Live Review: The Church

The Church

The Rosie was buzzing well before The Church had even hit the stage, with plenty of punters battling it out for a prime spot almost a full hour before show time. A packed room watched anxiously as the crew sound-checked, their rapidly vanishing drinks only adding to the anticipation.

The boys made a fashionably late entrance, immediately amping up the energy in the room with the first cut of their The Blurred Crusade set, Almost With You. Fans made the most of the little space they had, dancing on the spot with their friends.

The crowd soon watched on in stunned silence as the four-piece launched into Field Of Mars. Soaring riffs and crisp harmonies were indicative of a special kind of cohesiveness only attainable through years and years of experience. This predominantly pre-smartphone audience shunned the all-too common iPhone documentation and instead allowed themselves to be swept away by each and every track in the moment. Lead vocalist and bass player Steve Kilbey spurred the crowd on for a louder applause and they happily obliged.

The set continued with upbeat numbers like Just For You, even getting the bar staff dancing along as they took orders. "Alright, we're gonna rock and roll," Kilbey proclaimed, before displaying some impressive dance moves himself during A Fire Burns. Some serious magic was worked during To Be In Your Eyes, compelling couples to get just that little bit closer to one another. Next, an over-enthusiastic lad sang along to You Took louder than expected, causing Kilbey to crack up halfway through a verse. The band certainly impressed with a seemingly never-ending marathon of riff-heavy, heart-palpitating psychedelic breaks. Life Speeds Up wrapped up the first half of the night, a deliciously '80s sound that left people no choice but to bop along.

After a well-deserved break, the guys were back on stage for round two. Fans were thrown back into the 21st century as the band opened this set with a newer song, Vanishing Man. Other Further/Deeper tracks, among them Laurel Canyon and Miami, proved that even after 30 years, these guys show no signs of losing their creative fire.

Just when fans thought that things were winding down for the night, the band launched into a larger than life encore, complete with a cover of Waiting For The Sun — a nod to new guitarist Ian Haug's former Powderfinger days. Two sets and 20-odd songs later, fans left feeling like they'd gotten much, much more than their money's worth.