Live Review: Last Dinosaurs, The Jungle Giants, Twinsy

This gig was a demonstration of how much things can change in a short time on the Australian music scene – Last Dinosaurs have gone from being a well-liked indie band with a core cult following to an outfit with an enormous fanbase and a critically acclaimed debut album.

An indie pop band with electro-tropical sensibilities, Twinsy opened proceedings. They are an excitable, enthralling outfit – watching them play is ridiculously enjoyable. Despite their sound being somewhat different to Last Dinosaurs they certainly set the mood, as their sounds seemed to develop a sense of anticipation in the audience.

The Jungle Giants certainly put on a good show, despite the illness of their lead singer. With classic indie pop guitar lines blended over jungle-pop themes, this band are developing a potent sound. They're wild and excitable and their sweet choruses were sung as loudly by the audience as by the band.

Less than three weeks after their last Sydney show, Last Dinosaurs again took to the stage at the Metro Theatre facing a crowd that was virtually backed up from the front railing to the theatre's back wall. The energy of this set was incredible – the venue seemed crowded with Last Dinosaurs' biggest fans, all of whom seemed to know every lyric of every track from the band's debut self-titled album. Last Dinosaurs toe the line between carefully arranged, tightly rehearsed music and music full of teen angst and nascent passion, with tracks full of meditative, poetic lyrics and tracks full of huge vocals and rhythms that interfere with your heartbeat. In comparison to the band's last tour, Last Dinosaurs are filling some bigger venues and this particular show must surely be one of the band's biggest ever. And yet they seem to take it in their stride – their quiet onstage banter is as self-effacing as ever, in stark contrast with their fans' wild screams. Things sure have changed for Last Dinosaurs and their explosive talent is being recognised.