Hungry Kids of Hungary, AndyBull @ Metro Theatre, Sydney(21/05/11)

Tue 24th May, 2011 in Gig Reviews

It’s been a very successful 12 months for Hungry Kids of Hungary. The Brisbane four-piece’s ARIA-charting debut album received an overwhelmingly positive reception from fans and critics alike, and earned them a coveted position in triple j’s Hottest 100. The band has also been moving up in the live ranks, playing increasingly large venues on each tour – and tonight they hit another milestone: selling out Sydney’s Metro Theatre, on a night that some believed to mark the end of the world. It’s always interesting to see how young bands fare when playing to larger crowds than usual, as many tend to choke under the pressure, but Hungry Kids of Hungary managed to engage their eleven hundred-strong audience with ease, playing like it was their last night on Earth – perhaps because it very well could have been.

Andy Bull warmed up the already sizeable crowd with a delightfully unique set of piano-pop. Powering through tracks from his debut album We’re Too Young and recent EP The Phantom Pains, it was Andy’s velvety voice that shone most. Bull was supported on stage by a guitarist and drummer, with the guitarist consistently proving his proficiency throughout the set. The three piece band had a surprisingly full sound, which complimented the songs nicely, and thrived in a semi-intimate environment like the Metro. Set highlights included a cover of Tears for Fears’ Everybody Wants to Rule the World and a duet with Brisbane singer/songwriter Tara Simmons (who is currently putting the finishing touches on her own debut album). Andy concluded his set with fan favourite Nothing to Lose, leaving the crowd eager for more of his inimitable sound.

Hungry Kids of Hungary took the stage to a deafening reception in front of a jam-packed Metro Theatre, immediately launching into an extensive setlist of tracks from their debut album Escapades. The band’s signature hit Scattered Diamonds arrived unexpectedly early in the set, sending the crowd into a frenzy. While they didn’t deliver the most energetic of performances, the boys appeared to be exceptionally relaxed on-stage, not at all fazed by the mammoth audience.

Midway through the set, Hungry Kids invited support acts Andy Bull and Tara Simmons to the stage to perform Last Waltz – a track from Bull’s recent EP – which, tonight, doubled as an ironic ode to the supposed rapture. The performance ended up being one of the most memorable moments of the set, with Andy and Tara stealing the show on vocals.

The group powered on through the second half of the set with finesse, not slipping up on any occasion. Coming Around received a positive response, with the volume of the crowd at times drowning out frontman Dean McGrath’s vocals. The band finished with the anthemic Set it Right, concluding a solid performance with few highlights, but no noteworthy low points either. If it did turn out to be the end of the world, this would have been a satisfactory way to go out.