Having spotted numerous kids with black angular hair, tight shirts and tighter jeans in Valley earlier that day, I’m not surprised to be greeted at the Tivoli with a line that stretches around the corner. And they’re all here to see one man, Tom DeLonge and his new band Angels and Airwaves.

But firstly, New York rockers Mink open with a polished and energetic set. Their brand of 70’s retro rock is mismatched with tonight’s drawcard Angels & Airways but they still set out to make the most of it. Front man Neil Carlson has an onstage swagger and bravado which is a mix between Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler and Michael Hutchinson. But don’t let Carlson’s native New York accent fool you with the rest of the band being made up by Aussie ex-pats from Brisbane and Sydney. Nick Maybury provides the requisite amount of ripping guitar solos while drummer Stella Mozwaga drove the evening’s set home with raw energy and great facial expressions. The infectiously catchy Pressure Pressure and Gimme Some Action are standouts from tonight’s set. With only an EP release to their name, you can expect that Mink will be soon blasting from your radio with straight up rock n roll tunes about girls, booze, parties and drugs. While Mink might not break any new musical ground, you can rest assured they’ll guarantee that you’ll have a good time.

The crowd quickly becomes a constellation of cameras and mobiles as the lights dim and smoke rises as Angels and Airwaves (or AVA to fans) take the stage greeted by a roar so deafening it’s clear AVA cannot do anything wrong tonight. Judging by the number of Blink 182 shirts in the crowd it was clear most people were here to see DeLonge backed by an impressive band comprised of members of the Distillers, the Offspring and Box Car Racer. Kicking off proceedings with album opener Valkyrie Missile, AVA has an epic sound heavy with delayed vocals and hypnotic guitar riffs. DeLonge feeds the rabid crowd exclaiming, “Maybe we’ll all remember this night for the rest of our lives – are you with me?!” as the band cuts into Distraction which sees the crowd sing along with word for word.

If you thought DeLonge’s onstage cheekiness and penchant for narration was a thing of the Blink 182 past, you were wrong. Good Day is dedicated to the one-night stands of the past and their children that might have been at the gig, while the Box Car Racer tune There Is is introduced with a charming story about a girl, a boy, poon tang, boobies, bitches and theft. “I want to change the fucking world! Brisbane, are you with me?” DeLonge yells as they launch into the anthemic single The War. As the music reaches a crescendo and the crowd starts chanting “I cannot live, I can’t breath unless you do this with me”, you get the sense that AVA isn’t a side project and will be here to stay.

AVA finished off the evening with an encore of the unreleased track Star in the Sky. By the ecstatic response from fans, it’s clear that tonight’s show might in fact be an evening to remember.