They've been around the block a few times. Seven albums, 20-odd singles, ten consecutive years in triple j's Hottest 100 over a 24-year career span and still, ahem, rolling on. The Living End are a group who have witnessed the rise and fall of grunge, bad '90s hip hop, nu-metal and shoegaze electronica over three decades and weathered it all with their distinctively honest Aussie punk rock.

Choosing the Lansdowne Hotel to launch their brand new (as yet unheard) single, a sold-out crowd jumped at the opportunity to see them on such a small stage. They've given us so much, so why did their return to the stage feel like such a let-down?

With barely a practice strum, they dove right into classics What's On Your Radio? and Roll On before Chris Cheney took the mic and declared; "We're not here to play the old shit. Here's what we've been up to." This led into their new single and reason for the gig, Don't Lose It. It's a straight-ahead rock song, lacking the raw-punk speed of their older stuff.

The chops are still there. Cheney absolutely shreds on the guitar, whether it be on his signature Gretsch in From Here On In or covering a Beatles classic, Help!, his prowess puts him in the upper echelons of players in this country. Other new tracks Proton Pill - a pacey, staccato-rhythmed number before which bassist Scott Owen asks, "How does it start again?" - and Wake Up The Vampires, gave us a taste of what's to come from an album recorded over six weeks in Berlin.

Ultimately, the crowd popped for Long Live The Weekend and Second Solution before Cheney farewelled the crowd with Monkey - although we didn't know it was really the end until the drum technicians started disassembling the kit and bemused punters looked at each other and shrugged in disappointment. The 13-song set lasted just 50 minutes and for a crowd that paid $60 a ticket, there were more than a few perturbed fans upset with their value for money.

A meet and greet with the band satiated the loiterers however and most went home happy to have experienced the group in a small pub setting. The experience does raise question marks over 'showcase' gigs though and whether or not they offer the best experience for the hardcore fans that seek out tickets.