Live Review: Yellowcard, Like Torches

'The Scene' from 2006 to 2010 has come out of hiding as Max Watt's House Of Music fills with front-tied bandanas, snakebite piercings and the old faded-black band tees from our formative years. Swedish pop-punkers Like Torches spark the evening off with their heavier, bouncing tracks, which we welcome prior to having our ears popped by Yellowcard on their final world tour.

Filled with Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday and Sum 41 jams, the intermission is interrupted by a comical voiceover that mocks our usual live music interaction: "We're not telling you how to live your life, we're just simply stating that if you'd prefer to watch this big-ass rock show through your device then you're fucking blowing it!"

Crowd cheers becomes roars as Yellowcard take the stage in their uniform of black tees and tight jeans. They open with Believe, violinist Sean Mackin supplying orchestral texture to the band's pop-punk anthems. Lights And Sounds has the moshpit jumping, sweat saturating the more enthusiastic punters whose perspiration looks more pronounced under the strong illumination from the light show.

Frontman Ryan Key obviously wants us to lose our voices and this looks likely as we roar along with each song. Mentioning that he uses honey to preserve his voice, we receive confirmation of this when Key turns around and sucks from a bottle of honey. "Neck it!" one punter yells light-heartedly. The younger hunk behind the drum kit is in fact a member from this evening's opening band and Key introduces Jimmy Brunkvist ("kindly borrowed from Like Torches").

Earlier in their set, Key expressed his gratitude but keeps it going throughout the evening. "This is the first of three sold-out rock shows," Key continues of Yellowcard's Melbourne stint. "If Ocean Avenue was your jam when you were, like, 12, we've actually released six albums since then," he points out, which may come as a newsflash for some. There's an impromptu finish.

But then they're back with the inevitable encore. Our beloved Yellowcard return to perform Ocean Avenue, which makes for a sweaty, memorable finish. We leave the venue with new pop-punk memories lingering within our smiling selves.