It’s a rare thing for big rock bands to put on a free show for their fans, but for Perth’s powerhouse Karnivool, it’s a different story. In May they were a part of the WAMi Festival’s Triple J Live at the Wireless show at the Rosemount Hotel and this month they’re part of MySpace’s Secret Shows series. Since this was the only chance for their younger audience in Perth to catch them live this time around, most of them took the opportunity, and on a school night as well.

First of all, let’s give a nod to the crew at the Astor Theatre; after a year of renovations they have come back better than ever, with killer sound and a great lighting setup which will surely host some classic rock shows in the future. Due to the nature of the venue, singer Ian Kenny joked; “this is the only concert that you can buy Malteasers and popcorn at”.

With no support act for the night, the band kicked things off straight away with Simple Boy and Goliath from their latest album Sound Awake. The new material holds up very well and adds another dimension to the band, but the older songs usually get the biggest crowd response, as was the case when C.O.T.E was played next.

The banter between the audience and the band included The Simpsons references, demands for a bass solo, happily obliged by *Jon Stockman, the introduction of a stuffed cow called Mr Moo, it’s rear end allegedly signed by drummer Steve Judd which one lucky punter got to take home after Kenny played puppet master before throwing it into the audience. The crowd really wanted to hear Fade which sadly wasn’t played, but still brought a smile to Kenny’s face when fans sang the opening lyrics to the much loved song.

Deadman brought Judd’s abilities to the fore, showcasing his rhythm and timing, while Set Fire to the Hive got the crowd rocking. Amusingly, Kenny sounded like Little Birdy’s Katy Steele as he began the second verse.

The band returned to the stage for an encore and the audience was in for a treat. Change (Part 1 led into Change and Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking’s guitars went into overdrive as the band took the audience on an incredible journey. After 10 minutes of power and precision it ended in with a climax that saw Kenny adorned with an acoustic guitar and Goddard on keys.

Karnivool are right on game and this energetic performance showed that they are ready to step up to next level. If you have a ticket to one of the shows on the almost sold out tour you are in for something special.

Set list:

Simple Boy
Goliath
Cote
New Day
Fear of the Sky
Deadman
All I Know
Shutterspeed
Set Fire to the Hive
Umbra
Roquefort
Themata

Encore: Change (Part 1), Change