Live Review: The John Steel Singers, Alex Lahey

There is always a tinge of sadness that hangs over a band's final show before a self-announced indefinite hiatus. The greater the experience, the larger the sadness that follows. The John Steel Singers' final show in Perth at Amplifier Bar was filled with this sentiment. It was a celebration of what the band had achieved and a visual ode to the fans they had entertained.

Originally set to open, Rag N' Bone cancelled at the last minute due to unknown reasons, putting a slight downer on the night. The show carried on with Alex Lahey, who emerged on stage after an hour-long set wait.

Playing recent hits You Don't Think You Like People Like Me, Let's Go Out and Ivy League, Alex Lahey dominated the stage in punkish furore. Lahey also gave out sage travelling advice, warning that Adelaide "fucks people up" (via a hilarious anecdote where the band found all their merch at a KFC). Giving her thanks to the audience for turning up to a gig so far away from her adopted home town of Melbourne, Lahey and her band aced it.

When The John Steel Singers emerged on the stage, one thing that couldn't be ignored was lead singer Tim Morrissey's choice of eyewear - cucumber-cool sunglasses that drew comparison to Macaulay Culkin's band The Pizza Underground, who all wore stylish eye-wear and had pieces of pizza thrown at them. Thankfully The John Steel Singers escaped such a crusty fate.

The greatest asset of The John Steel Singers was the staggeringly vast size of the live band and the variety of instruments wielded by its members. Erupting into a large, cascading sound of brass and rock'n'roll the band was at its best during the breakdown — the crowd just went nuts towards the set's close.

Although the band had to encourage the crowd to come closer throughout the set, the vibe was saved by a few stragglers dancing into the night - a crew epitomised by one lone man dabbing like Usain Bolt winning the 100 metres. Going off with a bang, the band rocked out on a high note.