Live Review: The Cult

Last night, Adelaide was treated to a display of pure rock'n'roll as The Cult entertained a capacity crowd at HQ, rounding off their touring year in Australia. The Cult played mostly to middle-aged men in black who were there to see the English rock group fronted by Ian Astbury and legendary lead guitarist Billy Duffy blow the roof off the establishment.

The lights dimmed and Duffy stepped on stage followed by the rest of the band. A huge cheer was reserved for Astbury - dressed all in black, sunglasses and with his hair tied back. The Cult immediately ripped into their hit Wild Flower and the HQ crowd kicked into gear. Playing new songs from their latest album Hidden City, The Cult — along with their Brisbane-bred bassist, Grant Fitzpatrick, keyboardist and guitarist Damon Fox and drummer John Tempesta — never let the tempo (and temperature) drop as they blistered through a loud, tight, electric display of new and old songs to an appreciative crowd.

Astbury thanked the crowd and his voice was in true screaming form. Rain was followed by recent single Hinterland and the Native American-influenced Horse Nation has the crowd pumping, thrashing and screaming for more.

Duffy, a rock-riff master, holds a tight lead as he plays a multitude of guitars in his peculiar vertical playing style. The Gretsch White Falcon is synonymous with Duffy and can be heard on every recording by The Cult. It seems an odd instrument for him to favour given it's so pure, white and rockabilly in style. And the incongruousness of Duffy doesn't end there: he played in Manchester's post-punk band The Nosebleeds with none other than Morrissey in the '70s.

Birds Of Paradise slowed the pace momentarily but no sooner had Astbury's melodic voice calmed the venue than he cranked it up again with a powerful rendition of Sweet Soul Sister that had the crowd jumping and moshing once again in a hot, sticky frenzy. Fire Woman maintained the pace and then, to end the set, the riff that simply defines The Cult drifted in like a lullaby as She Sells Sanctuary echoed around the room.

"If you want more you gotta let us know," Astbury instructed. Shrieks of wolf whistles and chanting reached deafening proportions. Before long, The Cult returned for a three-song encore. Astbury let down his hair and thrashed into their Hidden City hit GOAT followed by Peace Dog. The Cult's classic Love Removal Machine concludes their set.

The now-pumped and somewhat deafened middle-aged punters decked in black band merch, worn and faded but treasured, file out of HQ wide-eyed and electrified.