Airbourne, Mammoth Mammoth @The Hi-Fi Bar, Melbourne(31/10/2010)

Mon 8th Nov, 2010 in Gig Reviews

A warm homecoming could have been expected for one of Melbourne’s most successful musical exports over the last five years, but mother nature wasn’t prepared to give ex-Warrnambool lads Airbourne everything they had been hoping for. Yet after growing up with Melbourne’s fickle climate, they should have perhaps expected to find the city drenched in a spring deluge. But if Mother Nature wasn’t prepared to give the guys a break, their fans that turned out for their first of two sold-out nights at the Hi-Fi bar certainly offered it to them in spades.

Mammoth Mammot are essentially the perfect pairing for an Airbourne show, and they provide the ideal entree into tonight’s proceedings. Weapon of Mass Self-Destruction gets the crowd well and truly into the swing of things, and their constant flow of heavy, no frills stoner rock is everything you would expect from an Airbourne curtain raiser. Throw in a cover of the Kyuss classic Green Machine, and the appetite had well and truly been whetted.

The crowd had begun to swell, and with the unveiling of the wall of Marshall amps on either side of the drum kit, everyone was preparing themselves for the aural onslaught that they were about to witness. It had been almost three years since their last Australian shows, and after relocating to the US to promote their debut album Runnin’ Wild and extensive touring through Europe and the US, Airbourne had well and truly mastered their already impressive live show.

As bassist Justin Street, guitarist David Roads, and brothers Joel O’Keefe on guitar and vocals and drummer Ryan O’Keefe burst onto the stage, the band wasted no time with pleasantries, opening with a blistering version of Raise the Flag from their latest release NO GUTS. NO GLORY. With two sold out shows, it is clear that Airbourne’s hometown have the lion’s share of the band’s Australian fan base, and after belting out Hellfire, Chewin the Fat and Diamond in the Rough in quick succession, it’s clear the band haven’t lost any of their trademark energetic stage show. One thing is for sure, Airbourne KNOW how to entertain.

Album highlight Blonde Bad & Beautiful gets a good working over, then it’s onto Girls in Black where O’Keefe makes his way mid song to stand on the mixing desk to belt out a guitar solo, which the crowd feverishly laps up. Latest single Bottom of the Well gets screamed out with a bit of help from the crowd, then O’Keefe orders all the women in the crowd to get up on the nearest guys shoulders as they dedicate Cheap Wine & Cheaper Women to all the girls in attendance. Born to Kill again sets the pace and the volume back to eleven, as they round out their set with No Way But The Hard Way and Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast, both of which underlie the bands ethos; hard work will get you everywhere, and that life is too short to not enjoy every moment. From their time on welfare in a Melbourne share house, to playing at some of the biggest festivals in Europe, they practise exactly what they preach.

After a quick break, the band walk back on stage to the chugging guitar intro of Runnin Wild, and as it breaks into rhythm, the moshpit erupts, the fists are pumping, the beer is spilling, and the bodies are colliding. As the ten minute version comes to a close, the swift progression into the unmistakable guitar riff to Stand up for Rock n Roll sends the entire venue clapping in unison, before exploding into life.
As the last of the night’s riffs comes to an end, the beer and sweat-soaked crowd know that they have witnessed a world class rock and roll show. And it’s no wonder. They have plied their trade and now they have mastered their craft. Whether it is playing to 950 people at the Hi-fi Bar, or to 85,000 at Wacken, the same energy and enthusiasm is given to each show. It’s what they have built their careers upon, giving 100% at every gig to every crowd.

If you had seen them before, but weren’t convinced, you were after tonight. And whether you are on board with these guys or not, there’s no denying a good old fashioned hard-working success story. In a world where you’ve got to be seen to be different to stand out, Airbourne are living proof that when it comes to rock n roll, the tried and tested method of keeping things simple can just as easily provide greater rewards.

CHECK OUT ALL THE MADNESS FROM THE NIGHT HERE