Live Review: Sticky Fingers, Lyall Maloney, Project Collective Ska

Taking a page out of the '90s ska scene, Project Collective Ska found a few people who were willing to skank along to their Reel Big Fish-inspired riddims, rounding out a performance complete with a full brass section which I'd be willing to bet all met in a high school music class. Taking cues from everything that was fun about the genre, the band functioned well as a unit, impressing even more given the collective age looks about 17.

Lyall Maloney proved to be a rising hit with the kids, relying on a mix of reggae licks and the odd rap-off to get his message to the people. With assistance from the lads from Bootleg Rascal it was a well-received performance, the people swelling in numbers, even though the songs were occasionally mundane pop and rock numbers.

Sticky Fingers' momentum on the live circuit shows no signs of slowing down. Fresh from a successful Euro tour, the four lads from Newtown (now with a fifth member on keys) who used to struggle to get a slot at the 'Dale demonstrated why they're a popular live act, commanding audience attention from start to finish and at the same time making terry towelling popular again (you could buy an official band one from the merch desk for a measly $25, which is in my opinion a god damn bargain). Tracks from both EPs and the long player got a run and received a ridiculously enthusiastic response from the sold-out crowd, the performance a few notches higher, tighter and more focused than perhaps a year ago, no doubt due to the mega hours they've clocked up from their time on the road. Always a pleasure to watch, this could well have been one of the last times you'll have got to see a band poised for even bigger and better things.