Live Review + Gallery | Violent Soho @ Enmore Theatre

Matt Wellham

After years of photographing and filming the London music scene, Matt’s now based in Sydney, Australia. A lover of the post-punk and alternative movement, he can usually be found in the grassroots venues, camera in one hand and a beer in the other.

Violent Soho returned to Sydney with a deafening, sweat-soaked set that proved why they remain one of Australia’s greatest live bands.

After a four-year indefinite hiatus, Violent Soho made their way back to the live stage, stopping off at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre to remind everyone why they’re still one of Australia’s best alternative bands.

Formed in 2004 in the Brisbane suburb of Mansfield, Violent Soho quickly established themselves as one of Australia’s greatest live acts. What followed was a career spanning more than 20 years, five studio albums, two ARIA Awards and multiple Platinum and Gold certifications, including Double Platinum for ‘Covered in Chrome’.

Now it was time to write a fresh chapter, kicking off a six-date East Coast run with two nights at the Enmore Theatre. Four years after saying goodbye, the band stepped back onto the stage to a room where you could almost taste the anticipation.

As the front row squished in a few more members, the scrim placed in front of the stage was lit by a spotlight, revealing the silhouettes of the band and sending the audience’s screams ringing out around the theatre. Then the heavy riff of ‘How to Taste’ flared out, the screen dropped, and the old familiar faces of Violent Soho were revealed.

Bassist Luke Henery created a cyclone of hair as he spun himself around the stage, his bass thundering at all times while the strobes behind him spat tubes of light into the crowd. Tucked at the back, drummer Michael Hardy snapped the skins, as the large LED screen behind him played animated scenes of the band’s classic skater-style visuals.

‘Vacation Forever’, ‘Lying on the Floor’ and ‘Blanket’ blurred by in a furious, non-stop mosh as the crowd sweated, spun and lifted themselves onto each other’s shoulders to surf along the sea of heads.

Looking up at The Enmore’s balcony during ‘Viceroy’, the seated areas had become a meandering mass of thrashing heads, with the crowd leaning over the railings and belting every lyric back at lead singer Luke Boerdam.

It was a collection of 30-plus-year-old alternative fans, teary-eyed and smiles wide, all here to relive their teenage years, when life was a little simpler, the jeans were a little tighter and the clothing wasn’t called vintage.

Violent Soho weren’t holding back on the hits, working their way through the essentials from across their five records. ‘Kamikaze’, ‘Jesus Stole My Girlfriend’, ‘Like Soda’ and, of course, ‘Covered in Chrome’ all made an appearance.

Looking down from the balcony during ‘Covered in Chrome’ was a sight to behold. That staple “HELL FUCK YEAH” rang out and the crowd absolutely lost it. From above, it looked like an array of ants as the entire room shifted forwards, backwards and side to side in twisting, unreliable patterns. Friends fell upon each other and strangers were there ready to pick them back up and toss them straight back into the mix.

By the time the band reached the closing run of the set, the Enmore had become one giant, heaving mass of sweat and noise. ‘Tinderbox’, a heavy, edgy track driven by Sonic Youth-like melodies, brought the night to its final surge as flashes of orange and gold blared across the stage, lighting up a crowd that was now completely soaked in mosh-pit sweat.

This journey down memory lane was the perfect reminder of why Violent Soho remains one of Australia’s best alternative offerings. Sharp tunes, catchy riffs and a following that’s every bit as friendly as it is feral.