Live Review: Against Me!, Camp Cope, The Nuclear Family

The V energy drink visible on the guitar amp was indicative of The Nuclear Family's entire rapid, thrash-heavy set. The vocals came in loud and fast from all band members but none more ear-splitting than their seemingly meek saxophonist who out-yelled them all with repetitive high-pitched chants.

Camp Cope broke up the rock-heavy evening by toning down on the distortion but not the passion. Bassist Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich rocked the lead notes on the bass to kick-start Done. This was followed by fan favourites Jet Fuel Can't Melt Steel Beams and Keep Growing, as well as a new track which saw vocalist and guitarist Georgia Maq wow punters with her note-sustaining abilities. It's pretty rare to hear a crowd demand an encore from the support band but tonight that was the reaction when the Melbourne trio finished on Lost (Season One).

Clad top to bottom in black and hardworking as ever, Against Me! squeezed nearly 30 songs into a supreme set that built on its own momentum as the night rolled on. Loyal fans came out in droves as the 'Gong got loud, leaving no lyric left unsung.

I Was A Teenage Anarchist got things started and from there the punk rock ebbed and flowed with the crowd. It wasn't until six songs in that Unconditional Love - a song lead Laura Jane Grace described as being about "self-realisation and self-empowerment" - opened the mosh up. A giddy Georgia Maq later came back on stage for a vocal duet cover of The Replacements' Androgynous.

Similar to their main set, the Florida band's encore performance was no short affair. Grace went back to her acoustic roots for a cover of The Mountain Goats' The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton with Denton switched out for Florida. Bassist Inge Johansson then celebrated his 40th birthday in style thanks to a singalong led by Grace - the front row of birthday hat-wearing, party-popping fans must have seen the moment coming. Attendees euphorically embraced each other the very second Black Me Out began to play and suddenly the show finished and we sweaty punters exited on an emphatic high.