Live Review: Killing Joke, Gerald Keaney & The Gerald Keaneys

Brisbane's Gerald Keaney and The Gerald Keaneys open proceedings by laughing in the face of all sensible composure with their absurd brand of punk. Though they are a strange match musically, their quirky form of rebellion connects to the political aura of the night, and their light-heartedness balances out the sheer gravity of what is to come.

The trajectory is somewhat realigned by Hound who strike out some grooves of a more solid and tight nature. The influence of the headliners is rather more apparent in their sound compared to that of the openers, and their set seems to succeed in connecting with the room a little more because of it.   

After far too many years between demonstrations, the Killing Joke assault descends on this town once more, and the responsive is rapturous. From the moment early classics Requiem, Turn To Red and Wardance escape the speaker stacks, the pit ignites in a blaze of fist-pumping vigor, but unlike most, the mean age behind this scrum of fans wouldn't be too far shy of the half-century mark. Contemporary cut European Super State shows that the band is still in the finest of forms, and it's certainly hard to imagine that Jaz Coleman could possibly be any more animated and affective in his role. The late Paul Raven is remembered with a stunning rendition of the '80s opus Love Like Blood, and the goods just keep coming; Chop Chop, Sun Goes Down and Eighties keep the nostalgia flowing, while gems like Rapture, Whiteout and Asteroid begin to flaunt the primal force of their later efforts. The sheer power of their sound is given greater weight still by the sharp intellect and political gusto that drives them. Berating docile servitude, the fiery frontman states, “corporations are taking control, but these days most lack the rebellion to do anything about it”, before Corporate Elect expands upon such musings in the most effective way. Pandemonium rounds out the set, but thankfully an encore delivers a few more moments of magic in Change, The Death And Resurrection Show and Pssyche. 

Tonight stands testament to the longevity of this legendary group. Few have had such a profound influence over such a broad range of bands over the last 30 years, and it is doubtful that there are many that could ever deliver such awe-inspiring results this late in the game. An absolute inspiration.