Live Review: Spiderbait, Tired Lion

It was not hard to see why Tired Lion took out the J Award for Best Unearthed Artist of 2015 as they banged Suck to open their set at The Gov. Charismatic frontwoman Sophie Hopes brings back classic '90s rock with her smoky strong vocals and vibrant stage presence and sets this band apart from other rockers on the rise. As well as Spiderbait's 25th anniversary show, it was the 25th birthday of Tired Lion guitarist Matt Tanner, who, as a birthday gift to the crowd, let slip after an onstage rum shot that the band are to release another album this year.

However great their stage buddies, none have been as big a name as '90s legends Spiderbait. The three-piece, originally hailing from Finley in NSW, are no strangers to a live set, and this being the last show in their string of 25th anniversary tour dates they were out for a big night. The show started with a projected montage of videos from the last two-and-a-half decades of the band touring and impressed upon the crowd the true status of the rock legends that were about to perform. Janet English, shoeless and rocking her "The Fuzz" tee-shirt, managed to show her age only once, when she let a scowl slip at the ten-odd middle-aged men baring pot bellies as they crowd surfed to Buy Me A Pony.

They don't sing about the big issues, with songs about sausage rolls, cars, footy and getting pissed, but Kram's drumming is oh so tight and the wall of sound created by the guitars is heavy. It's no wonder Spiderbait are still touring after 25 years — their live sound is so much better than anything that could be caught on recording. This is not music you want to listen to alone, this is music you want to be pushed around in a moshpit to, with plenty of mates and plenty of beer — and that is exactly what the Gov delivered.