Live Review: Youth Group, Sunbeam Sound Machine, Chips Rafferty

Melbourne locals Chips Rafferty and Sunbeam Sound Machine warm us up with some chilled indie pop bravado to bop along to before the main act.

Youth Group give new life to their much-loved Skeleton Jar album as they treat us by playing it in its entirety. It’s a special occasion as they celebrate more than ten years since the album’s release and we’re excited that the band is back together after taking an extended break in 2008.

Lead singer Toby Martin picks up his acoustic guitar and tells us that it feels too early for the third song in, but they stay true to the original album track list and let us know that rock’n’roll conventions are out the window — tonight Skeleton Jar dictates the pace.
It’s just after 11, yet Martin repeatedly makes reference to how late the gig is. Youth Group may still be young at heart but their age is catching up with them; new issues of youth like questioning how long they have to book the baby-sitter for were not things they were worried about when they toured six years ago.

The band feel refreshed and are overwhelmed with happiness to share their music after all this time and chuffed to still have such a great following. Despite playing mostly old material it feels like it’s new and exciting again. This rejuvenation comes across in their performance, giving us that spark we got listening the record for the first time.

Melbourne has a special significance for the band, particularly for Martin through his songwriting process, which holds strong connections to the city he once called home. Even one of their new songs has a lot of Melbourne references; Martin sings, “Every street’s got a story to tell,” the lyrics inspired by a recent time staying in Hawthorn where he grew up.

They finish playing the record in full and continue to play a selection of handpicked songs as the crowd eagerly shouts out requests. They carry on with songs including Happiness and Sorry. Throwing one of his many guitars down on the floor like a true rock star, Martin ever so politely thanks his Melbourne musical family and us. We cross our fingers for an encore of Forever Young but instead I Don’t Care is the final track of the show.