Live Review: The Smith Street Band, The Nation Blue, Grim Rhythm

A fine set of opening acts saw Grim Rhythm draw in punters from the beer garden with a relentless energy before Melbourne (via Tassie) rockers The Nation Blue sealed the deal with a number of crowd favourites, culminating in an epic singalong for Rising Waters.

The fans were ready and The Smith Street Band weren't going to keep them waiting, lunging straight into new hit Death To The Lads from their fourth album. The crowd responded enthusiastically - pushing their way to the front and creating a mosh-pit. Although The Smith Street Band has had some criticism over the crowd being quite male-centric and aggressive, the atmosphere at The Gov was nothing more than enjoyable and fun. Several fans commented on it being one of the best shows they had been to with one of the most well behaved audiences.

The crowd was made up of all different ages which grounded the idea that The Smith Street Band is a band for everyone. People filtered from the beer garden to under the stage throughout the night promoting a relaxed and easy going environment, the crowd was able to enjoy themselves inside the venue or in the beer garden with the bands high energy filtering throughout the venue.

Wil Wagner took the time to thank the audience throughout the evening and taking the time to talk about the meaning behind a lot of the music. He addressed mental health in an intimate moment with the audience, creating a deeper connection with the music and the band. They took the time to play hit songs from their older albums such as Sigourney Weaver, from their 2011 album, No One Gets Lost Anymore. The audience sang in unison to, Ducks Fly Together, and the crowd went wild with their final song,  Arrogant Drunk Pedestrian. With no encore they left the audience both satisfied and wanting more.