Live Review: The Districts, Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders

Remember at high school, when you and a couple of mates formed a band and dreamed about touring the world — and being a gang forever. The Districts are kind of like that. They're playing in styles picked up from the rock radio stations that serviced their little hometown of Lititz, Pennsylvania: Big Star, Tom Petty, Kings Of Leon (well, from when they were good...).

Their almost hobbit-like appearance and youthful throw-yourself-about-the-stage red cordial energy contrasted with the studied awkward cool of Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders. Come On Back This Way is the opener, its neon buzz and taxis ignoring you at closing time of their native habitat as much as the headliners are a product of theirs. Even without the guitar and hairstyle chaos the tonight-absent Kirin Callinan usually adds, Reputation Amputation still lunged at you, misunderstood and frustrated. But Ladder's lounge lizard croon of To Keep And To Be Kept has some romantic hope in its plea.

Districts singer-guitarist Rob Grote still has the wide-eyed enthusiasm of a kid singing into a hairbrush in his bedroom, although that's now a real Rickenbacker he's flinging about rather than the tennis racquet it was for many. Rocking Chair comes second song in and he's genuinely surprised many know the words. "Thanks y'all for coming. Really. It's awesome," he repeats, and you believe him. Long Distance stretches out, Grote clambering over the speaker boxes. They can get a bit samey at times, a song-ending jam might go on that bit too long. But Funeral Beds is their best. Mournful harmonica gives way to each verse building on the one before, Braden Lawrence's drums rattling up to locomotive pace. They put in, the sweat is honest. They're loving being in this band. You can't begrudge that.