Live Review: Say Anything, The Getaway Plan, The Main Attraction

18 July 2012 | 10:04 am | Daniel Cribb

More Say Anything More Say Anything

Say Anything's first headline tour of Australia was greeted in Perth by a line of fans that tailed the alleyway of Amplifier all the way to the street. Once inside, punters were treated to some female-fronted pop-punk from Perth's own The Main Attraction. While their stage presence was a little awkward, it was balanced out by the maturity of their music. Taking into account how young they are, it wouldn't be surprising to see them headline a bill of this capacity one day.

It was interesting to see The Getaway Plan play the role of a support band for a tour like this, considering they can usually pack out venues of this ilk – and bigger – on their own. What was more surprising was the fact they came out and set up all their own gear, a simple task that made them more accessible and down-to-earth to fans. Their performance, while short at six songs, was tight, but failed to ignite the crowd's enthusiasm – a problem that was quickly medicated by the headliners.

Say Anything's tour was dubbed Say Anarchy, and from the moment they stepped onstage, anarchy is exactly what was delivered with their brand of chaotic pop injected with punk. Frontman Max Bemis wasted no time in getting punters involved, leaning into the crowd and inciting a clap along for Burn A Miracle two songs into the set. During songs Bemis' voice cut from gritty yells to clean pop, and not once struggled to break through or hold its place above the band's three screeching guitars. When songs off their debut …Is A Real Boy surfaced, an album of which only Bemis and drummer Jacob Linder feature, it was clear the core of the group lies within its two original members. The Australian accent received praise from the frontman who, by this stage, beard dripping with sweat and dressed in a top that looked of the '80s, was a spitting image of Ron 'Milk Was A Bad Choice' Burgundy, with the band leaving the crowd satisfied thanks to cracking renditions of Admit It and Admit It Again.