Live Review: Faster Pussycat, The Art

When Sydney band The Art (previously The Follow) hit the stage, we can't believe how much frontman Azaria Byrne (who you may remember as a contestant on Popstars) borrows his current look from a teenaged Daniel Johns with his shaggy blonde hair (although Johns didn’t get into the black leather pants until later and Byrne's look more like meggings). Byrne wields a theatrical, glittery silver axe, bassist/vocalist Kara Jayne embodies rock'n'roll spirit, and when the pair alternate vocal parts on Dead Inside it's a set highlight. This band is slick. The Art mainly deliver offerings from their latest album, All In The Mind. But one song, A Figment Of Your Imagination, has a sinister feel akin to Dukes Of Windsor's The Others - it's a beast of a track that culminates in a drum solo of sorts by Jordan McDonald. They've been touring the US and Europe with Faster Pussycat and The Art are certainly ready to take it to the next level. 

Our next-door neighbour in the crowd explains he left his wife and kids at home to attend this Faster Pussycat show solo and so we make sure he's got plenty of elbow room for air-drumming. Band leader Taime Downe hits the stage as if via time machine from Hollywood's Sunset Strip in the '80s wearing a triple black-leather ensemble - lace-up pants, vest (decorated with patches, one of which simply reads, "Asshole") and biker hat - completed with black T-shirt and accessorised with black bandanna tied around right knee. "It’s all about the Pussy, muthafuckers!” he roars. Drummer Chad Stewart sports a T-shirt that reads, “Straight Outta  Hollywood,” and we feel as if we could actually be at the Whisky A Go Go.

The band are 'on' from the first note of their opening number, Where There's A Whip There's A Way; their particular brand of rock'n'roll is sexual and we're all for it. All present are immediately mesmerised by guitarist Ace Von Johnson's technique, his fingers flying up and down the frets of his stars and stripes-decorated guitar. At one point he casually struts over to Xristian Simon, flicking a switch on his bandmate's guitar that instantly turns off the specky lights on his instrument. Simon only pauses playing briefly to switch it back on, but it's a hilarious prank nonetheless. 

A sweaty, shirtless old boy down front repeatedly yells out, "ROCK'N FUCKING ROLL!" between songs throughout the evening - this live dose of Faster Pussycat is clearly changing his life. Slip Of The Tongue is a mighty singalong moment and so much bigger and badder live than the recorded version. Downe overshares, telling us that having consumed a dodgy kebab he's now feeling crook in the guts: "If I shit my pants, don't mind me!" 

"Ooh-LA-la!" is all we can say about The Power And The Glory Hole's lyrics, which audience members screech out enthusiastically in unison. Von Johnson's guitar solo during this one is a face-melter, delivered so coolly and casually. Faster Pussycat's cover of Carly Simon's You’re So Vain is genius and the crowd loves it. Byrne is welcomed back to the stage with his acoustic guitar to perform House Of Pain - Faster Pussycat's power ballad - with the band: "No there's no one home/In my house of pain."

Faster Pussycat's cover of Don't Change by INXS adds heaviness and fury - it's great stuff. Bassist Danny Nordahl takes lead vocals on Faster Pussycat's Supersuckers cover Pretty Fucked Up, their cover of Betty Blowtorch's Shut Up & Fuck makes a mess of us all and then we suddenly realise how much Babylon was inspired by (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party) by Beastie Boys.

There’s probably time for an encore, and the band played one more song in Adelaide last night, but Faster Pussycat do not return to the stage this evening despite shouts and hollers from rabid fans (including, "SHOOTING YOU DOWN!" - the band's Adelaide encore song - from our aforementioned crowd neighbour). Perhaps Downe's dodgy kebab finally found a way out?