Live Review: Everclear, Emperors, Smoking Martha

Opening acts dream of playing to crowds of this size, there are hundreds watching the dirty blues-rock of Smoking Martha. While they don't have the songs to warrant stardom – it's all a little early-'90s without the hooks – they have the performance aspect down pat. Lead vocalist Tasha D has a great bluesy scream, but it loses its power after a while. A little more light and shade would be nice.

Perth has a habit of producing bands who appear fully formed and ready for action, Emperors are a classic example. Their melodic rock is ready for any audience and while tonight's seems unresponsive, they are attentive and appreciative. Much like Smoking Martha, vocalist Adam Livingstone has a great voice for the band's plentiful anthemic moments, but it's overdone.

A backing tape featuring the sweet harmonies of the title track that opens 1997's So Much For The Afterglow LP builds, getting excitement levels to fever pitch and when Everclear frontman Art Alexakis launches into its first verse the room explodes, drunk on nostalgia. You Make Me Feel Like A Whore from 1995's Sparkle & Fade follows, the spirit remaining buoyed as the crowd sing every word and that energy clearly rubs off on the grinning Alexakis. It's much the same with Father Of Mine, the throng holler louder than the band can play – people still love these songs.

But it's during the one-two punch of Heroin Girl and Amphetamine that some shortcomings – mainly in Alexakis' voice – begin to be revealed; he gives 100% but his voice just doesn't come across as it did on record all those years ago. An acoustic interlude of Strawberry doesn't come across any better, but the crowd are so loud it barely matters. White Men In Black Suits is bland, but Wonderful is a hundred times worse. The song is reprehensible and the call for audience participation is slightly sickening. Things get better when Local God hits, but the wheels fall off when it takes a few attempts to get Everything To Everyone started. What's worse is when Alexakis starts bleating about his monitors.

The classic Santa Monica is so iconic it simply can't go badly. Alexakis' struggle to nail the tune is evident, but, again, the crowd get him through to end the set proper. Heartspark Dollarsign is nice to see first up in the encore before a mammoth guitar solo from Dave French into I Will Buy You A New Life ends what has been a fun trip down memory lane, if a rather unremarkably executed one. But, given the choice of a setlist packed full of classics performed in a subpar manner (like tonight) or a perfectly played set of brand new Everclear guff, tonight's show feels kinda good.