Singing “This year, is gonna be the year!” in their hit Social Currency rang true for Children Collide in 2009 – armed with debut album The Long Now, the Melbourne trio established themselves as one of the most promising upcoming bands in Australia.

And after playing everything from La Trobe University’s O-Week in February to countless festivals and club shows, it was only fitting that their last show before an extended break was at the sold-out Corner Hotel, in front of 800 of their biggest fans who have grown to love their unique brand of new millennium grunge.

Looking like a band already on holidays with lead singer Johnny McKay donning a lazy beard and hat, and drummer Ryan Caesar sporting a mo, the trio kicked off with a blistering rendition of Chosen Armies. The remainder of the set is a collection of tracks from The Long Now amongst some promising new material, with old EP hit We Are Amphibious and album tracks Across The Earth and Economy (which hadn’t been played live for a year and half) all standouts.

The real talking point of the gig is the antics of the Children Collide fanbase, who frequently bust out all sorts of random dance moves to soundtrack the band’s wall of noise. A key example of this came during FIFA 2010-approved track Skeleton Dance, as a few excited girls nearby brought out their inner J-Lo and withered their bodies around in all sorts of directions.

However, it’s breakout hit Farewell Rocketship that brings the most mayhem for the night, leading to more crazy punter dancing, cat fights on the floor and the crowd taking over singing duties towards the end of the song. The ongoing mosh-pit madness also delivers the band a collection of footwear throughout the night, with Johnny auctioning off a sole Dunlop Volley and a pair of trampled brown shoes between songs.

Claiming that they aren’t big enough to have an encore, MacKay simply turns his back to the crowd for five seconds before announcing they’ll play two more songs, much to everyone’s delight. They then deliver a knockout version of Social Currency – ensuring many fist pumps and crowd surfing – before winding things up in style with their thunderous instrumental.

A huge dose of guitar feedback and rapturous applause is a fitting send off for a band whose shows remain some of the best grungy, noise-filled fun you can get for under $25. Children Collide have promised a new album before the start of 2011 – let’s hope they return to cause all this trippy dancing and mosh pit-filling chaos in the live arena just as quickly.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE GIG HERE