The crowds who line up at Melbourne's PICA are always infectious; today, even more so as we eagerly await doors opening to see what Australian icons TISM have in-store.
When the doors open, we see a very odd layout – there's three stages all lined up in a semicircle on the righthand side of the warehouse-turned-concert venue. It's going to be a long day (2 May), with doors opening at 2pm.
At 2:30pm we're treated to a live recording, spectacularly done as always, of TISM's show at Sidney Myer Music Bowl in 2024, as part of the release of their 'Death To Art Live At Sidney Myer Music Bowl' project.
It's a long one, going an hour and a half into the day, but the moment the recording ends we receive an ear-catching note from the first band – Sandy Dish. A solid half-hour set with some unhinged stories and a track I'm not sure was pro- or anti-CFMEU.
Singer Brook and bassist Tilly lead the band through a roaring, high-energy set that revved the crowd up with songs like 'Vape Boi' and 'Big In Eastern Europe', as well as the first cover of a TISM song, 'Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me'.
Sandy Dish - image © Connor Mackinnon
Right as they ended, almost in sync, Large Mirage, who supported AC/DC at their Sydney leg last November, hit us with great and funky basslines taking the stage as the crowd rushes from one side to the other.
I don't know much about them, but hearing Kolya and Blake trading riffs through the set have easily made me a fan. Blessedly we are hit with a short, ten-minute interlude before the next band, Hot Machine.
An all-female rock outfit, they crash onto the smaller stage at the back of the venue, but by no means did that limit their presence or their hype.
From the first note, Jess and Sarsha shred on the guitar like expensive cheese on a grater – that is to say flawlessly and smoothly, leaving sonic remnants bouncing through the crowd.
Hot Machine - image © Connor Mackinnon
Sammy backs this all up on vocals that had me singing along more than I was taking photos. Another brief interlude then entering from stage right, comes Dr Sure's Unusual Practice, Dr Sure wearing a giant head of a figure I can't quite place.
He's followed earnestly by his Unusual Practice, immediately launching into tracks that captivate you on all levels. We are treated to a great set, a lot of tracks I haven't heard before, with everyone moving about the stage and having fun.
I highly recommend you to follow this group as they have a lot of very, very good messaging and catchy tracks to back it all up.
After an interlude that didn't feel long at all, Drunk Mums come crashing onto the stage melting faces and breaking hearts with a chaotic set that saw me thrown around the photo pit in a truly great way; I don't think I'll miss their next show, filled with powerful vocals, even stronger drums and chest-crushing guitar.
Drunk Mums - image © Connor Mackinnon
Finally we reach the last support act, The Bel Air Lip Bombs who hail from Frankston.
They gave a delightful indie rock sing-along with phenomenal stage presence and crowd interaction. They felt right in their element playing to such a large crowd and I truly hope they see similar turnouts to their upcoming shows.
Then the final act begins. The lights dim, the crowd murmur, we all face the stage, hoping to finally stay in a single direction. We were wrong.
In classic TISM fashion, they start the show behind us, at the back of the venue, everyone spinning around to catch Ron Hitler-Barassi and Humphrey B. Flaubert catch our attention with 'Old Skool TISM', the crowd immediately launching into a fervour that's been building all day.
We dance and we sing through this first surprising set, before they disappear off stage after duking it out to 'I'll 'Ave Ya', only to reappear seemingly instantly on the main stage, snapping our necks around in the process.
We breeze through a second set of tracks beginning with the age old question: 'What Nationality Is Les Murray?', which to this day I'm not sure anyone knows (we do, but the mystery is half the fun).
They then seamlessly moved into mourning some of Richmond's greatest players in ''70's Football'. True to form, we all learned a variety of new C words, including 'The "C" Word'.
TISM - image © Connor Mackinnon
Traversing the hidden laneway behind the crowd, they appear on the rear stage again, and we are treated to an alternate version of '40 Years - Then Death' titled '14 years' tonight – as the band get older that number gets lower.
Back to the main stage; the band ask us what's worse: death or Amway (and I think we all agree it's Amway). Then we finally get to what we've been waiting for as hundreds of voices sing in unison about poor Greg running that stop sign way back when.
After asking us rather rhetorically what we are (we're all wankers after all), the lights explode across all three stages and we are positively flooded with TISM members – past, present and upcoming as well as their associated clones – while we get our ears and faces melted by a country version of 'Defecate On My Face'.
Next is a TISM Easter egg of sorts with a live performance of fan favourite 'TISM Are Sh.t'; the first time the band have performed the song since 2004.
What can only be described as a light-based melee, the crowd then comes together for '(He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River', every person in attendance singing in roaring unison; even the security were grooving along to it.
TISM - image © Connor Mackinnon
Closing the night with an auditory hallucination we have another melee, but this time it's TISM on TISM violence while we 'Give Up For Australia'. The lights fall one final time and the stages empty.
It seems much like their burgeoning interest in apathy, they have lost interest with the lifestyle and would rather sink beers in the green room, but who can really blame them after the run around we've all been on tonight.
TISM are one of, in my opinion, the most musically important bands in Melbourne's, maybe even Australia's history, having not so much paved, but forced their way (as any good alt-rock band does) into our homes and hearts via the radio and TV, and now, blessedly, on YouTube as well as a reissue campaign for their records.
They have done so much to allow us the space to all be weird and experimental with our music that this show will easily rate as one of my favourite shows I have ever been too.
If you somehow have never listened to them, I strongly recommend you cease that disservice and get onto it. They're groundbreaking, even 30 years after they started. Ask your mum, ask your dad, they'll have recommendations for you.
