Live Review: Rocket Science

Tonight sees the long overdue return of Rocket Science playing on Adelaide soil. The Melbourne four-piece went on hiatus a few years ago - partially forced due to health reasons - but decided to get the band back together much to the delight of the packed Crown & Anchor Hotel.

Singer/organist Roman Tucker pranced around the stage and sweated up a storm, which was especially evident during the songs Modern Life and Pop Lover. Tonight he was a man on a mission, perhaps wanting to prove a point having been away for so long. He seemed to spend half the time in the crowd, revving us up, which made for a great show and a welcome return. 

But if the crowd were expecting a greatest hits set then they would have left disappointed. Instead, it was an interesting 60-minute set with a mix of new tracks - they launched a brand new 7-inch tonight - album tracks, a cover, but only a few well-known Rocket Science singles - a risky move, but glad to see the band showing off their strong back catalogue; they don't need to rely on their well-known singles alone.

Kit Warhurst is a drummer you need to watch live. His fluidity is like no other and he's an underrated drummer. Bassist Dave Gray and guitarist Paul Maybury - who are the backbone of the band - both brought some extra energy, especially Gray who thrashed away on his bass and filled the room with fuzzy goodness.

The new songs fitted in well among material from their previous albums (released between 2001 and 2008), fusing garage and indie-rock as Rocket Science have perfected over many years now. The band's set concluded with their best-known track Burn In Hell, which was delivered with ferocity.