It was evident from the outset that in spite of all the witch-hunting and tall-poppy cutting of the last twelve months, not one punter with a golden ticket was willing to miss a second of the night that would eventually go down in the books as the glorious and triumphant return of prodigal son gone-bad Andrew Stockdale and the mighty Wolfmother.

The Tivoli was pushing three-quarters full and the bars were getting a workout when Sydney scene-stealer Jack Ladder strode onto the cluttered stage. Expecting to be seduced by smooth and caressed by croon, the crowd was visibly caught off guard by the harsh opening beats of Ladder’s offsider’s drum machine. From the abrupt beginnings of the first song, things didn’t improve. The entire set seemed to be underprepared. Just when I’d begin to pity him for his sound man’s heavy handed use of reverb, Ladder would get to a chorus, stomp an effects pedal and add some completely unnecessary echo. The sterile, mechanical drum beat was unwavering, unrelenting and unattractive. Unfortunately, during one late-set song, technical difficulties saw the beat maker harshly drop out. Ladder half-heartedly continued through half a verse before stopping, apologising and rewiring what looked like an adventurous science project. Catchy radio favorite The Barber’s Son was a too little too late attempt at redemption. I’m a fan of Jack’s work, but unless I missed where the flyer said – œJack Ladder DJ set’ I’m certain I’m not alone in being disappointed by how not-Jack Ladder that set sounded.

With three mic stands and a drum kit set up on stage, the crowd could take comfort in knowing the night’s second support was, at least going to contain the expected number of members. When the home-town boys hit the stage running, the relief was justified. Over the last few years Yves Klein Blue have developed a seriously strong fan base and an even stronger reputation for stonkin’ live shows. Tonight’s performance was only going to further secure that reputation. Looking like a conglomerate representation of rockabilly, grunge, indie and soul, Yves Klein Blue blast through a set of songs that delve into these genres and then some. Front man Michael Tomlinson has such an engaging charm and when he’s standing atop his foldback, flicking his fringe, every song is a fun-filled journey. Guitarist Charles Sale and bassist Sean Cook smear the perfect amount of soulful backups and edgy, indie stabs. In a set that was much shorter than anyone wished, every track felt like a highlight. Make Up Your Mind tinkers and soars with undeniable guitar and vocal hooks. Getting Wise smiled and swaggered, shrugging off dapper dimples with it’s tongue in cheek vibe. Polka was the as-seen-on-TV obvious rebel rouser with equal measures of quirk and grunge. But the surprise highlight for this reviewer was Yves Klein Blue’s admitted attempt to add more – œWolfmother’ to their set – Iggy Pop’s Search And Destroy. Yves Klein Blue rocked. The set was too short but the punters were warm, energised and ready for the main course.

The floor to ceiling – œWM’ loomed silently on the back wall and expectation had long been set even higher. Would the new band play the old faves and if so would they do them justice? With casual confidence the new-look Wolfmother appeared; assuming positions all questions were about to be answered and any sliver of doubt laid to rest. With no more indication than that long awaited primal scream, Dimension set the stage alight. Instantly stealing us from the high ceilings of the theatre, we were sent light years away. From the old, and straight into the new; guitars swirled and drums thumped through a high-paced, high-energy and well-received new track. Reaching back to the first pile and unleashing an impressive double-neck SG, Stockdale strummed out the opening chords to White Unicorn. With 2 of the debut’s whoppers out of the way early, new comers Ian Peres, Aidan Nemeth and Dave Atkins had proved with effort to spare that they weren’t going to let that old Wolfmother sound disappear; in fact, quite the contrary. The new four-piece set-up gives the faithful old paddock basher a brand new gearbox. Down low, the torque and response is still second to none, but it’s at the top-end where the new band really flies and New Moon Rising is this talent musically personified. With a second guitar, Wolfmother’s towering sound has grown exponentially. Woman and Mind’s Eye quench the crowd’s need for epileptic keyboards and vocal wailing. In a set that seemed to scream by in a second, Colossal was a mammoth closer.
Tightly sandwiched, shoulder to shoulder with the most positive group of rock fans ever, the capacity crowd powerfully chanted their encore request. Returning to an earth moving response, a – œGet fucked!’ from the band honestly would’ve been met with applause, so words would fail to describe the Christmas morning vibe that met new psychedelic stalwart Back Around. Epic, swirling and electrifying, the new Wolfmother’s first offering transfers to the live stage like few songs before it. Colloquialisms are cheap but often accurate. Tonight though, “time flies when you’re having fun” and “all good things must come to an end” have never rung truer. Acting both as a farewell and a welcome back, Joker And The Thief galloped through the cosmos.
Tonight Brisbane went on a blind date, and Brisbane was smitten. Open the history books and take back everything you thought and said. Wolfmother are back and they rock more than ever!