Live Review: Violent Soho, The Smith Street Band, Paper Arms - The Gov

T-shirts were quickly lapped up and donned, and Soho's Blazin' Skull logo soon leered from all corners of the room. Maybe it was the rain that instilled frenzy in everyone there? Or the fact that tickets sold out so quickly and were almost impossible to come by.

Adelaide locals Paper Arms kicked things off, playing an energetic set to a packed-out room. The boys had just come off a tour in Europe, and were visibly thrilled to be playing to a home crowd.

By the time The Smith Street Band came onto the stage, the mosh pit was already in uproar. “You're crowdsurfing already!” laughed lead singer Wil Wagner, as an eager punter rose up before the first song had even started. The band's unique folk/rock sound made for a truly spellbinding performance. Wagner's lyrics are just so honest, so relatable, so Australian. He had the crowd yelling themselves hoarse to the tracks Ducks Fly Together and Don't Fuck With Our Dreams from the new EP, as well as to an old favourite, Young Drunk.

Violent Soho took to the stage, and immediately praised Adelaide on a couple of things: for being the only all ages show on the tour, and for being extremely 420 friendly. The quartet dove straight into their Hungry Ghost record with a raucous energy that the crowd dealt back tenfold. A highlight saw the band giving a salute of sorts to the current Prime Minister, before playing their breakout song of 2013, Covered In Chrome. During Love Is A Heavy Word, vocals and guitar were murmured, until the chorus catapulted things back into dangerous decibels. The energy in the room may have dimmed somewhat during ballads OK Cathedral and Saramona Said, but returned with a vengeance for an encore of Muscle Junkie.

Punters left with all the signs of an unforgettable gig: soaking shirts, ringing ears and aching throats. Violent Soho return to The Gov on 16 Jul, with Luca Brasi on support duties.