With their impressive new album Hungry Ghost up their sleeve and a sold-out venue to match, Violent Soho’s awaited return to Adelaide was met with eager anticipation. Unfortunately however, this was not a night devoid of complications.
First up were Adelaide locals Horror My Friend, whose punchy noise/indie rock blend attracted a decent sized crowd. Whilst their September show with SURES and Go Violets fell short of expectations, this time around the boys delivered an energetic and propulsive set, which included Triple J hits “Urgency” and “Birds”. Props to drummer Al Christophel whose swift, vicious drumming style gave their set a seriously compelling edge.
Next up were the rather intoxicated but unquestionably amusing Straight Arrows. These Sydney boys quickly launched into a wild mix of sludgy Ramones-inspired numbers and 60s psych-pop tunes accompanied by frontman Owen Penglis’ radiating, puppy-like enthusiasm.
Whilst their lack of sonic diversity and emphasis on volume rather than melodic qualities were a bit of a deterrent, their vivacity prevailed, enabling them to put on an enjoyable show.
After a 30 minute break, it was just about Violent Soho’s turn to engage the crowd when some unfortunate news was announced: lead singer Luke Boerdam had completely lost his voice.
Perhaps in an uptight, less inebriated environment, this devastating news would have infuriated punters, leading to a deliberately trashed venue and a ruined night. But with the sound of Silverchair’s “Tomorrow” followed by Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing In The Name” blaring from the PA, the crowd was regaled and coerced into a state of ecstasy, suggesting that Boerdam’s ailment was only going to be a minor issue.
Beginning with Hungry Ghost opener “Dope Calypso”, Violent Soho swiftly established that this was going to be a raucous and dynamic performance of epic proportions in spite of any complications. The crowd showed no hesitation in matching the band’s onstage intensity, head banging in time to the beat and straining their vocal chords, attempting to imitate Boerdam’s iconic nasally growl.
Following on from this was another Hungry Ghost number “Lowbrow” and “Son Of Sam” off their eponymous release, both of which maintained the severe intensity level set by “Dope Calypso”. Whilst both tracks delivered in terms of energy, the faults in Boerdam’s vocals began to seep through, but by that point the crowd was too interested in creating circle pits and throwing beers to notice or care.
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Besides from guitarist James Tidswell’s amusing comments about the quality of Adelaide’s marijuana, the stage banter was kept to a minimum (most likely due to Boerdam’s condition) as the boys propelled quickly through their gritty rock set.
Punchy non-album single “Neighbour Neighbour” garnered an enthusiastic response similar to that of “Dope Calypso” whilst Hungry Ghost tracks “Saramona Said”, “OK Cathedral”, and “In The Aisle” were delivered with aplomb, retaining their atmospheric yet rocky qualities. This mid-set triumvirate translated incredibly well into a live setting and demonstrated the quartet’s evolution into a loud yet incredibly tight live act.
Naturally, their biggest hits “Muscle Junkie”, “Jesus Stole My Girlfriend” and “Covered In Chrome” appeared late in their set, imbuing the ruined audience with life once again.
For the gritty, Nirvana-inspired “Muscle Junkie”, Tidswell invited a few crowd members on to the stage to assist in singing the lead vocals. Whilst this experiment produced pretty poor results, the crowd found delight in singing in unison to the almighty “fuck you, fuck you, I hate your face” at the top of their lungs.
Additionally, “Jesus Stole My Girlfriend” and “Covered In Chrome” launched the weary, beer-and-sweat-drenched crowd into an elated frenzy leading to savage circle pits and a profusion of crowd surfers.
After roughly an hour-long set, the boys wrapped up their concise yet consistently strong performance with the riotous “Tinderbox”.
Faced with the tough challenge of performing with a vocal-ridden vocalist, Violent Soho defied everybody’s expectations and delivered an exuberant, chaotic, and memorable set, made all the more enjoyable by their admirable resilience.
Setlist
Dope Calypso
Lowbrow
Son Of Sam
Neighbour Neighbour
Saramona Said
OK Cathedral
In The Aisle
Muscle Junkie – vocal
Love Is A Heavy Word
Jesus Stole My Girlfriend
Covered In Chrome
Tinderbox
