There was a real buzz about this gig in the few days leading up to the weekend, and even the last minute no-show from Rose Tattoo due to Angry Anderson suffering from some sort of bronchial problem did little to dampen things down, even though a few punters opted for the ticket refund that was made available on the door.

With a bit of a tweak to the running times, we get Hell City Glamours getting things started a little later than originally planned, and it’s like we’ve gone back in time to the 80s and been transported to some sort of sleaze-pit in LA – think Faster Pussycat or maybe Hanoi Rocks and you’re on the right track. They have the right look and a few catchy hooks, but a weedy guitar sound from the semi-acoustic thing that front man Oscar McBlack is jangling on, and even worse, terminal tuning problems from this slightly meatier sounding Mo Mayhem’s axe – all in the name of having a whammy bar to create the end of set, err, mayhem by pulling up on the bar and slammin’ the guitar around. Mo, get yourself a fixed bridge guitar for the majority of the set and then bring out the vibrato equipped one just for the last song, it’d be a lot less hassle.

After a short break, The Angels saunter onto the stage to a reception that can only be described as rapturous – add a few beers to the buzz mentioned earlier and it was clear from the start it was gonna be a great night!! We get After The Rain to kick things off, and by the time Straight Jacket is done and dusted Doc Neeson has already started to loosen his red satin tie and get a more rock ‘n’ roll look going on.

I have no idea who works out what songs to play and in what order, but whoever does it really knows how to pace a set. They start with everything set on stun and gradually ramp up the excitement levels through Fashion & Fame, No Secrets and Outcast – by which point Doc has lost the tie altogether and has made a start on undoing his waistcoat too. The rest of the band take a bit of a backseat when it comes to the performance or the presentation, but the playing is 100% perfect, with Buzz Bidstrup at the back on the kit having a great balance between power and groove – superb!

Rick Brewster pulls some very Hammond Organ-like tones from his guitar for the Stones-ish Can’t Shake It while Chris Bailey gets in on the act a bit too for the bass solo intro to Be With You, during which Doc makes a good attempt at destroying his maracas with a tambourine. But it’s about now that any thought of pacing themselves (or us actually) goes out the window, as Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again has the crowd going totally ballistic with the “no way, get fucked, fuck off” response to the chorus – has anybody actually worked out who started that yet?? Whoever it was is a bloody genius. Actually, I’m kinda surprised that this song hasn’t been covered by one of the “bigger” bands from the US or UK over the years, it would have been a huge hit if someone super-fashionable had picked it up at the right time.

Talking of covers, we then get Face The Day (pinched by Great White for their Shot In The Dark CD back in the late 80’s) and an excellent version of the old Animals classic We Gotta get Out Of This Place, punctuated by the short sharp shock of I Ain’t The One – kinda reminds me of The Clash for some reason, being a bit like I Fought The Law maybe?

The set closes with Shadow Boxer and then Marseilles, the latter also having a bit of a Stones-vibe to start with, before for some seriously heavy AC/DC-isms kick in to leave the crowd baying for more while Doc bids farewell to “his friends” in French. Somehow City Out Of Control just seems so appropriate for the first encore, as by now at least the Melbournians packed into the Forum have completely and utterly lost it.

A totally fantastic show, from a truly magnificent band – if you had a ticket and didn’t go ‘cause the ‘Tatts didn’t show up you were bloody mad!!!