Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, Sun 12 Jun

It’s just about eighteen months since the reformed and (slightly) reformatted Radio Birdman played a most memorable show at The Gov. And now they are back, and so are the faithful, for a night where high expectations will require a singularly solid performance. The big crowd, sufficiently warmed up by two dynamite support acts, eagerly awaits the on-stage arrival of one of this country’s favourite punk rock ensembles.

Minutes before the scheduled start time, Deniz Tek and Rob Younger are milling around the merchandise table, chatting happily with friends and fans; it appears that they are pretty relaxed about the whole thing.

The lights go down, and the Birdmen file out onto the stage to tremendous applause. Black clothes seem to be the order of the day, but some of the band obviously didn’t get the phone call. A lurching Crying Sun kicks off the evening, and just about hits the mark. Then comes Smith and Wesson Blues, and immediately the audience is transported to another time. Let’s go! These guys still sound like the real deal.

There’s no pulling back from here on in. As the evening unfolds, both band and audience members grow into the performance. This fabulous, chaotic melange of punk, pop, surf and garage is music to the collective ear.

He doesn’t say much between songs but Younger seems to be enjoying himself, occasionally gesturing like some slightly-possessed marionette. The vocals are down in the mix but maybe that’s just the way it is supposed to be. Tek is almost in a world of his own as he plays and sings as if his life depends on it. This is especially evident in We’ve Come So Far (To Be Here Today), the crowd-pleasing I-94 and Anglo Girl Desire. Underneath the vocals and guitar the rhythm section pounds it out, courtesy Jim Dickson and Nik Rieth on bass and drums respectively. Pip Hoyle (keys) and Dave Kettley (guitar) complete the line-up, unchanged since the last visit. Hoyle takes the spotlight with a solo on the singalong favourite Man With The Golden Helmet. There’s a couple of covers – The Masters Apprentices’ Buried and Dead (Radio Birdman’s 2016 Record Store Day release) and Magazine’s Shot By Both Sides; both sound great, and are well-received. The set list is similar to 2014, but there’s scope to include a few different songs while still retaining the classics.

By the time the band plays a frantic Aloha Steve and Danno, the crowd is nearing fever-pitch. The set concludes amid scenes of good-natured crowd-surfing and stage dancing. No-one leaves; the audience demands more!

The band returns for not one, but two fairly rapturous encores, beginning with the lengthy and meandering keyboard introduction to Dark Surprise. The concert finally ends, after an hour and 15 minutes, with a triumphant New Race.

It’s kind of sad that Chris Masuak is missing from the band, and appears likely to stay that way, but this incarnation of Radio Birdman still ticks just about all of the boxes.

Yeah hup!

by David Robinson

Image courtesy of David Robinson

 

Setlist

1. Crying Sun (Living Eyes)

2. Smith and Wesson Blues (Living Eyes)

3. Do the Pop (Radios Appear)

4. Non-Stop Girls (Radios Appear “overseas” release)

5. You Just Make It Worse (Zeno Beach)

6. Buried and Dead (Masters Apprentices cover – 2016 Record Store Day release)

7. Shot By Both Sides (Magazine cover)

8. We’ve Come So Far (To Be Here Today) (Zeno Beach)

9. Man With the Golden Helmet (Radios Appear)

10. I-94 (Living Eyes)

11. Burn My Eye ‘78 (Living Eyes)

12. Anglo Girl Desire (Radios Appear)

13. Alone In the Endzone (Living Eyes)

14. More Fun (Living Eyes)

15. What Gives? (Radios Appear “overseas” release)

16. Aloha Steve and Danno (Radios Appear “overseas” release)

 

Encore

17. Dark Surprise (Living Eyes 1995 reissue)

18. Hand Of Law (Radios Appear)

19. TV Eye (Radios Appear)

20. New Race (Radios Appear)

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Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, Sun 12 Jun It’s just about eighteen months since the reformed and (slightly) reformatted Radio Birdman played a most memorable show at The Gov. And now they are back, and so are the faithful, for a night where high expectations will require a singularly solid performance. The big crowd, sufficiently warmed up by two dynamite support acts, eagerly awaits the on-stage arrival of one of this country’s favourite punk rock ensembles. Minutes before the scheduled start time, Deniz Tek and Rob Younger are milling around the merchandise table, chatting happily with friends and fans; it appears that they are pretty relaxed about the whole thing. The lights go down, and the Birdmen file out onto the stage to tremendous applause. Black clothes seem to be the order of the day, but some of the band obviously didn’t get the phone call. A lurching Crying Sun kicks off the evening, and just about hits the mark. Then comes Smith and Wesson Blues, and immediately the audience is transported to another time. Let’s go! These guys still sound like the real deal. There’s no pulling back from here on in. As the evening unfolds, both band and audience members grow into the performance. This fabulous, chaotic melange of punk, pop, surf and garage is music to the collective ear. He doesn’t say much between songs but Younger seems to be enjoying himself, occasionally gesturing like some slightly-possessed marionette. The vocals are down in the mix but maybe that’s just the way it is supposed to be. Tek is almost in a world of his own as he plays and sings as if his life depends on it. This is especially evident in We’ve Come So Far (To Be Here Today), the crowd-pleasing I-94 and Anglo Girl Desire. Underneath the vocals and guitar the rhythm section pounds it out, courtesy Jim Dickson and Nik Rieth on bass and drums respectively. Pip Hoyle (keys) and Dave Kettley (guitar) complete the line-up, unchanged since the last visit. Hoyle takes the spotlight with a solo on the singalong favourite Man With The Golden Helmet. There’s a couple of covers - The Masters Apprentices’ Buried and Dead (Radio Birdman’s 2016 Record Store Day release) and Magazine’s Shot By Both Sides; both sound great, and are well-received. The set list is similar to 2014, but there’s scope to include a few different songs while still retaining the classics. By the time the band plays a frantic Aloha Steve and Danno, the crowd is nearing fever-pitch. The set concludes amid scenes of good-natured crowd-surfing and stage dancing. No-one leaves; the audience demands more! The band returns for not one, but two fairly rapturous encores, beginning with the lengthy and meandering keyboard introduction to Dark Surprise. The concert finally ends, after an hour and 15 minutes, with a triumphant New Race. It’s kind of sad that Chris Masuak is missing from the band, and appears likely to stay that way, but this incarnation of Radio Birdman still…

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