Review and gallery: JD Garrahy

Still tired and sore from the weekend that was Good Things, we gather once more at the Temple of Tivoli for Tuesday night praise to the punk rock gods that are Pennywise.

Fake News are leading things off tonight in true Queensland brilliance. High energy and armed with a setlist of incredible tracks, the lads deliver one hell of a set to the gathered masses. I always love seeing these guys play, it’s a positive, all-inclusive good time that gets you pumped for whichever band they’re supporting that night. I for one would love to see these guys have a headline spot sometime soon, they would crush it.

Fangz are new to me but after this performance, i’m hooked. Walking on stage in overalls, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But in all honesty, they delivered one of the best feel good, kick arse sets i have witnessed. With cartwheels and jumps a plenty, the Sydney natives just absolutely smash their set and leave us screaming for more. I want to see them again real soon so I can feed off their good vibes once more.

There’s no formal introduction needed for a band the likes of Pennywise. Everyone knows at least one song, or a friend with a Pennywise tattoo. They’re a band that defined a generation and continues to solidify their position in the industry of what a punk band should be. Raw and emotion driven while still giving a firm middle finger to authority.

The full-scale assault on our eardrums is led by ‘Fight ‘Til You Die’ and quickly followed by ‘Living For Today’, giving us a pretty clear indication that we are in for one hell of a night. Making sure that the huddled masses get their money’s worth, the fellas hit us with ‘Same Old Story’ and ‘My Own Way Of Life’, causing the crowd to absolutely give it their all in the pit. Absolutely epic!

‘Society’ garners a massive sing along and it’s clear that with the amount of punters going over the barrier, that everyone is here to fuck shit up, including themselves. As we arrive at the “Covers” section of the set, the Pennywise lads take a brief moment to chat about some bands that were there from the beginning of the Epitaph label. From talking about Bad Religion and Rancid, to poking fun at the imminent break up of NOFX, they give a great medley of snippets from each band they have talked about before hitting an amazing version of Bad Religion’s ‘Do What You Want’.

Now, a Pennywise show wouldn’t be complete without the addition of the song ‘Pennywise’ to the set. As Fletcher announces, “This is a song called Pennywise, off the album called Pennywise, by the band called Pennywise”, the crowd goes wild. With every lyric chanted and every riff consumed, we hit straight into ‘Society’, which keeps the vibe constant and brilliant.

That familiar moment in the set when the opening riff of Men At Work’s ‘Land Down Under’ garners the crowd to hit it even harder isn’t something that goes unnoticed. Even with our tired old bodies from the weekend’s activities still prominent, we all dig that little extra bit deeper to show Pennywise that their Brisbane fan base has what it takes to push through the pain for the benefit of our memories and experiences.

A triple hitter of ‘Broken’, ‘Fuck Authority’ and ‘Alien’ gives us all a feeling of contentment in what surely has been one gargantuan setlist. While all still reeling from that amazing 3 song combo, we wind down temporarily for the always amazing ‘Stand By Me’ which prompts the most epic of circle pits.

We all know what’s coming next. But, while it’s both sad that the night has come to a close, but also the positive energy that this song brings to so many people from so many different walks of life. This, my friends, is ‘Bro Hymn’. With the Fake News and Fangz boys joining them on stage, Pennywise simply blows everyone away with this track at every single show. With everyone in the venue singing at the top of their lungs, the feeling of togetherness is unmatched. Always a great thing to experience.

Leaving The Tiv is always hard after such amazing shows and tonight is no different. We know the boys will be back soon enough, but we will have to live on the fond memories from tonight until such a day presents itself. Safe travels lads, tonight has been nothing short of incredible.