Icecream Hand’s singer-guitarist Charles Jenkins gently ribbed his own age to fans gathered at The Zoo (21 March) in Brisbane.
“I’m old, so you’ll have to come to the front so I can see you,” he deadpanned.
Some time has passed between drinks for the Melbourne power-pop group. Their last reunion was a one-off in 2016, they last released an album in 2007, and Charles joked they haven’t played The Zoo “since 1901”.
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of their third album ‘Sweeter Than The Radio’, the band returned to play their classics, showing no signs of ageing.
Click here to read our recent interview with Icecream Hands.
The crowd scattered towards the nearest fans to ease the Brisbane humidity, leaving the front-of-stage bare for local rockers The Sunburys. But the band grabbed attention with their hard-chugging pub rock and Anthony Dettori’s Springsteen-influenced grunt.
The band finished their set with a roar as Anthony shook his hips as he played a wailing solo.
A powerful drumroll from Derek Smiley snapped Icecream Hands to life for opener ‘Rise, Fall, And Roll’. Charles’ reedy voice still sounded boyish, and the air became sweeter when the band harmonised the line: “See, I want it all.” Fans cheered as the final guitar chord rung, glad to hear the band still sounded the same.
Power-pop perfection came early in the form of ‘Giving It All Away’, sung by bassist Douglas Robertson. All four harmonised on the chorus, sounding heavenly together as they perfectly hit the high note each time. Having previously sounded muddy in the mix, Marcus Goodwin’s guitar beamed like sunlight for a lovely solo.
Hit songs ‘Dodgy’, ‘Nipple’, and ‘Yellow And Blue’ all appeared, but excitement came in the form of some exciting news. “The good news is we’re going to do another album,” Charles announced. “The bad news is we’re going to play a new song, so go have a smoke or go to the toilet now.”
Charles misjudged fans’ reactions to hearing new material after more than a decade as everyone stayed in place. Both new songs sounded exactly like what fans want – jangling guitars, bright melodies, and heavenly harmonies – and showed they’re still expert songwriters.
The band was celebrated upon returning for an encore, especially by one fan who met Derek’s request for a beer.
Charles strummed his acoustic, and either side of him were Derek and Douglas providing harmonies for a stripped-down version of ‘You Could Be Reported’. Even though they hit high notes earlier, the band knew their limits and requested the audience for assistance, to which they happily obliged.
No matter what mode they played in or how much time has passed, Icecream Hands still sound timeless.
