Review: Everclear supported by Chasing Ghosts and The Mercy Kills at The Croxton, Melbourne, February 6th, 2020.
Ask any fan of Everclear and they’ll agree that the band’s music is truly something special. Maybe it’s due to the harrowing life experiences that frontman Art Alexakis manages to craft into catchy singalongs, or maybe it’s the pure intensity that the band puts into each and every performance?
Whatever the case, we know that any time Everclear hits the stage, it’ll be a show to remember.
Back in October, the group announced that they would be heading back to Australia in 2020, serving as one of the international headliners for the Hotter Than Hell festival. Soon after, a run of headline dates were announced, with Alexakis noting that “even though the distance is so far from where we live, every time we come back to Australia it feels like we’re coming home.”
On Thursday night, it seems as the the line that separates fan from artist became completely blurred as Everclear took to the stage to deliver one of the most intimate and explosive shows they’ve ever played on Australian shores.
Check out Everclear’s classic single ‘So Much For The Afterglow’:
As the crowd slowly filled into The Croxton for the evening’s entertainment, they weren’t left waiting too long at all, with Melbourne rockers The Mercy Kills quickly taking to the stage for a blistering set of pure punk energy.
Having received praise from the likes of Courtney Love and The Runaways’ manager Kim Fowley, the group’s reputation clearly preceded them, but it took them no time to prove to everyone they’ve got the goods to back it up.
Love Classic Rock?
Get the latest Classic Rock news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Completely looking the part, the group kicked things off with ‘Got You On My Radar’, dishing out sharp, catchy hooks and singalong choruses, and both looking and sounding exactly what you might expect an awesome punk band to sound like.
Throwing in tracks like ‘Don’t Give It Up’ and latest single ‘Blackout’, frontman Mark E felt like the epitome of a rockstar with his charismatic nature and slick movements, undoubtedly turning any of the apprehensive onlookers into diehard fans by the end of their set.
Capping things off with ‘Waiting On You’, it was clear that we’d all just witnessed the very welcome return of The Mercy Kills this evening, who proved to absolutely everyone in attendance that they don’t just do rock and roll well, they do it right.
Check out ‘Blackout’ by The Mercy Kills:
While the Thornbury venue slowly filled up, it was time for the evening to continue, with another hometown band soon taking to the stage. As the eager audience watched all the activity before them, a long figure soon emerged, with Chasing Ghosts frontman Jimmy Kyle kicking off the band’s set with a brief solo appearance.
Jumping into the passionate ‘Give Up! Hands Up!’, Kyle’s vocals spoke directly to the hears of everyone before the rest of the band joined in to turn the set into a magical affair.
With raw intensity and exceptional musicianship, the group powered through a masterful set, showcasing a sound that was so uniquely their own, but displayed elements of icons like The Nation Blue, Against Me!, and The Gaslight Anthem.
As Kyle chatted to the audience between songs, you could very easily have forgotten he was there with the intention of playing music, as his casual and friendly demeanour drew you in before he belted out another stunning track.
Popping in tunes like ‘An Anthem For Bastards, Liars & Cheats’ and ‘Death’, their upbeat nature was completely underpinned by their raw, visceral lyrics which spoke of experiences that left you torn between belting out the chorus with enthusiasm or pure catharsis.
Regardless, their all-too short set left many fans pining for much more than there was time for, and leaving Chasing Ghosts to head backstage satisfied they had performed a simply stunning set.
Check out ‘Death’ by Melbourne’s Chasing Ghosts:
As Chasing Ghosts left the stage, it was clear that it had become time for the main event, with singalongs to alt-rock classics over the P.A., and discussions of where fans were when they first heard ‘Santa Monica’ clearly indicating that Everclear were on their way.
Appearing before us to riotous applause, the US four-piece quickly made their way onto the stage, with Art Alexakis – looking effortlessly cool with his black hat and iconic tatts – undoubtedly attracting the biggest cheer.
Without a single word said, it was obvious that the night was about to truly get underway as the iconic opening to ‘So Much For The Afterglow’ ringing out across the crowd. As those introductory tones brought us back to the ’90s, Alexakis and his bandmates jumped right in, delivering a performance that could’ve easily raised the dead.
