It’s that magical time of year again. No it’s not Christmas, it’s the annual return of Poway punk veterans Unwritten Law! Heading back down under for a run of dates spanning right across the country, UL have a big week ahead of themselves playing shows varying from festival appearances, sideshows and even a set on a boat cruise.
Returning to The Backroom this year, Brisbane are in for a massive treat this evening as the band plan to play through their renowned Black album from start to finish. The album, released in 1998 has become a staple in punk lore, setting a tone for the punk scene and for the band themselves. This album would kick start their career and they would only climb the ranks from there on.
As the lights dim to near darkness, the iconic sound of a guitar tuning that begins the album plays over the PA as the band hits the stage and when the time hits, guitarist Chris Lewis plays the opening notes to Harmonic and it’s game on. As a big fan of the album, I note the album as being one of the best flowing punk albums to date and to my surprise, the boys play it exactly as is, no pauses, no stopping to muck about.
The only time the band break the set is when Lewis races off stage for a bathroom break. But this doesn’t stop the band from entertaining as guitarist Scotty begins to play Elva from 2002s album by the same name and the rest of the band join in. Chris returns to stage in time to play the last half of the song with them and then they’re back on track.
We reach the end of the album and we’re far from done. We’re treated to a few hits, Seein‘ Red, Blame It On Me and Save Me all make the final of the setlist, but it’s their cover of Grinspoons More Than You Are that really sets the bar high.
As luck would have it, Grinners are in the city as part of their current tour and vocalist Phil Jamieson jumps on stage with the band to sing the cover with them and man does Phil look like he is living his best life. Pairing Russo and Jamieson together makes for true entertainment. Their long time friendship is incredibly apparent, between the hugs, the banter and the racing around the stage like a couple of kids, as an audience member it’s hard to wipe the smile off my face.
The night comes to an end as they finish up with Up All Night and we’re done. The lights go up and the crowd begins to disperse. But in true UL fashion, the band return to the fans to chat, sign records and shirts and interact with everyone. Even after a massive 19 track setlist in a hot smouldering room, the band still manage to prove why they’re one of the nicest bands in the biz. And that’s just one of many reasons not to miss any of their tours.
– GALLERY –
