Hot on the heels of finishing up a new record in Berlin, and signing a new global publishing deal with BMG, legendary Trio The Living End hit Sydney’s Lansdowne on Tuesday night and The Gasometer in Melbourne on Wednesday for two secret intimate gigs as they debuted tracks off their next, yet-to-be-titled LP.
In their first shows since A Day on the Green gigs in March, and their first Australian club shows of the year, the intimate gigs were a chance for the group to tease what they’ve been working on in Berlin – some of which (e.g. “Drop The Needle”) they debuted in the same city back in February. But their Sydney show saw the group debut three more tracks expected to be released on the next album, the forthcoming single “Don’t Lose It”, “Proton Pill” and “Wake Up The Vampires”. “Higher Ground” and “On the Other Side”, which were played in Berlin, didn’t make the setlist here.
Things opened up at both shows with “What’s on Your Radio?” and “Roll On” to get the crowd moving, with the trio proving to be in fine form. This should be no surprise, but it’s ever the more impressive given the length between drinks… and the fact it’s a Tuesday night. But, after playing what is arguably the band’s biggest song, they acknowledged, “we’re not here to play the old shit… this is what we’ve been up to”, jumping into “Don’t Lose It”, a new track which featured the group’s traditional catchy riffs against a rockin’ backdrop.
They shared some stories of Berlin as they played other new tracks like “Proton Pill”, and snuck in a cover of The Beatles’ “Help”. A group, it’s worth noting, who made their many of their first waves in the clubs of Hamburg. Another new one, “Wake Up the Vampires” proved a chance for Chris to shred, and as they jumped between songs new and old, they showed off some excellent new tunes, while taking fans on a trip down memory lane.
While both sets in Melbourne and Sydney were largely the same, the hometown show in Melbourne added in a special closer of “Uncle Harry” off of Roll On.
There’s no word yet on when the new album will release, nor its title, but chances are we’ll see it before the year is over. The album’s first single “Don’t Lose It”, which featured amongst the set, should be out soon, with the shows serving as its official launch.
SYDNEY SETLIST:
What’s on Your Radio?
Roll On
Don’t Lose It (First Time Played Live)
From Here on In
Help! (The Beatles)
Drop the Needle
Resist
What Would You Do?
Proton Pill (First Time Played Live)
Wake Up the Vampires (First Time Played Live)
Long Live the Weekend
Second Solution
Monkey
MELBOURNE SETLIST:
What’s on Your Radio?
Roll On
Don’t Lose It
From Here on In
Help! (The Beatles)
Drop the Needle
Resist
What Would You Do?
Wake Up the Vampires
Monkey
Proton Pill
Second Solution
Long Live the Weekend
Uncle Harry
Photo Credit: Billy Zammit (Taken at The Lansdowne Hotel on 19th June 2018)
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