Live Review: Sticky Fingers, Bootleg Rascal, Lyall Moloney

As you’d expect for a sold-out Sticky Fingers show, by the time the doors opened, the line outside The Bakery had already stretched from doors all the way out into the carpark.

A lack of online info meant no one knew if anyone was even supporting the StiFi boys, but before long a guy made his way up onto the stage, procured a guitar, and with the help of vocal looping equipment, began producing some insanely catchy reggae and hip hop-influenced beats. It was bizarre; he managed to draw in almost everybody from the outside courtyard, and people were well and truly losing themselves in his music, yet the question continued to be voiced all around the venue: Who is this guy? This reviewer found out from the merch dudes and it was in fact Lyall Moloney, who continued to work his magic on stage with a sense of duty.

He was the perfect warm-up before the second act Bootleg Rascal, who, funnily enough, share their name with a track from the night’s headliner. They took to the stage to provide more reggae-infused flavour into the evening. The Sydneysiders were definitely hedged on the mellow and purer side of reggae and dub, which made for a good mix of styles throughout the evening, the crowd continuing to grow as the set continued; probably a mix of the band’s work and the prospect of what was to come.

Sticky Fingers swaggered up and were greeted by a roar of applause. “I can see why they call this place The Bakery; it’s so fucking hot in here,” vocalist Dylan Frost said before launching into their new album’s title track, Land Of Pleasure. The boys have developed a huge following over the last two years, so from the get-go, as far as the audience was concerned, it was simply hit after hit from the lads, and they were all too eager to lap them up.

Different songs brought out different reactions – Gold Snafu had hands in the air and a more subtle vibe from the packed-out venue, while Just For You had these people going absolutely off their nuts. Nothing compared to when they unsurprisingly encored with Australia Street though, which had the front section of the venue in hysterics, the perfect way to end what was ultimately a very enjoyable – and very sweaty – evening.