Live Review: Helmet

Some 23 years after its initial release — yes, it really has been that long — Helmet returned to Perth to perform their album Betty in its entirety. With no support bands on the bill, the newly refurbished main room at Rosemount Hotel was filled early with a predominantly male audience, keen to catch Page Hamilton and co deliver what promised to be two blistering sets — and they certainly weren't disappointed.

There was a definite air of expectation hanging over the room, which was broken as Helmet hit the stage to loud cheers and launched straight into Wilma's Rainbow. With no chit-chat between songs, the band charged on. Heavy syncopated riffs overlaid with Hamilton's melodic one minute, screaming the next vocal style pulled the transfixed, headbobbing audience back to 1994, when Betty was first unleashed as Helmet's follow-up to the mega successful Meantime.

Long regarded as a somewhat experimental album that follows Hamilton's foray into jazz and blues, Betty has stood the test of time well and Helmet faithfully delivered the album with their trademark intensity. Despite Hamilton being the only remaining member to have played on the album, the current line-up nailed each and every track almost note for note, much to the delight of the audience.

The band finished the first part of the evening's performance with Sam Hell, the last track on the album. It was only then that Hamilton paused to speak, thanking the cheering fans. Then it was time for the second part of the evening, with the band playing a selection of songs from their extensive back catalogue, starting with Like I Care from 1997's Aftertaste. As the crowd took full advantage of the ensuing public holiday and worked the bar staff hard, Helmet continued on with their 'greatest hits' set. In Person and See You Dead were all lapped up by the audience, although it did appear that the loudest applause of the evening was reserved for tracks from Meantime, as evidenced when they launched into Ironhead.

Pausing to introduce the current band members and apologising for not being back to Perth for so long, Helmet continued on with Bad News from 2016's Dead To The World, before inviting former guitarist and Perth local Jimmy Thompson to the stage to play Pure, with Hamilton commenting that Thompson's Seattle-born wife hadn't known him when he was a rock star. With Thompson taking his leave after one song, Helmet continued on with two more tracks before propping their guitars up against the amplifiers, filling the room with feedback as they exited the stage.

The crowd hadn't had enough, however, and the band were soon back for what proved to be a truly thunderous encore with the crowd singing along to Give It and Unsung, both pulled from Meantime. At this stage, Hamilton began asking the crowd for requests. Joking that some members of the audience hadn't been born when it had been released, the band played Black Top from Helmet's 1990 debut album Strap It On before finishing up the evening with a few more tracks from Meantime, Turned Out and undisputed crowd favourite In The Meantime.

With the house lights up and most people making for a quick getaway, it was refreshing to see Hamilton and the band still on stage talking to fans and signing autographs, instead of beating a hasty retreat as is so often the case with touring acts. A great end to an epic night.