Cheap TrickThe straightforward blues rock of Dallas Crane - a hard working band who've "travelled all the way from Melbourne, Australia to be here tonight" - is a sensible choice to break in our eardrums for the tidal wave of guitars to come. Lead singer and absolute mountain of a man, Dave Larkin, sings with a heavy dose of AC/DC's Brian Johnson, but for this type of music, it's not like anyone's gonna complain about it.
A guitar strap malfunction towards the end of the set slows things to an awkward halt while roadies search for gaffer tape in a panicked frenzy. With the clock ticking and stage banter running dry, Larkin opts to just play the last song with his enormous Gibson balancing on the weight of his arm and knee. Rock'n'roll!
The lights dim and a robotic female voice coldly announces, "And now, Cheap Trick, the best fucking band in the world." That might be a bit much, but with the amount of power-pop classics they've written, they've certainly earned some bragging rights. Opening in traditional Cheap Trick style with Hello There and getting straight into Budokan era songs like Big Eyes, it's clear straight away that time has been more than kind to the abilities of these old rockers.
Robin Zander, looking like a ghost from Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, can still fiercely wail away at these tunes in their already-difficult original keys without too much straining. And lead guitarist Rick Nielsen? Where to even begin. His trademark, pantomime goofiness has all the makings of a one man show. He zips around his flaming fretboard, which reads "GONNA RAISE HELL”, with incredible control and confidence while keeping the audience laughing all night long. He's your cheeky granddad at Christmas dinner but with a sold out crowd, and he's still loving every minute of it.
The only low note (no pun intended) comes when bassist Tom Petersson takes the reins for an extended jam that segues into a cover of The Velvet Underground's Heroin and I'm Waitin For The Man. Petersson's Lenny-from-The Simpsons vocal style channelling the ghost of Lou Reed leads many patrons to have a tactical sit down until Zander returns for Dream Police.
After working through most of their chart-topping hits and a cover of The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour, the band end the night with a one-two punch of practically everyone's favourite Cheap Trick songs. I Want You To Want Me and Surrender, two of the only songs in the power-pop genre that could give Big Star a run for their non-existent money. Nielsen begins flinging Kiss records into the crowd during Surrender, a lyrically bizarre song that famously mentions the group.
It's no wonder that crusty old Steve Albini worships these guys, they've always rocked hard while never taking themselves too seriously. And in a time where social media and political grandstanding is inflating the ego of some musicians to Billy Corgan status, we could all learn a thing or two from Cheap Trick.
