Project Description
PENNYWISE
“Straight Ahead”
20th Anniversary Tour
Thebarton Theatre
14/2/20
(Live Review)
Reviewer: Caine RexEverything
Photos (Melbourne) – Darren Chan
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I’m not knowledgable in the logistics of event management; the work involved in last-minute venue changes when the original location suddenly closes down. This is what happened with HQ Complex. The institution of the Adelaide nightclub scene went into administration late last year. All future events had to be moved – including Pennywise’s ‘Straight Ahead: 20th Anniversary’ concert with friends Strung Out and No Fun At All.
It must’ve been annoying to relocate, but it was fortuitous for the audience. HQ was terrible for live bands. The acoustics were rubbish and the floor space offered no room for moshing. Two of the biggest buzz kills at a punk gig. Thankfully this 20th Anniversary celebration of god-tier album ‘Straight Ahead’ was instead staged at Thebarton Theatre, a venue perfectly suited for their acclaimed brand of crunching punk rock and an ideal location for devoted fans to spend Valentines Day evening toasting a bonafide classic album of the modern punk genre.
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LA Punk royalty Pennywise have amassed a stellar legacy through thirty years of relentless touring and recording. Thanks to a massive discography loaded with quintessential punk anthems, they’ve galvanised their place as one of the greatest punk bands of all time. They’ve long had a huge following in Australia and this was evident by the crowd who packed out the Thebby. A mixture of old and young punks, all fit to bursting with excitement and coming together to experience a frenetic, high energy show.
Strung Out and No Fun At All initially stole the limelight with their support sets, and at times I wondered if the crowd would wear themselves out before the main act. I ventured into the thick of it twice during both bands and the buzz was infectious. Punk crowds may be physical, but they’re always communal. While Strung Out played ‘Too Close To See’ I put my arm over the shoulder of a total stranger, who slapped my chest and sang along with me. It was similar with No Fun At All; I joined the mosh for ‘In A Moment’ and was quickly jumped on by some sweaty bloke who couldn’t contain his joy. Random shit like that is what makes mosh pits so entertaining.
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Unsurprisingly, the electricity of the vibrant crowd crackled and exploded when Pennywise appeared. They launched into ‘Straight Ahead’ with the same intensity and passion they had back in 1999. The guys hadn’t lost their edge. Byron McMackin showed he remains one of modern punks best skin men and Fletcher Dragge is the guitarist aspiring punks should learn their craft from. This was a band of consummate professionals presenting an impeccable argument for their acclaimed fifth album being rated as one of the very best of the 90’s. Honestly, it was glorious. Seeing it played live in its entirety really rammed home how fucking great it still is. It could’ve been released last year and be as much a classic as it has been for two decades.
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From the first bars of opener ‘Greed’, through ‘My Own Country’ and ‘Can’t Believe It’, it was immediately apparent this was shaping up to be an epic event. One guy next to me halfway back from the stage screamed every word to the first three tracks, tears in his eyes. I had to move elsewhere, because his voice was bloody awful, but that was the sort of reaction Pennywise provoked from this gathering of (slightly) aged skaters, surfers, stoners, parents, trade workers and former punk kids reliving their youths for one night only. Another guy ripped his shirt off midway through ‘My Own Way’ and let his expanding stomach ripple in rapture at the dense throb of Randy Bradbury’s bottomed-out basslines. That was a sight to behold, believe me.
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Album centrepiece ‘Alien’ struck a chord with a large group of fans near me, who chanted along with Jim Lindberg word for word and broke into a mini mosh of their own during the hooks. Personal favourite ‘Watch Me As I Fall’ compelled me to attempt the main mosh pit once more, copping a few elbows in the ribs as reward for my dedication to a song I used to regularly play while doing shots before going out with friends on Saturday nights. Ah, good memories.
It could be debated that memories are what made this show so immense for most members of the audience. These songs are eternally affixed to long gone moments of their youths; of good and bad times and an era before the responsibilities of adulthood became priority. Lindberg’s urgent vocals deeply resonates through days when these people were cantankerous, carefree and full of unknown possibility. It would explain why songs like ‘Can’t Take Anymore’ and album closer ‘Badge Of Pride’ drove everyone so wild. It was taking them all back to when they were young.
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If hearing ‘Straight Ahead’ in full from start to finish wasn’t enough, Pennywise sent the crowd into absolute scenes with a final stanza of songs from their glory days. ‘Fuck Authority’, ‘Society’, ‘Same Old Story’ and ‘Bro Hymn’ were all fucking incredible. The entire audience went into overdrive. I risked the pit one last time during their awesome cover of ‘Land Down Under’ and got roped into singing with a group of burly dudes who, like me, couldn’t help but be swept up in the patriotic pride forever associated with the song.
What a way to celebrate a classic album of the 90’s and possibly LA’s greatest ever punk act. Easily the loudest and most fun gig I’ve seen in the past year, and it was great to see such a large and active Adelaide audience. It’s impossible not to be active for Pennywise. Their music on record gets under your skin and urges you to jump around. In a live setting, you’ve no chance of resisting. Speaking to people afterwards, it was unanimous that the Pennywise of 2020 is not only as vital as they were twenty years ago, but on stage they’re even better. This was the best Valentines Day ever. I even got a kiss on the cheek from some dude – although as much as I appreciated the sentiment, he probably could wrung the sweat out of his beard first.
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Check out Stuart Bucknell’s gallery of the Sydney show HERE
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Check out Darren Chan’s gallery of the Melbourne show HERE
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Check out PENNYWISE below
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