Live Review: The Wombats

The moment a band realises they are allowed to play at Sydney's premier venue, they jump at the chance. Sometimes those bands are overawed by the occasion and sometimes they grab the opportunity by the horns and put on a memorable show. The Wombats were in the latter category.

As we heard the orchestral strains of Tales Of Girls, Boys & Marsupials, the very first track from the debut album of ten years ago, the three-piece from Liverpool entered wearing matching suits for the occasion. Lead singer and guitarist Matthew Murphy shouted, "You can stand if you want to!" Despite a tentative response, by the time the chorus of Kill The Director was played, the stalls of the Opera House were on their feet. Even dancier bands have struggled to get people to stand at the hallowed hall.

The Wombats evoke a sense of joy and fun in their music and you have to move, dance and bounce to really appreciate it. "Just pretend there aren't any seats," Murphy reinforced. Over three albums and ten years, the Liverpudlians have accumulated a swag of hits and they were all on display for the night. Jump Into The Fog got the crowd singing loudly. Phone torches (the modern-day lighter) were in full display during Little Miss Pipedream and, Your Body Is A Weapon was a huge highlight from the set.

Bassist Tord Knudsen was like a jack-rabbit all night, bouncing all over the stage. Murphy was a little more subdued and didn't chat much, other than to gush at the location and the occasion.  He encouraged the crowd to sing along during Backfire At The Disco because "...we don't know the words!" We sang along to all of the songs, including main set finisher and one of the best, Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves). 

After a short break we saw Murphy perform an acoustic version of Isabel solo on stage, before the finale of Greek Tragedy and the synonymous debut hit that started it all, Let's Dance To Joy Division. As six full-grown humans danced around in wombat suits on stage and confetti guns sprayed over the crowd, we wailed out the line, "So Happy!", and we truly were. A joyous event in one of the best concert halls in the world.