REVIEW: The Chats @ The Forum, Melbourne, September 16th, 2022
Urban Dictionary describes ‘Chat’ as ‘anything disgusting’ or ‘something that’s shit’. Now, I’m by no means describing Brisbane shed rock band The Chats that way, but the trio do have an impeccable knack for releasing the immature teenage punk hiding in each member of their audience.
The Chats have developed an iconic style in Aussie music that can only be described as drinking VB longnecks with your mates and puffing on your Dad’s Winfield Blues (which you stole from his sock drawer).
The band are determined to live up to their name with their Get Fucked Australian Tour.
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Angst was raging when opening act Mean Jeans ravaged the stage. While some held the footy on their phone high for people to watch, others were egging on drummer Jeans Wilder to skull his beer.
“Let’s take a second to chug a beer and think about how excited we are for The Chats,” says Wilder. With a quick shoey to hype up the more stiff audience members, it was on.
Check out ‘6L GTR’
The stage was rightfully bare, being entirely occupied by instruments and amps. That is, aside from ‘GET FUCKED’ in capital letters behind them. For a band like The Chats, less is more.
From the very first moments, there was no slowing down. Vocalist and bassist Eamon Sandwith ripped up the stage, and was flawlessly supported by drummer Matt Boggis and guitarist Josh Hardy.
Every number was loud and proud and perfectly encapsulates the imagery of three boys rocking out in the family garage.
Check Out ‘Mum Stole My Darts’
Understandably, the band’s brash reputation can result in a lack of dynamics for the show, but this can be easily defended as a necessary stylistic choice.
The trio continued without hesitancy through the tracks from their latest album of the same name ‘Get Fucked’ and their classics that made them so popular in punk rock.
Check Out ‘Smoko’
“Shoutout to the partners of Chat fans,” jokes Sandwith, acknowledging their style that you either love or hate.
But the lovers were out tonight, with crowd surfers in every direction and drinks being thrown (in a safe and adoring way) across the room.
Check out ‘Pub Feed’
The penultimate track ‘Pub Feed’ was one even the most novice of Chat listeners would know. Sandwith worked with the audience as they yelled the lyrics of the iconic track back at him.
Sandwith has a chaotic energy that resonated perfectly with the crowd. But there would have been no consequence to have seen some more action and audience interaction from Boggis and Hardy. If even, just for the sake of variety.
In a surprise twist, the final number was a cover of KISS’ hit ‘Rock N’ Roll All Nite’. But it did seem a natural way to wrap up the evening as it did sum up everything The Chats are about: Rocking as loud as possible, for as long as possible.
The Get Fucked Australian Tour moves onto Brisbane on Saturday 17th, but Melbournians can catch The Chats again when they open for Guns N’ Roses in December.
Get Fucked Australian Tour
Remaining Dates
Saturday, September 17th
Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, QLD
Friday, September 23rd
Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide, SA
Saturday, September 24th
Metropolis Fremantle, Fremantle, WA
