Reviewed on Friday February 13
The Smith Street Band filled out the Metro Theatre on what was their first night of two in Sydney; a show that marked not only their biggest ever Sydney gig, but the halfway point of their massive 24-date tour.
The punters were still filtering in for the first two acts, talking amongst themselves and mulling around the merch desk. Opening the show was Melbourne’s Apart From This, who played a strong set of ’90s grunge tunes reminiscent of The Smashing Pumpkins or, more recently, Violent Soho. Great Cynics won over more than a few fans with some jangly pop tunes, as well as an infectious positivity.
The crowd started to pick up when Pup took the stage. The Canadian four-piece resemble a ravenous Rottweiler more than a puppy, coming out of the gate with a noisy and intense set that didn’t let up the entire time they were onstage. They had a good portion of the crowd singing along as they thrashed around while still playing some technically proficient punk tunes.
The cheers for The Smith Street Band began when they were onstage setting up. When they finally took the stage for their set, frontman Wil Wagner took a moment to recognise the special energy that was in the room, before launching into ‘Something I Can Hold In My Hands’.
At times it was hard to hear Wagner sing, as the entire crowd was drowning him out by singing every word. The band blazed through multiple tracks from new album Throw Me In The River, as well as playing the recent protest single ‘Wipe That Shit-Eating Grin Off Your Punchable Face’ to a huge reaction. Musically the Melburnians proved tighter than they have ever been, playing a mix of songs across all their releases, and only ever stopping briefly before jumping into another handful of tracks.
The band departed momentarily before returning for an encore of ‘Sigourney Weaver’ and ‘I Love Life’. There was a stage invasion as all the support acts took the stage to dance and sing, ending the show on a high note as fans piled out onto the streets. The Smith Street Band are capable of cultivating such a sense of community, it’s hard not to get caught up in it.
