If Paul Revere were still alive Tuesday night he would have shouted: “The Australians are coming! The Australians are coming!”
Well, the Australians came and the sold-out crowd at the Moore Theater felt their presence when the Australian Invasion Tour, featuring four Aussie groups, Neon, The Living End, Jet and The Vines made its stop in Seattle at the Moore Theater.
The four bands performed more than three hours of music for fans who likely had no idea never knew the island continent of Australia rocked so hard.
Punk-rock veterans The Living End provided a high-energy set that featured songs from all its albums but sampled heavily form its newest release Modern Artillery. Singer and guitarist Chris Cheney shredded through songs while he sang. In the evening’s most punk-rock moment, he played slide guitar with a full beer bottle. The golden nectar foamed and spilled on the stage and the audience with each chord change. And no, it wasn’t Foster’s if you’re curious.
Bassist Scott Owen played a black-and-white, checkered, stand-up bass, which seemed like a somewhat not punk thing to do. But when he held it over his head, played it on his back and did a guitar jump while performing, it made Owen a punk-rock star and transformed the behemoth instrument the coolest accessory on stage.
While The Living End definitely gave the crowd its money worth, Jet, of iPod advertisement fame, stole the show.
Often criticized for sounding too much like everything that has already been done – lifting riffs from AC/DC, Bachman Turner Overdrive, The Stones and many others – the shaggy-haired group proved its doubters wrong. Jet’s music might not be the most original, but its album “Get Born” contains a ridiculously high number of catchy hooks and driving guitar parts.
The material translated well live with the songs “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” “Cold Hard Bitch,” “Last Chance” and “Rollover D.J.” dazzling the crowd of mostly trucker-cap wearing frat boys and horn-rimmed glassed sporting hipsters.
Jet’s performance was near flawless, which meant headliners The Vines had its work cut out for it.
The last time the group performed in Seattle was at the same venue in late 2002, but singer Craig Nichols was so drunk while he sang and danced, it was near embarrassing to watch. The band performed a decent set, which was highlighted by a cover of Outkast’s “Ms. Jackson,” but it was marred by Nichols’ drunkenness.
When The Vines took the stage shortly before 10 p.m. for its one-hour set Tuesday, Nichols wasn’t intoxicated, but the band’s set was marred by something completely different: sound problems.
The set began with the up-tempo “Outtathaway!” from the band’s 2002 debut Highly Evolved. The song’s frantic energy played well to the raucous crowd, but monitor and PA problems caused unwarranted feedback. The same happened during most every other song the band played except for the acoustic “Autumn Shade.”
Neon, the group that opened the night’s festivities, fit well on the bill with a solid rhythm section and high-pitched vocalist whose voice complemented Nichols’ performance well.
With contributions to the rock lexicon like AC/DC, Jet, The Vines and The Living End, here’s to hoping the Aussies invade again some time soon and bring more of their guitar-toting, hard-rocking mates with them.
