Ten years after their infectious sound first hit Australian airwaves, Garbage were back on our shores to show us they still have it when it comes to producing amazing sounds and an incredible atmosphere. The Hordern was buzzing with anticipation as local outfit Silo warmed the crowd for the main event. Due to the phenomenon we common folk call the queue, I missed the first half of their set, but the half I did see was pretty damn good. With strong vocals and some funky lighting displays, bass player and vocalist Sophie really let rip with her PJ Harvey-like voice.  These guys are well worth checking out if you can catch them around the traps.

And so Garbage took the stage. What better way to open than with the sexy Queer. Shirley standing centre stage, dark and intense lighting and the crowd going absolutely nuts! Such an old favourite out of the way so early would usually have been a bit of a worry in my mind, but with each track they just got better and better. Bad Boyfriend off their latest album was next and they really just rocked it out. Followed up by Why do You Love Me which, in essence, is what really started the show. Before continuing, Shirley made a brief but extremely clear statement: “We are NOT breaking up, we are just taking a long, long, long holiday.”

What came next does not usually happen in live shows. The trifecta of songs that were so huge and still are, that playing them all in a row is designed to give any hardcore fan a heart attack! Literally kicking of her stiletto heels and putting on her boots Shirley dedicated Vow to the fanatical crowd that have been loyal for so many years. Shirley went crazy, the crowd went crazy, we all went utterly crazy. With no chance to recover, they launched straight into Stupid Girl. A personal favourite, it was everything I and others had hoped for. I really could have gone home satisfied right there on the spot but why deny myself the pleasure of indulging just a little more, right?  Next up, Only Happy When It Rains. Before she started, Shirley called the crowd ‘noisy motherfuckers’ because they just would not let up with their screams, but the first note of the track only caused further mayhem. Shirley really belted this one out, and with a little help from fans it was absolutely perfect.

Next was supposed to be When I Grow Up, but a little miscommunication between monitor tech and band, meant Shirley had to ad lib while the band got themselves sorted. Shirley did a little comical dance, talked to the crowd and eventually, instead of the planned track they took a request. The initial requests were Kick My Ass and Trip My Wire however the sudden inability to remember lyrics, even with the help from the audience and their own lyric book, meant that with some huge guitars we were given a gift in the form of Supervixen. Finally back on track, When I Grow Up eventually became a reality, followed up by I Think I’m Paranoid.

Taking a slight breather, the beautiful new gem known as Bleed Like Me gave the crowd a chance to regroup and enjoy something a little more tame. This led into Shut Your Mouth, Right Between the Eyes and the track based solely on sexual politics Sex Is Not The Enemy which had the crowd really livening up again. Sensing the end was near, the crowd manoeuvred itself into a writhing mass of sweat-soaked steaming bodies that had glazed eyes for one woman only. Metal Heart led into the deliciously sexy Push It, a track that everyone loves and was the fake-finish of the night which led them to concert rule number one – let’s leave the stage for a minute and pretend we aren’t coming back, then come back on and surprise them all!

The joke was on me, as it really was a surprise when the track they came back with, and in my opinion the best song of the night, was the often forgotten #1 Crush. Made famous in the movie Romeo & Juliet, it’s not short on emotion, sex appeal and in-your-face desire. And there really was only one other song that had the makings of a flawless finale and that was Cherry Lips. One last dance for the crowd and one last strut around the stage for Shirley, a perfect end to a perfect night.