Live Review: Sticky Fingers, Gold Member

Opening the night to a spritely, sold-out crowd of long-haired 18- to 23-year-olds were Sydneysiders Gold Member. These guys haven't been on the scene for long but have already caught the attention of listeners nationwide with their unique spin on hip hop. Tight electronics from the decks paved a foundation for the frontman's rich vocals that carried the movement of each track and held the production together. As crowds absorbed the dance-heavy beats, slick guitars weaved in and out of the melodies, fleshing out and adding another dimension to Gold Member's sound. These moments were highlighted in Rope Swing and Careless, tracks that had the crowd lost in dance and feeding off the noteworthy energy radiating from the duo on stage.

Since their beginnings back in 2008, Sticky Fingers have become a highly prolific band with a completely iconic brand of rock and a cult-like following to boot. With a fusion somewhere between reggae, psychedelic rock and electronica, Sticky Fingers have a sound the crowd go crazy for. Wrapping up their current tour here in Adelaide, the guys dove straight into the set with Land Of Pleasure — a hazy reggae throwback to 2014 and a fitting introduction for the night as Dylan Frost welcomes us to their alluring universe. Outcast At Last followed and gave us the first taste from their most recent album, Westway (The Glitter & The Slums). Dropped just a couple of months ago, this release hasn't disappointed fans and follows a golden Sticky Fingers criteria: a balance of slow burners and dancefloor fillers, all doused with slinky beats and psychedelic guitars, rounded out with Frost's English-twanged vocals.

As hordes of fans pack into Thebarton Theatre and press closer to the stage and one another, the energy in the room increases. They seamlessly tick off highlights from Westway... including One By One and Sad Songs, before we lose our minds to classics like Rum Rage and Just For You. But the highlight of the set, both visually and musically, was a huge rendition of How To Fly. The crowd naturally moved as one and shook the entire theatre to its core as they sang back that iconic chorus, hands up, smoke clouds emerging, smiles everywhere. We unofficially closed the night with Australia Street before the band satisfied desperate chants with an encore of No Divide and a heavy version of Lazerhead that sprawled into an anthemic celebration and closer for the night.

Once again, Sticky Fingers left the crowd feeling lighter and warmer than before, still floating on that psychedelic cloud in that Land Of Pleasure they so enjoy visiting.