Live Review: Grinspoon, Hockey Dad, Good Boy

Enmore Theatre is the venue (and a great one at that) for the passing of the baton in Australian rock tonight. And with strong sets from Good Boy and Hockey Dad, Australian rock is in good hands for the future. 

Brisbane's Good Boy deliver an excellent set of slack, garage-rock tracks that are relatable without being too angsty before Illawarra's Hockey Dad, with just two of them, rock out hard in their surf-rock style. Their quirky humour plays out well on stage as lead singer and guitarist, Zach Stephenson, forgets a bridge and Billy Fleming, the crazy-good hard-hitting drummer, makes sure we all know. "I'm not even drunk!" Stephenson exclaims before continuing, "We've got a new record coming out, but no one here gives a fuck." I think we actually do. They are great fun to watch.  

Playing albums in full may be a gimmick, but it's a great gimmick, especially when it comes to Grinspoon's debut, Guide To Better Living. It's an album that represents the time, a rough and raw pub-rock/punk sound that defined a fresh style in the late '90s. Frontman Phil Jamieson is in a great mood and fine form. Having been through a horrid patch in his life, it's great to see him enjoying himself in front of all his mates, on stage and off. 

The shortness of the tracks on this album makes its replication all the better. Pressure Tested kicks it all off — fast, raw and visceral — and then they flow straight into a trio of hits: Grinspoon's Unearthed alumni track Sickfest being the highlight with its monumental opening riff. The band is extraordinarily tight having come off a lengthy hiatus - Joe Hansen, on bass, stalks the stage while Pat Davern holds down the guitar solos for the majority of the album. The band perform Guide To Better Living to perfection, sounding better than they ever have.

After a short break, Jamieson appears at the sound desk to present the acoustic secret track, Protest. It's a nice touch. Jamieson doesn't talk much, he doesn't need to; except to say, "We never in our wildest dreams thought we'd be here." They belt out a greatest-hits selection of the rest of their catalogue to a sweaty, adoring crowd: Ready 1, Lost Control, Hard Act To Follow — they're all there. More Than You Are finishes the night proving that Grinspoon still have it. We should be demanding new music from them, because Grinspoon are in their prime.