Live Review: Shihad, The Snowdroppers

Walking into a high energy Hi-Fi proves Melbourne's Money For Rope just executed a satisfying set, which we've sadly missed. Cheeky Sydney blues band The Snowdroppers is fronted by easy-on-the-eyes Johnny Wishbone. They pounce into a foot-stomping set as Wishbone eyeballs every woman in the room and, while he erotically shakes his bulging bits, we are more than ready for the climax.

An older, antsy crowd are clearly pumped for tonight's headliners as demonstrated when each member of the New Zealand band comes on stage to do their “one-two, one-two”'s. The front row crew secure their places while modelling various Shihad t-shirts from the band's 24-year career. As the mosh chants, “SHI-HAD! SHI-HAD!” the four men in black walk on stage. The audio timeline begins with frontman Jon Toogood announcing, “We wrote this song when we were 15 years old.” The Metallica-esque tune sees the moshpit erupt and those not prepared for the hurricane scurry to safety on the surrounding steps. A chugging riff introduces You Again, from the album Killjoy, which is the first song of the set recognised by the masses. Bass player Karl Kippenberger cues a fierce head-bang with each grunt.

An overwhelmed Toogood studies the crowd as we enter the third chapter of the band's journey: the Shihad album. Although there's more crowd sing-alongs with opening track Home Again followed by Hate Boys, Toogood's attempt at audience participation is disappointing to say the least. He's left to his own devices onstage as bandmates Kippenberger, Phil Knight and Tom Larkin all take a breather. Toogood's delicate frame is silhouetted against moody purple lights as we hear Brightest Star, the closing track to Shihad's most successful album to date, The General Electric. The room becomes a sea of smart-phone glow as this song echoes throughout. It's clear that 90% of the crowd have spun this record more than once with tracks such as My Mind's Sedate and Just Like Everybody Else inspiring even the lazy folk who are settled safely in front of the bar to tap their feet.

Launching the Pacifier era, the fist/head bang combination is now in full swing in the mosh. Toogood is solo again, giving his comrades another breather, and delivers an acoustic version of the hit single Run, which is a tribute to his father. You can feel the lumps building in everyone's throats. The 'new' chapter allows us a well-deserved breather and lost shoes are re-homed in the moshpit.