It’s been far too long since The Struts have been on Australian shores. The momentum they were building pre Covid was amazing so now it’s time for them to get it back and I can guarantee they bloody well will.
Opening tonight is Bad Moon Born and they’re just always impressive in my opinion. It’s just awesome to have a bluesy rock type band with a harder edge in Sydney and they know how to play. These guys are great. I’m stoked they’re back and I look forward to seeing them many more times throughout the year.
It’s a warm one in here and about to get hotter. The intro plays and the band hits the stage and immediately everyone is into it singing the opener ‘Dirty Sexy Money’ back to the stage. The band sound great and this is going to be an amazing night. There’s just an energy about this band that you can’t explain and it’s evident from the get go. Geth sets the scene for ‘Body Talks’ and the energy stays at a ten, this is one hell of a catchy track and with a rockin’ outro this is peak energy this early but I can guarantee this isn’t going to waiver at all. We head to the bands latest album with ‘Fallin With Me’ and it’s so good to hear a new one and hopefully not the last tonight. “Meet at the Rainbow, 9:45”. Oh man, 2020 flashbacks I think I’m still hungover. Looking around the room this is an amazing welcome back to The Struts who have not been here since 2019 and they are ready to raise some hell as we stay with Pretty Vicious for ‘Too Good At Raising Hell’ and it’s so full of love in the room that this is outstanding. Man, this band is tight and the sound is so full and it’s just impressive how great they are. Hearing that track this early in was awesome.
The band intro ‘Kiss This’ and the groove just keeps on grooving with some much deserved applause that let the band bask in it for a minute. That doesn’t last long though as it’s time for ‘Rockstar’ and again I feel like some of these new tracks were made for the stage and here we are, I was right. We sing along and the band continue to feed from us and it’s so great to see. ‘All Dressed Up (With Nowhere To Go)’ is up next and that keeps the fun up. The lights go out by request of Luke and the phones come out to light up the room and it looks amazing. Adam and Luke stay on stage to throw it back to the first album with an amazing version of ‘Mary Go Round’ and that was awesome to be a part of. Jed and Geth return to turn things back up for one of my fave Struts tracks in ‘Primadonna Like Me’ and it’s just as amazing live as I remember it. What a song, and like I said at the start the energy has not dropped in the slightest. These guys know how to do it and they do it so well.
Adam is shredding away before the bluesiest track in bands catalogue kicks in which is ‘Wild Child’ and the mix is perfect. The bass is cutting through and keeping that groove up before it explodes into a jam and without missing a beat back into the track to close it off. No
Introduction needed for ‘Pretty Vicious’ and for me hearing this live for the first time is a treat. What a track. Staying with the latest album and an emotionally charged version ‘I Won’t Run’ and when it kicked in I’m happy, as I wasn’t sure what we’d get from the new album and this one is a treat. Easily one of my favourites on the record, and I’m happy. That was a huge highlight tonight.
Going back old school with ‘Where Did She Go’ and arms are waving and not only hasn’t the band dipped in energy nor has the crowd. This is just what live music is all about. The key change remains and that makes me even happier! With some “oh yeahs” we’re ready for ‘Put Your Money On Me’ and it’s as high energy as the first track, these “classic” tracks just hit different and there’s just love. Breaking the track down for band introductions with some awesome crowd control by the band and I must say that we sound good. Getting everyone down on the ground to jump up is always fun and they close out ‘Put Your Money On Me’. What a track.
Closing out this amazing set with ‘Could Have Been Me’ and of course it’s the only way it could end. The perfect song that still had everyone in the palm of their hand. I can’t fault tonight, this is what a live show should be, and every box was ticked tonight on what to do as a band. They are easily one of the best live bands out there today, and I urge you to see them now before they make it to the arenas and or stadiums they deserve to be in.
“Ladies and gentlemen remember the name THE STRUTS”
Trust me.
Catch THE STRUTS at their remaining headline show
WEDNESDAY 28 FEBRUARY – MAX WATTS, MELBOURNE
Tickets from destroyalllines.com
And with SLASH FEAT. MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS:
THE RIVER IS RISING – REST OF THE WORLD TOUR ’24
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS THE STRUTS & ROSE TATTOO
TOUR DATES:
THURSDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2024 – ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, ADELAIDE
SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2024 – HORDERN PAVILION, SYDNEY
SUNDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2024 – RIVERSTAGE, BRISBANE
TUESDAY 27 FEBRUARY – JOHN CAIN ARENA, MELBOURNE
Tickets on sale now from destroyalllines.com
Essential Information
Venue: Crowbar
Date: February 21, 2024
Presented by: Destroy All Lines, TEG MJR
Supported By: Bad Moon Born
Website: http://www.thestruts.com
Set List:
Dirty Sexy Money
Body Talks
Fallin’ With Me
Too Good At Raising Hell
Kiss This
Rockstar
All Dressed Up (With Nowhere To Go)
Mary Go Round
Primadonna Like Me
Wild Child
Pretty Vicious
I Won’t Run
Where Did She Go
Put Your Money On Me
Could Have Been Me
