The Mess Hall, 78 Saab @ TheAnnandale, Sydney (1/7/11)

Wed 6th Jul, 2011 in Gig Reviews

The Mess Hall turned up at The Annandale’s 11th birthday party ready for a shin dig. With the iconic venue up for sale, the Sydney band played as if it was the last time they would get to rock inside The Annandale’s well-loved walls for a heaving crowd.

Most of the party-goers had already arrived when support band 78 Saab drove in with a car-load of party tricks. The band reached back into the boot of its first album for the opener Sunshine . Like at the start of most parties, people’s feet were tapping but the heads were wondering how much wilder things would get.

The usual 78 Saab line-up of singer Ben Nash and Jake Andrews on guitars, Garth Tregillgas on bass and Nicholai Danko on drums was joined by *Kirsten Morgan*on keys. By the time the Saab had rolled up to its third song of the set whatever Rules You Break it was starting to purr. It hit fifth gear on Warm Jets from its 2010 release Good Fortune when Danko hit the skins with more menace: the strings and keys followed and the Saab’s brand of nostalgic rock had all the layers you want to hear. By the time they closed with Come On from their second album Crossed Lines, 78 Saab had loosened up and jammed.

The set had instrumental sections that soared and completely absorbed each musician; there were reflective, thought-provoking lyrics and the layered-guitar rock of a band that probably listens to a lot of Rolling Stones, You Am I and REM. It was rock and roll free of pretentiousness or self-consciousness; it was just free and lots of fun.

People crowded to the front of stage to wait for The Mess Hall to hand out the birthday pressies. Anyone who knows what they’re doing limbers up for a party by lubricating with a few drinks on the way. The Mess Hall’s Jed Kurzel and Cec Condon stepped on stage and set the pace like they had taken the courtesy bus from their own pre-party locked and loaded full of all the good stuff.

Singer and guitarists Kurzel stared into the full-house and bellowed the familiar opening lines “_there was a boy, and a lady_” to the song Diddley as Condon thumped away on drums. Distortion reverberated around The Annandale and everyone shuffled forward. Looking at the two well-groomed musicians in their collared shirts, you would never expect the volume and energy that they pump out on stage.

No pleasantries were exchanged before the two-piece launched into City of Roses from the second album Devils Elbow. Kurzel blasted the lyrics out with the often-overlooked-quality of anger. The pace didn’t relent as The Mess Hall went from party favourite to party favourite. Song four was Metal and Hair and the tub thumping had girls dancing closer and closer to the stage.

Pills summed up the atmosphere in the room pretty well, lyrically and musically. When it finished Kurzel spoke to his audience for the first time of the night, if only briefly, to say hi. There had been a change from the thumping distortion of the Mess Hall’s early sound to the more, dare I say it, funky songs of the recent release For the Birds. The VOX and keys came out, the skins were tapped with dancing in mind and for Bell the party was in full flight.

The Mess Hall played Bare and Keep Walking before they stopped long enough to say happy birthday to the Annandale. “One of the great pleasures of our lives is to play at The Annandale and I hope it goes on and on and on,” he said. The Mess Hall then finished the set with the raucous Disco 1. No one moved when the Kurzel and Condon left the stage covered in sweat and puffing hard.

At least one punter had demanded Lock and Load from the band’s Metal and Hair EP throughout the set and the Mess Hall returned to play it. It was a birthday party to remember; everyone just hopes The Annandale is around to celebrate its next one.