American alternative rockers Fuel finally returned to Australia after 17 long years as part of the “The Sunburn 20th Celebration Tour”. Perth was first on the line and the iconic songs that the fans remembered them from the Sunburn album also made it’s way through as it filled the venue with memories and more.
Having the opportunity to open the night was Perth locals The Silent Deeds with their energetic rock tunes designed to get the crowd moving. With catchy hooks and solos including “Cross The Line”, the band sounded great as they warmed the crowd up. Vocalist/guitarist Travis Brinnard, who switched off from his normal duties as bass tonight, had a contagious energy which spread across the crowd which was slowly pouring in during their set. Given it was also his last show with the band, it was easy to see why he gave it his all as the crowd really got going with an energetic set from the openers which ended with the crowd pleaser “I Won’t Forget”.
Hailmary are no real strangers to Perth fans for anyone that follows the hard rock scene, an established following made sure their presence was a must-see and they delivered with a tight and well crafted set of songs. “Yellow Light Of Death” exploded as the short but sharp opening song which pushed the crowd into the dance floor and the band tore through a great set that spoke volumes about the quality of Hailmary and the result of what Perth can offer.
It has been a long time since Fuel have been to Australia, and tonight marked their debut performance in the city of Perth. But despite that, fans packed the room from wall to wall to see their iconic 1998 album “Sunburn” performed in its entirety. This is an album that seemingly judging by the numbers tonight has never been forgotten in the minds of the Fuel fans.
It was all sing-alongs from the moment the band graced the stage, opening up with the song “Untitled”. Classics such as “Shimmer” in particular drew a huge response from the crowd as frontman Brett Scallions handed the mic to the fans as they sung the first verse. The crowd was full of smiles throughout the night, with the front row treated to up close interactions with the band as they shook hands and threw down high fives. For some, tonight was not just about the music, but about being as close to the members of Fuel as one could get – and the band themselves embraced this.
The band took the show down a few notches with the title track “Sunburn” before catching their breathe and coming back out for the final encore stage. Peeling off from the Sunburn album was “Bad Day” from the “Something Like Human” album but a highlight reel was a tribute to the Doors with the performance of “Puppet Strings” in which the original recording featured the Door guitarist Robby Krieger. The show ended with “Hemmorhage (In My Hands)” much to the delight of the crowd who by now were probably hoarse from all the singing tonight but ultimately it seemed worth it, Fuel definitely put on one hell of a show which showed they had lost none of what made them stand out in the first place.
Review by Jessica Vaini
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Jessica Vaini at JV Photo Film
