Buckcherry & Hardcore Superstar’s much anticipated Australian Tour kicked off at The Rosemount in Perth in spectacular fashion for what could very well be one of the tours of 2019.
The Perth rock n’ roll faithful didn’t let the bands down either, with a decent crowd attendance that was even more impressive for a Tuesday night. As the sun set on the suburb of North Perth, Sydney five-piece hard rockers Bad Moon Born took to the stage to deliver a set that left the crowd baying for more. After the recent departure of original front man Frank Lakoudis, I was eager to hear what new vocalist Jordan Von Grae would bring to the table and I was not to be disappointed, as the former Kvlts of Vice frontman grabbed the bull by both horns to deliver at every opportunity.
Such was the quality of their set, both Hardcore Superstar & Buckcherry must have been sitting up and talking notes as guitarists Voya & Ned Koncar traded riffs n’ solos with power & precision, all the while backed up by the punchy rhythm work of Nick Allen & Jon Ezilmez. If you’re going to this tour make sure you get there for doors open & don’t miss one of Australia finest hard rock bands out there at the moment.
SET LIST:
Promised Land, Witch Trials, Man in the Box, Noxa, Alive?, Carry On, Road Warrior
Hardcore Superstar could very well be headlining this tour in the own right, such is the quality of the music they have produced over the years and these run of shows will certainly gain them a new set of fans judging but the performance they put on tonight – tight, incredibly musically sound & highly entertaining. Front man Jocke Berg clambered & climbed over anyone & everyone in the first couple of rows tonight as they ploughed headlong into a set littered with tracks taken from their back catalogue of eleven studio albums and just two of the songs from their latest release ‘ You Can’t Kill My Rock n Roll’. Bassist Martin Sandvik is a joy to watch as he sings along, encouraging the crowd to join in verse with his over-exaggerated mouthing of lyrics.
There was sublime guitar work from Vic Zino throughout this ten-song set, with HCSS held together by the outstanding drum work of Steve Tyler’s doppelganger Adde Andreasoon. Keep an eye out for the roadie’s hilarious intervention during the final song as he begins to dismantle the band’s gear, drum kit, mic stands and all, as Berg & co try to continue to finish the set without missing a beat. As they turned for the now-obligatory crowd-in-the-background band photo I overheard one fan declare, “If that was the end of tonight’s show I would still leave a happy man”. My first HCSS gig now done & dusted, I can assure you it won’t be my last – outstanding.
SET LIST
Moonshine, Electric Rider, We Don’t Celebrate Sunday’s, Wild Boys, Bag on Your Head, Last Call for Alcohol, You Can’t Kill My Rock n Roll, No Resistance, Above the Law
Buckcherry have managed to grip the imagination of Australia rock fans over the years and this rock romance between fans & the band is something special that few groups achieve. They still keep it real all the while delivering a quality & energy filled performance time and again. After a couple of slight sound issues (let’s call it jet-lag) during the opening couple of songs vocalist Josh Todd cleared the tubes and got into full swing to take us on a trip down Buckcherry Memory Lane, with tracks taken from throughout their twenty years together.
Guitarist Stevie D is a sight to behold as his teased and tickled his Les Paul Gold Top to the delight of all those stood directly in front of him. It wasn’t long before Todd & Stevie were stripped to the waist to show the incredible body art they both have accrued over the years, such was the temperature up on stage. Buckcherry are a band who don’t like to stand still for long as they spun, danced & sweated for the adoring crowd for most of the thirteen song set. Todd is a one of the world’s great front man and has no problem encouraging crowd participation at every opportunity, as this quickly became a room full of Buckcherry choral singers.
Highlights included Lit-Up, Somebody Fucked with Me and an outstanding version of Sorry. Guitarist Kevin Roentgen, was treated to a rousing rendition of ‘Happy birthday’ and presented with a cake adorned with plenty of candles (“He’s only 25”, announced bassist Kelly LeMieux). Newest member, drummer Francis Ruiz made up the five-piece Californian rockers as they received loud applause as each member was introduced accompanied by a short individual solo.
Todd asked playfully for requests before someone shouted out, “Something by Kenny Loggins”… the band launching into an impromptu version of ‘Footloose’ before firing into an extended version of Crazy Bitch including Creedance’s Proud Mary mixed in for good measure. The night’s encore was the wonderful ‘Say Fuck It’ so I will warn all going to this show to save a little bit of your voice for this one…
Tour of the Year? It’s going to take some beating. A huge thanks must go to Silverback Touring for pulling this outstanding line-up of bands together. Grab tickets while you still can because this is one you won’t forget in a hurry.
SET LIST
Head like a Hole, Whiskey in the Morning, Ridin’, Radio Song, Lit-Up, Somebody Fucked with Me, Right Now, Sunshine, Too Drunk, Sorry, Greed, Bent, Crazy Bitch
Encore: Say Fuck It
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Peter Coates at Inside Edge Photography
Buckcherry / Hardcore Superstar / Bad Moon Born October 2019 Tour Dates
Tuesday October 08 PERTH, Rosemount Hotel
Wednesday October 09 ADELAIDE, The Gov
Friday October 11 MELBOURNE, Max Watts
Saturday October 12 BRISBANE, Zoo
Sunday October 13 SYDNEY, Metro
Tickets: http://silverbacktouring.com.au/buckcherry-2019/
