Live Review: Tired Lion, Good Dogs

Brisbane's beloved live music haunt The Zoo is steadily filling with punters mainly sporting black T-shirts, denim jackets and floral dresses, all buzzing ahead of what promises to be a raucous set from Perth's latest prized rock export, Tired Lion.

Still riding high on the release of their debut album Dumb Days almost a year ago, tonight's sold-out show is testament to the ever-growing popularity of Tired Lion's infectious, '90s-esque grunge anthems and their hunger to be on the road - it's only been a fortnight since they slayed the main stage at Big Pineapple Music Festival.

An energetic supporting set from fellow west-coast rockers Good Doogs has some near the stage getting sweaty, but a setlist severely lacking in variation and paired with an at-times painful guitar tone sees most checking their phones or making several trips to the bar.

However, the crowd change their tune by the time Tired Lion bound on stage, greeting the quartet with a heaving mosh from the very first strums and crashing cymbals.

Explosive frontwoman Sophie Hopes shows no signs of the illness that forced the band to cancel their Sydney show the night before, her voice and all-too-relatable lyricism powerfully cutting through in Agoraphobia and Not My Friends.

While Hopes and bassist Nick Vasey command most of the stage, the new guitarist's subtle lead breaks and flurries of distortion ensure that each heavy number isn't just full of thrashing hair and punished strings.

Taking a well-deserved breather, Hopes states, "Brisbane has become my new favourite place," and jokingly asks her bandmates if they're up for moving to the river city before they blast into a spirited rendition of their Dumb Days gem Fresh.

After eating a pizza that's delivered to the stage - citing that it's been on their bucket list for years - Hopes invites Good Doogs up for a surprise cover of Smash Mouth's meme-hit All Star. With the crowd now absolutely in a frenzy, I Don't Think You Like Me and Tired Lion's latest single Where Were You? see limbs flying and crowd surfers appearing from every direction.

Hopes then introduces Cinderella Dracula with an anecdote of how one-night stands inspired the song, before the crowd turn animalistic as the band pound out the night's heaviest and rowdiest track - the song's "Da-nah-dah" vocal refrained passionately screamed in unison by us all.

The band then leave the stage and the house lights come on, signalling a premature end to a set that had just reached its climax. Unfortunately, Hopes' voice isn't able to hold up for an encore, much to the disappointment of those in The Zoo who are not aware of the singer's recent health issues.

Tired Lion are an absolute force to be reckoned with live and, with a debut album that keeps offering up strong singles, it won't be long until the Perth four-piece are rocking the roofs off Australia's largest venues.