With early doors to avoid the rain, local Melbourne outfit Live @ Subs play to a crowd dripping and drabbing their way in to the Palace Theatre, glad to be warm and dry. The band play a short set of suitable waiting music and their energy onstage is perfect to set the mood for the evening ahead. Not long after does Mat McHugh (front man of The Beautiful Girls) take his usual spot left of centre stage. Tonight, his backing band is his trusty laptop and looping station and, after sporting it on his solo tour last year, he certainly knows how to use it.
Opening with new track ‘Strange Days’, from brand new LP Love Come Save Me, McHugh shows yet again how solid his stage presence is as a solo artist. Running through old favourites including “La Mar”, “Music”, the inevitable “Periscopes”, and one of the best renditions of “Black Bird” to date, he also plays us a beautiful medley of covers from U2, Bob Marley and Finley Quaye.
There are more than a few fans of McHugh already in the audience but after his performance he’s definitely garnered a new lot with one new convert exclaiming, “Those covers! 20 out of 10!” A known Sublime fan, McHugh also attaches a dedication to original member Bradley Nowell, the only poignant event of the night, with the genuine heart we’ve come to know and love from Mat. If you didn’t buy a copy of his new album at the merch desk (with a portion of the proceeds going to charity), it’s available for free download online.
The breaks in between each band are some of the most social this reviewer has experienced in a long while. If you came alone, you certainly don’t stay that way for long with everyone talking to everyone: “What’s your favourite album?”; “I wish Brad was here”, “Mate, don’t worry, he’s here.”; “Have you even listened to Rome yet?”
Idle chat turns to impatient, drunken calls for Eric (Wilson, bassist and only original member) and chants of “Sub-lime, Sub-lime” drown any further conversation. My plus one also takes note of the audience — now busily assembling between bands; sharp beards, dyed-green quiffs, waist-long dreads, baggy jeans with equally baggy hoodies and skate shoes adorn the sold out audience of all ages — and muses how refreshing a break it is from the skinny jean-clad ‘hipsters’ that are usually out and about.
Well, if the image fits with the band about to play… Tonight’s show at the Palace Theatre is merely a nostalgic trip (pun intended) back to the 90s for some and a long-overdue visit from their favourite ska rockers for others. Sublime with Rome appear on stage with a California drawling, “Alriiiiiight!” from front man, Rome Ramirez. The crowd erupts as they jump right in with “Smoke Two Joints” and the plumes of smoke that puff up from the mosh quickly become countless.
Their setlist is admirably split between Sublime and Sublime 2.0. Their new album was released last year and the songs they do play (“Lovers’ Rock”, “Panic”, “Take It or Leave It” among them) are well received (from those who’ve listened to it). The punters unsure of their new material slow down their manic dancing to simple head nodding until they roll out faithful performances of “Garden Grove”, “April 29, 1992”, “Doin’ Time” and “Bad Fish”.
So, how is Rome? He certainly sings well and hits all the right notes, albeit with a lack of conviction. No, it is not Sublime with a Bradley Nowell impersonator and right from the beginning of this reformation did Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh deny wanting it that way. Rome Ramirez is very comfortable on stage but appears hollow of any sort of charisma to keep hold of the audience.
His banter is sporadic and plain, “This is our first time in Australia, this is fucking incredible!” and “Thank you very much, this is a sold out fucking show!” is the extent of it. This is when the music becomes even more integral to the show. The band plays extremely well, very loose but rarely sloppy. Eric is fantastic on bass but barely blinks an eye toward the audience.
Even when the stage crasher is escorted off by security to an amused Rome, Eric simply looks bored. When it gets down to it, though, they play for over 90 minutes and the energy in the room is mind blowing. The dancing never stops, the music is loud, the lights very effective and the crowd often sings over Rome whose closing with “What I Got” wraps up the night on a high (pun so ridiculously intended again).
– Louie Hill
