Live Review: Spiderbait, Jax & The Wayward, Bansheeland

Spiderbait completed the final leg of their Ivy & The Big Apples tour in Hobart to an enthusiastic rock-thirsty crowd. Released in October 1996, Ivy & The Big Apple was the band's third album, and earned them the #1 spot on the triple j Hottest 100 countdown for that year. The album has continued to be a crowd-pleaser for new and old Spiderbait fans alike.

First support act, Jax & The Wayward, performed a seamless rock set with no surprises. The four-piece Tasmanian band have the feel of a well-rehearsed act, and delivered a seemingly effortless performance to their rock-hungry audience. Strong vocals, hard-hitting rock and a good stage presence made the band the perfect warm-up act for what was to follow.

Bansheeland took to the stage with a strong opening. The five-piece performed a fusion of garage and experimental rock, coupled with pop-rock lyrics and catchy hooks. Bansheeland were a delight to watch, with the unfortunate Achilles' heel of an inattentive — or ill-equipped — sound person, who failed to adjust the band's sound levels without prompt until the final song. The crowd was empathetic to an obviously good band's poor support, and some took to visually moving their hands up and down in the air while pointing exasperatedly to particular microphones and instruments. Aside from this, Bansheeland performed an excellent set and is one to watch on the Tasmanian music scene.

By the time Spiderbait hit the stage, the audience was revved up and ready to move. One song in and a serious moshpit had been created that didn't stop until Kram dropped his drumsticks and the lights were turned on.  

The band screamed through popular tracks from their Ivy & The Big Apples album, Buy Me A Pony and Calypso. The band performed a high-energy set and proved that listening to Spiderbait in 2017 is like listening to Spiderbait in 1996 — not that anyone was arguing anyway.

If that wasn't enough, the band also performed a number of well-known, deeply loved tracks from their 2004 album Tonight Alright - Black Betty and Fucken Awesome. From start to finish, Spiderbait did what they've been doing best since the early '90s - a damn good Australian rock show.