Melbourne based rockers The Smith Street Band performed to a sold-out crowd on Friday night at The Tivoli, with the band selling out shows around the country on their national tour. Fellow Melbourne grunge rockers Press Club and pop queen Bec Sandridge (SYD) joined them on the road, with both acts also having new releases in the works. It was good to see two female-fronted bands of contrasting genres on the bill to create such an eclectic, diverse lineup. However in the same breath it was an odd lineup choice, with the mix not quite fitting with each acts sound.
Punters who came out to support the underdog were in for a treat, with Press Club opening the show with an energetic set, filled with songs off their debut album Late Teens which was released earlier this year. With guitar driven songs that take you back to the 90’s grunge scene, and with Natalie Foster’s raw ‘Grohlesque’ voice, the band delivered a powerful set of songs that could be likened to that of rock legends Magic Dirt and Killing Heidi, mixed with a more modern indie-rock vibe similar to Tired Lion and Sløtface.
Bec Sandridge was up next and in comparison to previous shows, delivered a more rock-based set than her usual synth-pop vibe, which could come down to being sandwiched (read ‘sandridged’) between two rock bands on the lineup. Her set included a number of new songs off an upcoming release, complemented by crowd favourites, You’re a Fucking Joke and In The Fog, In The Flame. Sandridge always delivers a quite avant-garde performance, with obvious musical influences stemming from the likes of Kate Bush and Cyndi Lauper. While her overall act was well executed, those who have seen her perform before might have agreed that Sandridge seemed a little out of her comfort zone, with the mix obviously arranged for the other bands sets. Kudos to the person choosing the house music between acts though, hopefully others saw the irony in having Sandridge finish her set with her most recent single I’ll Never Want a BF, and then have It’s Raining Men by The Weather Girls start playing.
By the time that The Smith Street Band graced the stage, the venue was packed with a wave of bodies proudly sporting the bands merchandise - a bunch of clearly devoted fans. Through the crowd you could see Wil Wagner and his band take to the stage, starting with an extended intro to It Kills Me to Have to Be Alive. It was pleasing to notice that new members of the band included artists Matt Bodiam (A Death in the Family), Jess Locke and Lucy Wilson (The Sugarcanes), with each addition already having their own following and musical success. Having these extra members really fleshed out The Smith Street Band’s sound, and it was nice to hear the new addition of female harmonies in some songs. While the band played a handful of songs off their new record More Scared of You Than You Are of Me, you could tell that they were well-aware of the overwhelming amount of die-hard fans, and played their fair share of old favourites including Young Drunks and I Can’t Feel My Face. It is clear that Wagner is a powerful advocate for people currently experiencing mental health problems, with lyrics often acknowledging his own struggles. Partway through the set he outlined this when introducing the song, I Don’t Want To Die Anymore, saying that the song was for ‘people who sometimes feel sad and don’t know why.’ It was no surprise that the crowd chanted back the lyrics to every song, and by the end of the set the mosh pit was a ball of sweat from the crowd’s vigorous enthusiasm. Giving the audience half a minute to catch their breath, the band returned to the stage for an encore, including crowd-favourite Death to the Lads, which ironically, was entertaining to witness a sea of men in the crowd fist-pumping to.
There’s no doubt that Wagner is a master of his craft as a lyricist. His songs speak of his failures and sufferings, having a degree of vulnerability that listeners can relate to. While his lyrics have a sensibility to them, the songs themselves do seem to generally follow the same patterns and structure. Nonetheless, this formula seems to have gotten The Smith Street Band this far, and the fans certainly aren’t complaining. The Smith Street Band’s music is a good platform for young people, and men in particular to relate to - singing back the lyrics amongst a sold out crowd has gotta be some good therapy, for both the crowd and the performer. Fans certainly walked out of that show satisfied, both sweaty and smiling.
-Kassie Sofia