The Living End has finally arrived home for the last run of shows of their incredible Retrospective Tour. Having toured just about every capital city and played countless shows, their hometown fans are treated to night one of an unimaginable 11 shows, kicking off with their immensely successful self-titled debut record.
This evening is the first show of fiver where they will be playing the 1998 debut and the crowd is a fantastic mix of older and newer fans.
Kicking off proceedings were long time Aussie pub rockers The Meanies. Perhaps it was fitting that an old school local band, that paved the way for bands like The Living End, opened things up. However the rough-around-the-edges raucous rock n roll didn’t seem to rev up the crowd as might have been expected.
As the countdown (literally) began toward the main event, two screens to the left and right of stage played news items from 1997 and footage from the band’s From Here On In DVD: 1997-2004.
Curtains part, the opening riff to the familiar ‘Prisoner Of Society’ explodes from the stage and a near riot ensues.
This is what the original Living End fans have been waiting for. The loud crunching guitars of Chris Cheney, the thudding double bass of Scott Owen, and the stomping drums of Andy Strachan are truly at home at the Corner.
As expected the early singles from the debut, ‘Prisoner Of Society’, ‘Second Solution’, and ‘West End Riot’ leave most of the crowd’s voices shot already as Cheney struggles to be heard over the shouting.
With a set like this, that merely follows an album’s track list, the surprises don’t come with what comes next but how much more energy the band brings to each track live. For fans familiar with the Melbourne trio this has always been the mantra.
Whilst the popular tunes brought the biggest reactions from the crowd, the main highlights were the tracks that haven’t been played since the debut was released. ‘Trapped’ featuring the Area 7 horn section, and the blistering ‘Have They Forgotten’ brought some serious feelings of nostalgia and several steps closer to having no voice left at all.
Final track ‘Closing In’, which Cheney wrote as a final composition whilst studying at Box Hill Tafe, truly showcased why he is one of Australia’s greatest live guitarists.
The whole set was simply confirmation that The Living End will never leave you disappointed and will always be one the best live acts this country has ever seen.
Whilst there is an eerie feeling that this tour might be their last, one can only hope that the end is just the beginning repeating.
