With the Soundwave countdown only hours away, the quality of punk, hardcore & metal gigs sprouting up all over the city is the stuff of a headbanger’s wet dream. Tonight, some of the finest exponents of punk and ska appear to quench the oh-so-dry thirst that the punters crave.
While the Palace fills, Californian ska heavyweights Mad Caddies show off their wares. Although at first the set is very much that of an “opening band”, without too much crowd participation, by the end of the band’s allotted 30 minutes, there is no doubt that had the Caddies been the headlining act, this place would still be as sold out as it already is.
Now it’s time to go back in time, to a land of high school acne, limited spending money and a time where the prospect of not purchasing at least one CD per month for the reasonable price of $29.95 seems like larceny. It’s 2001 and I’m the 16-year old version of myself – the most life-altering record is about to hit my ears.
The album is Pennybridge Pioneers, and the band is Millencolin. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the release of their breakthrough album, Millencolin play the record from start to finish. No Cigar, Fox and Material Boy (the latter performed to the fastest-formed circle pit known to man) break open the album and therefore tonight’s playlist, preceding another 11 tracks culminating in front man Nikola Sarcevic’ acoustic singlaong The Ballad. A solid encore of songs old and new (think Mr Clean, Black Eye etc) gets the crowd even more excited, and the fact that this is a “double bill” is evidently not lost.
Half an hour later, Hermosa Beach (that’s California, punk)’s finest exports, Pennywise take to the stage. Their first tour to Australia with their current lineup – singer Zoli Teglas joined the band in 2009 – sees them in fine form. Tight, driven and a bunch of fun, the four-piece pull out all the stops, playing hits like Society, Fuck Authority, and ending with a rousing rendition of Bro Hymn. A member of the Greenpeace boat Sea Shepherd appears briefly, explaining the win they’ve recently had over Japanese whaling, and there is a definitive anti-government sentiment throughout.
If tonight’s been a walk down memory lane then it’s been a damn good one, and one that will not be forgotten quickly.
