Alexisonfire @ The Forum,Sydney (22/02/2010)

Thu 25th Feb, 2010 in Gig Reviews

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW HERE.

It seems as though being billed alongside Alexisonfire these days is like drawing the short straw. On this balmy Monday night, the crowd were clearly there for Alexis only and were careful not to exert too much energy during Anti-Flag and Comeback Kid – two stalwarts that would’ve easily stood alone on any other night.

Pittsburgh’s favourite anti-fascist punk rockers played a rapid set starting at This is the End (For You My Friend) to Die for the Government. A small slam circle churned, and Justin Sane solicited the all-ages punk maxim: “if somebody falls down, pick ‘em up!”, then an upbeat cover of I Fought The Law (“and I won”) started the first of many scream-alongs.

Things got a little darker and the room got a little seamier in wait for Comeback Kid – a misnomer if I ever heard one. Despite the pop-punk name these Winnipegians are straight-up thrash core. Though wet with sweat, Andrew Neufeld reiterated how awesome it was to be out of the heat. Sunday must’ve been horrendous. 2005’s Broadcasting… got a major look-in with Industry Standards obviously hitting nerves onstage and off, while the older Die Tonight was played with a big nod to Anti-Flag.

The crowd had waited long enough. People were literally hanging over banisters to get closer to the stage. A chant started that sounded more like “I like sex” than “Alexis”, but whatever. It worked. The Canadians walked onstage more self-assured than when I last saw them in 2005. Their confidence has swelled to match their huge audience.

During Born And Raised, the Hot Water Music-like Accept Crime and pretty much every other track from Old Crows/Young Cardinals, the crowd didn’t miss a beat. When the band paused, we sang; when they clapped, we held the beat; when they sang “whoa”, we sang it louder. It could’ve been rehearsed.

There were vast improvements on sound and lighting (as in we were no longer blinded by strobes) as George Pettit prowled the staged like a caged Bengal tiger, grinning provocatively. Dallas Green managed to impart those famous melancholic harmonies and descending triplets with consistent power that, simply put, made my night. Meanwhile bassist Chris Steele stole the limelight with his murderous lumberjack persona.

Moments of mellowness followed with The Northern – until Pettit stage-dived. A bald, bearded security guard mistook him for a punter and, as he fought to get back on stage, Pettit joked, “That’s why we pay them the big bucks!” Then This Could Be Anywhere In The World led them off stage before an encore that included Young Cardinals. They didn’t play much old stuff, but the standard soared above what I’d seen before.

When the lights finally came up, nobody moved. And then, when it came time for us to wind our way slowly (very slowly) down the car-park ramp, Alexisonfire could be heard from almost every car stereo. The crowd was duly fed and watered.