Live Review: Sleep, The Hard-Ons

“We’re the George Clooney of punk – we get better as we get older.” Punchbowl veterans The Hard-Ons were punctual, seemingly kicking off ahead of schedule and thus catching a few punters unaware.

Despite being greeted by indifference in certain quarters, a metallic-edged, hardcore-tinged abrasiveness and likeable enthusiasm contained the potential to win over some of the uninitiated and did just that. Founding drummer/vocalist Keish De Silva also appeared, to continue their 30th anniversary celebrations.

Although returning to the Manning Bar after little more than a year’s absence, evidently Sleep’s reverence among stoner/doom (would that be stoom, perhaps?) metal devotees hadn’t disappeared amid a haze of weed smoke. Quite the opposite actually; the crowd packed in tighter than a duck’s arse for another serving of the Californians’ hits from the bong. The only thing heftier than perennially shirtless axeman Matt Pike’s girth and thicker than the odour of a certain substance wafting across the venue floor was the countless classic Iommian riffs he peeled off, many of which fans haven’t been able to shift from their cerebral cortex for a couple of decades. Single, The Clarity, the first new material in eons for the reconvened mob slotted effortlessly alongside monumental excerpts from the epic, Dopesmoker, as well as Holy Mountain and Dragonaut, emphasised by a crushingly heavy mix and minimal chatter. Essentially, their weighty half-paced groove redefined the term “power trio”.

Consensus among those who had also attended their previous Sydney show was Sleep were in even more proficient form this time around, reveling in the past while also nodding slightly towards the future. Whether we witness a return trip with a new record in tow in the near future remains to be seen, but once again, this 90-minute display was indisputable evidence that the power of the riff compels thee. All hail.