Live Review: Jebediah, Screamfeeder

It’s a nice night for a stroll down memory lane. Or more specifically, it’s a nice night to don a faded band tee and stagger like you’re back in a steamy, dim, sticky carpeted venue of mid-90s Australia. That’s when tonight’s guys and gals found their way onto our radio stations, into our CD players and into our ears. It’s no doubt a reminder that neither bands need; the median age of the crowd fronting up to the Tivoli suggests both the support and headliner provided the soundtracks to many punters’ formative years. 

Brisbane indie rock royalty Screamfeeder could not have been a more appropriate choice to plunge punters back in time to those good old days of jeans with scuffed knees, lo fi scuzz and slacker mentality. And Tim Steward, Kellie Lloyd and Dean Shwereb, along with their bonus guitarist, are the best people to do it. Despite very busy times with projects outside of Screamfeeder, the trio seems to have lost nothing in terms of energy and zest for playing. Steward’s voice in particular is as level yet full of rasping urgency as it ever was, even when he jumps around in Dart. Massive hit Hi C's gets an equally massive response, but distortion galore, drawn-out riffs and Kellie’s soft but on-song vocals and bass noodling in Stopless makes the latter a hard-to-beat closer.

By now everyone’s a bit looser, louder and things are damp with who knows what. So the celebratory vibe is high when suburban Perth rock stalwarts Jebediah emerge, ready to honour their 20 years in existence. It seems only fitting that a front-to-back run-through of first album Slightly Odway should follow. But Kevin Mitchell and co have other ideas. First they warm things up by single-hopping through the rest of their catalogue, with Did You Really?, N.D.C., She’s Like A Comet and Animal strong highlights. Not much seems to have changed for the four-piece — the banter still flows from Chris and Kev, Vanessa still smiles away and busts out her infectious offbeat bass moves, and drummer Brett still commands up back. Mostly, they’re still having fun. There is no contrived sentimentality, it’s just about playing what they know and love and sharing it with an insatiable crowd. 

It’s a nice touch when they close their first set with a montage of old photos from Slightly Odway’s recording days. But it’s not long until they’re back and things really get crazy. It’s all on for young and old as soon as Leaving Home rings out. Bodies get airborne, someone rushes the stage, and massive sing-a-longs to anthems Harpoon, Blame, Lino, Teflon and La Di Da Da really do bring those old days flooding back. They give us parting shots in Monument and Star Machine before a curtain closing bow and a promise that we’ll “see them at their 21st”.