Live Review: Grinspoon at The Star

With a tour based around one of the most influential discographies in Aussie rock, Grinspoon are back with a whirlwind of nostalgic anthems and a kicker of a line-up. “Chemical Hearts” being released 17 years ago, a whole generation of fans are buzzing to see the local legends, and not to mention the connivence of their tour stopping off at The Star in the heart of the Gold Coast - you’d be crazy not to go.

The venue’s situated in my hometown, although I’ve never actually seen a live band at The Star. This makes me excited, but nervous hoping the night opens a doorway for more live music opportunities on the Gold Coast.
 
Arriving at the venue, the place is washed with the colour red. A massive theatre with a small standing section, the place is extremely stylish, but also very inviting. “Let’s get this place pumping!” – Bugs kickstart the night with a pop-rock style and a laid-back attitude. With songs filled with light-hearted lyrics, the three-piece Brissy locals had me singing along to songs I’d never heard.
 
Having seen The Gooch Palms once before a few years ago, I’m expecting nothing less than a go-hard attitude with some raucous antics. The duo takes to the stage in not your everyday getup, with front man Leroy Macqueen dressed in a kilt, Nike sports bra, hoop earrings and of course his fantastic orange mullet. The duo could entertain me for hours with their humorous attitude and eccentric stage persona. Leroy’s fluoro pink guitar reflects the pastel tones of the lights, as he spits up into the air and catches it in his mouth…. You could say they’re full of character. Drummer/singer Kat Friend whips her pink ponytail to the pounds of her 2-part drumkit - they’re sound, appearance and attitude fill the description of punk rock.
 
Last chance to warm up the crowd before diving into the main course on tonight’s menu and The Hard Aches are here to help. People are flooding into the venue minute by minute now, whilst the three-piece keep us occupied with a pop-rock genre.  As they power through song after song with no breaks in between, the fun-loving aura and heart-felt lyrics have the crowd thumping against each other.
 
We all know what’s next, as a curtain reflecting the pink heart symbol against an aqua backdrop appears in front of us. The thump of a heartbeat echoes the halls as the curtain drops and the crowd scream. Aussie legends and my childhood heroes - Grinspoon are here to steal the spotlight. Waltzing on stage holding hands with a giant red heart costume, front man Phil is looking extremely dashing tonight in a light grey blazer and slicked back hair. A quick contrast in appearance as they slam straight into their more punk-orientated track “DCx3”, and in a matter of seconds Phil’s hair is no longer in place but filled with sweat.
 
20 years on and the band are still fuelled with energy and as tight as ever. Phil jumps up on platform to platform, serenading us with his breathtaking vocals. Lucky for us, with a whole tour based around their greatest hits, there’s not one song that we don’t know every word to. A change of atmosphere into the fun-loving track “Just Ace”, not one person is sitting in their allocated seats, but reflecting the band’s movements, jumping to the fast-paced rhythm.
 
A moment of nostalgia when they jump into” Hard Act to Follow”. With this being one of their top hits and my favourite song at the age of 6, there’s no way anyone could keep their feet still. I mean surely, they have one bad song. It feels too good to be true!  
 
Phil pauses, “This one’s about how the music industry is filled with thieves and manipulators”, before pounding into the menacing intro of “Rock Show”. The lights mimic a blood-red sea that floods throughout the venue, as the chest thumping rhythm of “Better off Dead” rattles the floors.
 
Without a moment to think, Phil vanishes off stage whilst guitarist Pat Davern and bassist Joe Hansen jump up with the drumkit shredding amongst an aqua mist. Noticing people’s head looking towards the back of the venue, I turn around to find Phil standing on a platform in the middle of the hall jamming on his teal telecaster facing the stage. The lights go dim and a spotlight isolates him, as he serenades us with an acoustic solo version of “Sweet as Sugar”.
 
Within seconds he’s back on stage with the band, with a quick divergence in energy. Slashing into their alternative metal tracks, “Black Friday” and “Post Enebriated Anxiety”. Their energy is so intensely absorbed by the crowd, a woman even jumped on stage before she was quickly taken away by four security guards. Phil bounces after her grinning, there was a moment he locked eyes with me whilst shouting the lyrics to “1000 miles”.
 
Just when we thought the fun was over, ending the night with a remarkable cover of INXS “Don’t change” … who doesn’t love a classic encore? That familiar chiming riff starts to emerge and – yep, you guessed it, “Chemical Heart” plays and we can now die happily. Shortly followed by the grit sounds of “Champion” and “More Than You Are”, the four-piece line up bowing to the crowd, concluding the night.

Words by Chloe Magee
Photos by Dom Gould