The streets of Newtown are absolutely packed as I make my way down Enmore Rd. It's hot and humid and there are people everywhere.
It's the middle of World Pride and the LGBTIQA+ community, as they always do, have turned it on and are showing the rest of us all how to have a good time. Newtown is colourful and bright and even though I am sweating up a storm, the atmosphere is electric.As I get closer to the venue, the Pride colours start dissipating amongst a swarth of black and blacker-black band tees, tattoos, and denim.
I feel like it's 2005 again and I'm hoping to hear '.44 Calibre Love Letter' and the new fan favourite 'Accidents'.
Though I may be feeling nostalgic, Alexisonfire are certainly not. They released a new record in 2022, 'Otherness', and insist they "aren't content in being the nostalgia act", that they're only coming back because they still have something to say.
Luca Brasi hit the stage to a fairly full room (20 February), and it's immediately clear this isn't the triple j, Splendour crowd they're used to.
They do have some vocal fans in the crowd, but it does take a while for the band and the rest of crowd to warm up.
The Tasmanian quartet play a uniquely Australian brand of indie punk-rock, very reminiscent of Bodyjar. The hooks are catchy and the band are tight.
Being tour and festival pros for over a decade clearly has paid off and there is a casual nonchalance to their performance. Frontman and bassist, Tyler Richardson greeting the crowd with a "howzitfukengarn?".
After a short, sharp entertaining set including fan favourite 'Anything Near Conviction', some quite adorable banter and questionable beer choices, Luca Brasi win the crowd over just by being so goddamn endearing.
With an "Alright, this is from our hearts!", Alexisonfire kick into the opening track from their 2006 album 'Crisis' and they aren't kidding.
From the onset they put everything into their performance and at first, it is just not landing. The mix isn't quite right, the lights are almost obnoxious, and I'm a little confused. It feels like they're still learning to navigate the band's post reformation live dynamic and just who is the frontman seems to be up for debate.
By the time early highlight 'Sweet Dreams Of Otherness' kicks in, the initial burst of pure excitement seems to have settled and the members feel more aligned.
By the end of the track, Alexisonfire look and sound like a band who have been touring for 22 years and the dynamic between members feels much better and more natural.
From here they don't look back and power through cuts from every album, a reverb-drenched guitar jam in the dreamy church-like 'The Northern' is a personal highlight.
A three-song encore closes out the set with 'Accidents', 'This Could Be Anywhere In The World' and showstopper 'Happiness By The Kilowatt', much to the crowd's delight.
At times tonight, the songs seem washed in a City And Colour hue, and it is all the better for it. They give a few songs some extra time to breathe, they extend and jam on sections and can really show off a very high level of musicianship. These guys can really play.
For my money, the best thing about tonight was the pure joy the band seemed to have creating music together after all these years. Just a bunch of old friends, having fun and putting on one hell of a show.
