Live Review: The Smith Street Band, The Menzingers, Grim Fandango, Regrets

Newcomers Regrets open the show, playing to a small crowd curious to see this project featuring members of some sadly gone bands including A Death In The Family and The Hawaiian Islands. Their set is full of excellent, blistering post-hardcore(ish) songs.

Next up is WA band Grim Fandango, one of Perth's best kept secrets. They mostly play songs from last year's Flicker Noise, with quicker songs such as Garden Hose getting a few people dancing. The Smith Street Band frontman Wil Wagner gets up to sing Too Punk To Drive at the end of the set. The song ends with Wagner and Grim Fandango singer/guitarist Tom Ware hugging.

The Menzingers have come all the way from Scranton, Pennsylvania for this tour and are making the most of it. Their set comes mostly from their 2012 breakout album On The Impossible Past. Album opener Good Things serves as an excellent set opener too, kicking off the first of many singalongs for the crowd members already familiar with the band. Guitarist/singer Tom May is all but unstoppable, bounding around the stage whenever he's not singing. The crowd is a bit subdued, but their closing song The Obituaries gets people moving, fists thrown in the air and everyone shouting along.

“Let's not go to work tomorrow!” exclaims Wagner, as The Smith Street Band kick into Postcodes (For People Who Will Not Arrest Me) to open their second sold out Corner Hotel show. The crowd take no issue with this and almost immediately the front section becomes a swirl of bodies thrown around without care, each song attracting a barrage of crowd-surfers. Near-constant touring for the last few years has turned The Smith Street Band into a well-oiled machine without any of the burnout that often results in a band going through the motions.

Wagner's relatable lyrics clearly resonate with the crowd; there's scarcely a moment where people aren't shouting along. During Ducks Fly Together, he steps back from the mic to let the crowd cover the, “I've got ciggies” line. “I love you!” he responds, with a smile. Wagner's passion and cheeriness rub off equally on both his bandmates and crowd members; everyone in the room looks thrilled to be here. The show ends with Wagner triumphantly holding up his guitar and repeatedly yelling, “Thank you!” as Get High, See Mice comes to a frantic end. People are tired and sore, throats hoarse from shouting. The Smith Street Band's guitarist Lee Hartney tries to help someone get their beanie back, while other punters have lost shoes. Monday morning is only a few hours away, but none of that matters because, when experiencing bands this vital and passionate, everything feels great.