Live Review: Cold War Kids, Cabins

The night was off to a great start as diehard fans of Cold War Kids showed up early - early birds were fortunate enough to avoid lining up in the cold and secured good spots inside, but those who made the sacrifice of showing up later ended up stuck in a queue for a little bit and with viewing limitations.

Age or gender wasn't a barrier when it came to the indie rock band's fans here in Perth. From hipsters, to older men in Hawaiian shirts, to women decked in hats and girls in their highest heels, everyone was ready to have a good time. By 8.30pm, opening act Cabins had almost a full room to play to, and proved to be an energetic introduction to what was to come later on that night. The Sydney outfit provided a good mix of slow and fast rock songs, including a Kinks cover of Never Met A Girl Like You Before, that was driven by the lead singer's growling voice.

Then came the highlight of the night for all concertgoers there, as Cold War Kids took to the stage, all casually dressed and ready to go. This was the last show in Australia for the band, and what better way to end the tour than a sold out show in our fair city. The Californian-based band kick started the night with a track from their second album, Mexican Dogs, which was an instant favourite of the crowd.

Perth fans proved themselves to be respectful and orderly, as the fairly tame crowd gave a warm welcome to their favorite artist, and it seemed that the band was reciprocating and playing more for their long-time fans, rather than promoting their new record. Miracle Mile and Loner Phase were the only two songs off their Dear Miss Lonelyhearts album, while they delved deep into their archives for other classics, including Passing the Hat, Audience, We Used to Vacation, and Hospital Beds smoothly transitioning into Something Is Not Right With Me.

Of course, the night wouldn't have been complete without one of their first singles Hang Me Up To Dry, where the band was accompanied word for word by the entire crowd. This also led to lead singer Nathan Willett conducting the crowd, encouraging the fans to sing in unison.There was minimum interaction between the band and the crowd, but when a punter decided to get Willett's attention, the lead singer made a sarcastic remark saying the person is either too drunk or his Australian is accent is too thick to understand. Willett, bassist Matt Maust and guitarist Dann Gallucci all made the most of the space constraint onstage, moving about constantly, meeting occasionally to feed off each other's energy, but yet surprisingly never bumping into each other. Drummer Matt Aviero never missed a beat, while touring band member Matthew Schwartz added onto the four-piece band's showmanship by engaging the crowd, singing backup vocals and filling in with several other instruments.

The 75-minute set ended with another oldie Saint John, which was also a sing-along for the locals. The night certainly finished on a high for all, with contented faces all around, and definitely proving that their live performances definitely triumphs over their recorded albums.