Good CharlotteEight years since visiting Australia for Download Festival, of which Perth sadly missed out, your mum’s favourite punk rock band of the early 2000’s return. Good Charlotte are touring in support of their latest record, 2025’s Motel Du Cap, with a string of Australian shows starting in Perth. Get ready for a night of non-stop rock n’ roll.
No Good Charlotte concert is complete without an audacious line-up of support acts. The Australian leg features up-and-coming Aussie surf-rock/synth-pop protege Parker, with a feel-good vibe to warm up proceedings. Parker is followed by Melbourne’s own Kisschasy, fresh out of a ten-year hiatus and sounding as fresh and rehearsed as the day they disbanded. Their latest single, Better, is a growling pub chant that begs to be heard live.
Rounding out the support is Florida’s emo-punk rockers Yellowcard—an expected choice with that same early noughties rock panache that could almost be mistaken for a Good Charlotte cover band. It’s a well-oiled machine of an entree that gives punters a nice bit of rock flavourings before the main course.
Lights dim as an enormous skull is beamed onto the back wall before an apocalyptic city in ruins fades into view. The band files out, with drummer Ian Longwell and multi-instrumentalist Billy Martin on opposing platforms, with additional screens showing the decay. The boom of The River signals a blast of fireworks and an array of flames, pulling out all the stops right out of the gate. Clearly, the band have something to prove.
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Hands go up on I Don’t Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem), starting the night on a high as the crowd chants every word back louder than the band. It’s a nostalgic high that carries into Last Night as multiple digital screens litter the stage. The band looks and sounds great. Lead singer Joel Madden sounds phenomenal, surpassing recordings from over 20 years ago. It’s a pop-punk party time machine.
“We love Australia, we love Perth, it’s been a very long time… we hope it’s the best show of your life,” exclaims one Madden brother before jumping right into the explosive Girls & Boys, another classic that sees fingers point and prod with the beat. The 35+ demographic is really feeling their high school days tonight. “We gotta go back to all of the memories,” beams Joel, bringing it back to The Chronicles era with the title track, The Chronicles of Life and Death.
Like It’s Her Birthday, the kaleidoscopic pop anthem aptly paired with a bombardment of neon colours is dedicated to everyone celebrating a birthday. It’s euphoric hit after euphoric hit.
Wondering and Misery are classic 2000s rock with that American twang you associate with the pre-Katy Perry bubble-gum era of pop, consisting of lyrics riddled with teenage angst and your high school crush's initials in a heart inside your notebook.
Bodies from the latest album, Motel Du Cap, acts as the first introduction to the new Good Charlotte. It’s punchy but not overly obnoxious that it knocks you out. “We’ll play a couple off the new record, we gotta get to the old shit,” the brothers say.
Mean is a euphoric-laden track with a gothic edge that relies on a toe-tapping drum beat. It wouldn’t feel much out of place on a classic Good Charlotte album with more than enough flames added to garner attention. The newer songs feel rounded and softer, with young angst giving way to more concise, thought-out melodies. It’s a shame they don’t play more of them.
Every song feels chosen with precision to the playing order, where the show ebbs and flows like a dramatic river that demands its emo aesthetic isn’t just a phase. It’s a perfect introduction to reach out to new fans whilst catering to the long service of those who have been along for the journey.
Some tracks are given more edge than is really warranted, as the early 2000s synth rock hit Keep Your Hands Off My Girl sees satanic imagery that would make you think you were at a Metallica gig. A beautiful cathedral takes its place on Predictable, returning to the more homely Gothic imagery, and you guessed it, more flames.
It’s a testament to the Madden brothers’ vocal ability that they’re able to hammer through songs back-to-back without taking a single breath. Their full prowess comes out on the emotional We Believe, which sees the phones light up for the tender moment. The vocals soar along with the guitars and rise with the pulsing drums.
The production value is on another level, with incredible gothic and dystopian visuals to pair with these gritty and grungy soundscapes, from twisted trees with twirling tornadoes to a celestial matrix with neon bodies and laser beams. All emblazoned with roaring flames and fireworks to add that dramatic punk edge.
Rejects is a rambunctious wave of sound that shifts through the arena and melts your brain with rapid-fire drums. The heavy rock picks up again on The Young & the Hopeless, pulling you into the heydays of when rock music was everything.
“This song is dedicated to every kid that got picked last in gym class,” and it’s the soundtrack to every teen comedy, Little Things. The crowd erupts in an uproar as hands wave from side to side and cheers are raised to a full volume for the boys. “You guys were the first ones to start things off with that song; you’ve changed our lives.”
The evening ends on a climactic high as the entire crowd is off their seats and up in the air to the fiery punch of Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. Followed by a classic walk-off that garners a standing ovation, followed by an enticing hum and dramatic buildup into global smash The Anthem. Angst personified and thrown out into a crowd that hurls it back in screams of glee as fireworks and flames pour out into the arena.
“With Aussie shows, I feel like if we all went to high school together, we woulda been best friends passing out mixtapes,” the Madden brothers explain.
It’s very much a blast from the past and an ode to rock without feeling outdated. They’ve created a nostalgic visual and sonic feast that feels more like a greatest hits tour than a celebration of the new album, managing to grapple with the line between dad rock and stadium stardom with enough gusto to make each moment fresh and exciting as the hits are rolled out rapid fire. It’s a well-earned victory lap with the crowd hanging on to every moment by a constant bob or thrown-up hand.
“Your very first good Charlotte show: rate it 1-10 on your fingers.” All ten are thrown up. That’s all you need to know about this show. The boys are playing a string of shows across Australia and New Zealand this month for the Motel Du Cap Tour. Don’t miss out.
