Live Review: Good Charlotte

After a quick frisk and bag search, door staff advise us that filming with smart phones is strictly prohibited this evening. As soon as we take our balcony seats and gaze down at the heaving masses in GA, we wonder how venue security plan on enforcing this ban.

There's a life-size cardboard stand-up of a dude wearing Uggs, shorts and sunnies (only) placed downstage right. When a real-life carbon copy of this cardboard effigy wanders over, moves this out of his way and takes up a position as part of support band Strangers, it's all a bit, “What the?” Moustachioed guitarist Mark Barnes resembles a Howzat! The Kerry Packer Story cast member, but could definitely introduce a few sit-ups into his exercise régime. Towering frontman Ben Britton has awesome stage presence and is fully committed to engaging the crowd. This band's triple-axe attack rumbles through the venue and Britton closes out Closer To Nowhere with an impressive vocal solo. After his tambourine is thrown to the crowd, Britton announces he'll need to grab it back later and then Barnes's cardboard replica is launched from the stage for a crowd-surf. Britton's voice tires somewhat by the last couple of tracks, but this is certainly an admirable opening effort by Sydney's Strangers.

An old-school banner reading “GC” in ye olde font is lowered to dress the stage's back wall for our headliners. We're left looking at this for quite some time. Advertised kick-off is 9pm, but it's another 20 minutes before we clap eyes on Good Charlotte. Commencing their set with The Anthem, the Madden twins bounce around the stage looking more identical than ever. The rest of the band are suitably decked out to present their pop-punk perfection. And then there's bassist Paul Thomas, who looks more guitar tech than muso. Many recording camera phones break up skyward punching/clapping hands – good luck policing that no filming rule! Girls & Boys is an early highlight, then in comes Misery to cement the band's status as hit-making machines. After admitting he feels “motherfucking awesome”, frontman Joel Madden immediately apologises to his mum who he explains is in the house. Her twin boys sure love readjusting the caps on their heads to experiment with the directions in which their peaks protrude. Keep Your Hands Off My Girl quite simply detonates – a true masterpiece. Benji Madden is cheeky as ever and jokes, “I wanna fool around with your entire country.”

“This is for everyone whose birthday it is not.” Joel expertly segues into Like It's Her Birthday. Benji admits he wrote Sex On The Radio about a Melbourne girl (musician?) he fell in love with who went on to break his heart. The Madden banter is always quality, but song-inspiration explanation of the night goes to Last Night, which Joel tells us the pair wrote in Sydney. The story goes that Benji had a wild night in Melbourne and wound up having to borrow a random lady's cell phone to call his bro (who was in Sydney) while standing at a bus stop wrapped in a curtain. The band had a gig to play in Sydney in three hours' time and somehow it all came together: Benji made it from Melbourne to Sydney and they didn't have to cancel the show. Now that's one for the Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous archives.   

There's only one downer section and that's when Benji plays a couple of songs acoustically. Emotionless is first. Many glance at their watches and Benji senses the lull shortly after commencing his second stripped-back offering. He stops. “By the way, if you need to get another beer – go for it! It won't hurt my feelings.”

After this “toilet break”, all Good Charlotte members return to the stage for a cranking rendition of Little Things and, to their credit, the hall's energy level is immediately restored. I Just Wanna Live (didn't realise this corker was GC!) follows I Don't Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem) and this band prove why they've owned their decade-plus career and ain't going anywhere anytime soon. It's only their second show this year, but you wouldn't know it. Good Charlotte heart Australia and the mutual admiration society is reciprocated tenfold.