Following it up with ‘Everything To Everyone’, Alexakis took the time to address the crowd, forgoing any sort of formalities, and treating us as if we’re old friends he’d been waiting to see. Indeed, this friendship shone through the entire night, with the frontman treating us less like we had arrived to see him play, and more as though he’d invited us here for a performance.
However, there was no time to get sentimental, with classic hits like ‘Heroin Girl’ and ‘Heartspark Dollarsign’ spilling forth, before Alexakis eschewed his traditional speech about poor father figures to jump right into the cathartic ‘Father Of Mine’.
Though each and every song was a bonafide classic, it was truly the band’s time to shine now, with the delivery of deep cuts such as ‘Normal Like You’, ‘The Twistinside’, and ‘Amphetamine’ giving fans the chance to sing along to underrated tracks that never quite get the love they so deserve.
Check out Everclear’s ‘Wonderful’:
After preceding a performance of ‘Wonderful’ with the hopes that the children of parents in the audience would never have to sing those lyrics, Alexakis took things down a notch with a brief acoustic portion which gave rise to a memorable rendition of ‘Strawberry’.
With the full band back in tow though, the main set was closed out with a massive one-two-three hit of belters such as ‘AM Radio’, ‘Local God’, and the unifying ‘I Will Buy You A New Life’.
Thankfully, the world’s shortest encore barely gave us time to catch our breath, before Everclear returned to dish out ‘Summerland’, and a rendition of The Vaselines’ ‘Molly’s Lips’. By this point though, it was obvious that the night had come to an end far too quickly, with a powerful singalong-heavy version of ‘Santa Monica’ sending us all out into the night.
As the hordes of dedicates fans slowly filed out of the sweaty venue, it gave us all time to think about what we had all just witnessed. This wasn’t just a show which saw a band whose peak success occurred in the ’90s coming out and going trough the motions of a greatest hits set. No, what we saw was the perfect culmination of mutual respect between fan and artist.
At all points throughout the set, it was impossible to find an audience member not looking up a Alexakis without a gaze of admiration, and at all times, this level of respect and admiration was reciprocated by the entire band. If anything, this made the entire set feel less like a traditional concert and more like the experience of old friends coming together to share in the music that made them the people they are today.
Truly, Everclear provide their fans with the very essence of what a concert should be, and nowhere else will you find a gig quite like it.
Check out Everclear’s classic single ‘Santa Monica’:
Everclear @ The Croxton, Melbourne 6/02/20 Setlist
‘So Much For The Afterglow’
‘Everything To Everyone’
‘Heroin Girl’
‘Heartspark Dollarsign’
‘Father Of Mine’
‘Normal Like You’
‘Fire Maple Song’
‘The Twistinside’
‘Amphetamine’
‘Wonderful’
‘Song From An American Movie, Part 1’ (Acoustic)
‘Strawberry’ (Acoustic)
‘AM Radio’
‘Local God’
‘I Will Buy You A New Life’
Encore:
‘Summerland’
‘Molly’s Lips’ (The Vaselines cover)
‘Santa Monica’
Everclear Australian Tour 2020
Remaining Dates
Friday, February 7th, 2020
Pier Bandroom, Frankston, VIC
Tickets: Oztix
Sunday, February 9th, 2020
The Basement, Canberra, ACT
Tickets: Oztix
Wednesday, February 12th, 2020
The Helm, Mooloolaba, QLD
Tickets: Oztix
Thursday, February 13th, 2020
Parkwood Tavern, Gold Coast, QLD
Tickets: Oztix
Friday, February 14th, 2020
Racehorse Hotel, Ipswich, QLD
Tickets: Oztix
Thursday, February 20th, 2020
Freo Social, Fremantle, WA
Tickets: Moshtix
Friday, February 21st, 2020
Carine Glades Tavern, Duncraig, WA
Tickets: Oztix
Also appearing on the Hotter Than Hell Tour
Saturday, February 8th, 2020
York On Lilydale, Mt Evelyn, VIC
Saturday, February 15th, 2020
Kirwan Tavern, Townsville, QLD
Saturday, February 22nd, 2020
Dunsborough Tavern, Dunsborough, WA
