releases. Highlight for me was Matt Skiba from Alk3 joining them for Radio and also the one new track they tested on us luck Orrstralians called Mann River? Sweaty, drunk and with more passion for what they do than a band could ever ask for. Sure they were a little sloppy and the sound guy for the evening seemed to be the work experience kid but they played for us like we were a room full of their best friends. NEVER miss this band when they tour, they will change your life

Smoko time again before returning to a now packed room filled with more trucker caps and sweatbands than Oxford St on a Saturday afternoon. The kids were definitely here to see Alk3 and they weren’t too be disappointed. First song ‘This Could Be Love’ saw singer Matt Skiba full flat on his face and take out a microphone stand with his gallivanting about the stage and all this before the first chorus. Heading straight into ‘We’ve Had Enough’ set the tone for tonight’s set with the bulk of songs being off ‘Good Mourning’ or ‘From Here To Infirmary’ and not really touching on the back catalogue at all. A little disappointing for a band making their first trip to Australia and there were a few sad faces in the crowd when they finished. All in all a great set, though beyond the makeup and back drop they don’t do much on a visual level. A strange addition was the secret second guitarist hiding at the back as on the live DVD they rock out as a three piece and still sound great.

More cigarettes and yapping then back in to the sweating vibeless hellhole for Thrice. Now I’m no great fan of this band simply from not taking the time to listen to my albums enough but tonight was pretty damn good I thought. Powerful sound without the emo whining that they get thrown in with. More metal riffs than a Kiss convention and plenty of jumping around as well. A well honed band indeed though once again (like all the bands on the night) let down by the abysmal sound in the roundhouse.

Because of this exact fact I was forced to leave about 6 songs into the set. Even with earplugs in I still felt like my head was going to explode after the three hours of turned up too loud PA blaring at me. I must be getting old or something.

Anyway, I slunk away into the night thoroughly satiated at seeing many great bands playing lots of my favourite songs. Only real complaint for the night was the horror that is the roundhouse, terrible vibe, and terrible soundguy. Sydney certainly needs a better venue for all-age shows.