A lot can change in ten years. Economics, politicians, relationships, the ability of your football team to win four grand finals in a row. What hasn’t changed though is the quality of The Gaslight Anthem‘s live show. Returning to Australian shores for the first time in a decade, the New Jersey band, led by frontman Brian Fallon, crushed their return to our shores and made it pretty clear they weren’t here just for a holiday. In town as part of Good Things Festival, the touring six-piece played to a packed out Liberty Hall, and from the get-go really got the crowd moving with a selection of classics and new tracks.
Opening with fan favourite “Handwritten” from their album of the same name, the vibes were high and crowd willing, before “American Slang” made an appearance and set the night on a positive trajectory. Rounding out the first stanza of the set with “Biloxi Parish”, Fallon took the time to welcome and thank the crowd before indulging everyone in attendance with how much he loves but is also scared of Australians. The second run of songs included the rollicking “The Patient Ferris Wheel”, “We Came to Dance”, 2023’s “Positive Charge” (from their return album History Books), and “Mae”.
One thing you notice about the band, irrespective of how many times you see them, is how in tune they seem with each other. Despite going on indefinite hiatus in 2015 and only formally returning full-time in 2022, it felt like they never really left and didn’t miss a beat. Having last seen them in Boston in October 2022, it was great to see they hadn’t lost the enthusiasm they put on that night, and if anything, really took it all to the next level. The middle stages of the set took a slower, more solemn tone with “Michigan, 1975”, “Mulholland Drive”, and “Sweet Morphine” all getting a run, before the night took its last turn for home and kicked it up another gear once more.
Fallon’s banter on stage was loose but respectful, willingly engaging the crowd about discussions of incense, Australia’s deadly wildlife, lack of encores, and his own pelvic floor strength (you had to be there). This lighthearted tone enamoured him and the band to the crowd, who really appreciated the band choosing to play a Tuesday night in their city. Closing the night out with “Howl”, “Miles Davis and the Cool”, “45”, the all-timer “The ’59 Sound” and “Backseat”, the band thanked the crowd one last time before exiting the stage.
The Gaslight Anthem’s set was clean and thorough, yet incredibly efficient. Playing 19 songs in less than 90 minutes really is bang-for-buck in today’s time-poor society. If you’re headed along to Good Things this weekend, make sure you make an effort to see The Gaslight Anthem. They’re worth your time, even after a ten-year absence.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
The Gaslight Anthem play Good Things Festival this weekend. For more details, head here.
Header image credit: Kelsey Ayres in Berlin
