Since bursting on to the Australian music scene in 1991 with their debut EP, Snaketide, You Am I have proven time and time again that they have strong songs. Songs for every occasion, every feeling, every moment of your waking life.
They’re a band who started out with a handful of EPs before hitting us all square in the face with one of the greatest debut albums in Australian music history in the aptly titled Sound As Ever.
At the time the anticipation for a follow up was high. How could the band possibly do better? With a new drummer on board, Russell Hopkinson (ex-Nursery Crimes, ex-Cremator), their sound changed ever so slightly from the full pelt hard rock on their debut to a more 60s power-pop-inspired rock album, and the band’s second album, Hi Fi Way was born in 1995.
Once again, a flawless effort that was well received by their fans. The following year they followed it up with the mellower, yet still rockin’, Hourly Daily which, again, was a huge success with radio lapping it up.
Tracks from the latter two albums have been a staple of the band’s shows over the years and tonight You Am I were going to celebrate these two albums with a show titled Hi Fi Daily Double; both albums, played in full, with Hourly Daily first and Hi Fi Way to follow.
In what was the last show of their four night stint in Melbourne and you could feel the electricity in the air when they appeared on stage to open with the album’s title track before leaping into the smash hit, ‘Good Mornin’’ which sent the crowd into a dancing frenzy at the front of the stage.
For an album that is 17 years old, the band haven’t shown any signs of being ‘over it’ as they delivered each track, one after the other, with such enthusiasm and vigour like they had just written these songs last week and were showcasing them to the world for the first time. The energy levels of guitarist and frontman, Tim Rogers showed us all that tonight was not a quiet night in.
These guys meant business and Rogers was in good spirits with witty banter and his signature windmills as he attacked the strings on his guitars. Hourly Daily sounded just perfect and was a great way to start off the show.
After a 30 minute break, the band were back for the second half of the show and rocked like motherfuckers, belting out song after song of melodic rock packed with harmonies and some kickass guitar riffs. Again, the singles got the people moving with groover ‘Cathy’s Clown’ and the sweet ballad ‘Purple Sneakers’,a song that had the crowd screaming out the chorus at the top of their lungs in unison.
By the end of the second set, the band looked just as exhausted as the crowd did but it wasn’t going to end there. The band came back and delivered an encore that blew the roof off the Forum as they bashed out tunes from their groundbreaking debut.
‘Coprolalia’, ‘Adam’s Ribs’, and their always rockin’ ‘Berlin Chair’ sent the crowd into a frenzy, thus signalling to the band that a ‘Sound As Ever played in its entirety’ show is something that the fans are hungry for. Will it happen? We can only pray that it does.
You Am I are an Australian institution of rock ‘n’ roll. Their live show is always a treat and this album double was a great night of some of the finest tunes one will ever hear and the inclusion of the encore just goes to show that there is a lot of steam left in this rockin’ machine. Well played, guys!
