Currently celebrating 20 years of their debut album 'Get Born' with a national tour, Jet's electrifying stop in Adelaide (22 September) was a jubilant celebration of enduring rock & roll energy and shared musical history.
Openers Pacific Avenue set the stage with an invigorating, feel-good summertime rock aura.Lead vocalist Harry O'Brien's distinct and commanding vocals, combined with the band's supremely talented musicianship created an infectious atmosphere, stapled together with supremely satisfying songwriting chops.
During 'Devotion' the band shifted up a gear, with heavily distorted guitar solos roaring to life, infusing the room with an intense garage-jam vibe.
Pacific Avenue's performance, although somewhat formulaic, never ceased to engage the audience with their consistently anthemic choruses.
Pacific Avenue - image © Mike Lockheart
The unexpected twist of an ABBA cover, 'Dancing Queen' bore resemblance to Queen's iconic sound, featuring octaved guitar tones and operatic vocal deliveries.
Their closing number, 'Something Good', was nothing short of glorious, boasting even greater anthemic qualities and featuring lead guitar licks executed with finesse, including an impressive guitar flourish played behind the head of lead guitarist Ben Fryer, an enigmatic showman whose star shone brightly.
Revelling in delight just to be opening for Jet, the band even proclaimed their own history with Jet's 'Get Born', thereby joining the ranks of feverishly impassioned fan, just like we were.
As Jet took to the stage, they were greeted by an audience unable to contain their excitement, resulting in an endless chorus of fans singing along to every single word from start to finish, their voices nearly as resounding as the band's.
The band's charismatic members, including frontman Nic Cester, bassist Mark Wilson, and guitarist Cameron Muncey, exuded genuine joy while performing their signature hits, evidently still delighting in the visible impact it has over audiences to this day.
Jet - image © Mike Lockheart
Adding to the experience, Louis Macklin provided keys, delivering a luxurious classic rock organ sound that enriched the overall sonic tapestry of the performance and adding an extra dimension to the beloved hits of the 2000s.
At its core, what really resounded was the shared history of the audience. Regardless of border or nationality, 'Get Born' evidently provided the soundtrack to many lives.
This Australian rock classic has left an indelible mark on the collective memory, making this 20th anniversary tour all the more special, but also provided a rare opportunity for a true cross section of society to gather together under one roof in Hindley Street Music Hall.
The audience's connection to the music was profound, and the lyrics resonated with the crowd on a personal level, whether for pure nostalgia's sake, or as I suspect, were a cornerstone of many important memories of yesteryear.
Songs like 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' and 'Look What You've Done' indeed evoked powerful emotions, transporting everyone back to a time when these tracks had become the soundtrack of their lives.
Jet - image © Mike Lockheart
Breathing new life in longtime staples of Jet's live repertoire, songs like 'Get What You Need' saw lead guitarist Muncey tear through riffs with an amplified tone nothing short of gnarly, with a gritty, electrifying edge.
This added an extra layer of intensity to the already charged atmosphere and stirred up some frenzy throughout the show.
However, it was their performance 'Cold Hard Bitch' that broke the levee, with a seismic sing-along shaking the rafters of the Hall, leaving a spine-tingling sensation only to be surpassed by closer 'Rip It Up'.
More photos from the show.
