In one of the most perfectly paired co-headline tours, The Story So Far and Basement took over The Gov (22 April) to a sold-out crowd.
Both bands released their respective fourth albums in 2018 and they were finally ready to share them with Australia.
Adelaide locals Madura Green eased into the night with their slow tempo, indie, grunge rock sound. The sold-out venue was nearly full for the early support act and it was well deserved.
Madura Green were a great complement for the more laid-back songs in The Story So Far and Basement’s discography. However, the occasional surprise of hardcore screaming and clean vocals from Madura Green’s drummer to contrast vocalist Jordan’s mellow tones was a distinct highlight of the set in songs like ‘She’ll Be Right’ and ‘Sorry We’re Not Hiring’.
The peak of their short set list was the new, unreleased track ‘Popsicle’ that encapsulated and polished everything the band had to offer over a massively catchy guitar line.
Despite some technical issues at the start, Sydney’s Endless Heights managed to hit their stride by their third song ‘Run’. With a mix of hardcore and epic rock, Endless Heights performed songs from their latest album ‘Vicious Pleasure’.
The band also pulled out an unexpected cover of Tears For Fears’ 1985 hit ‘Head Over Heels’ to the surprise, admiration and some confusion from parts of the audience.
Basement truly got the crowd moving for the first time of the night by opening straight into ‘Disconnect’ from their latest album. Basement’s set was frantic from front to back with no lulls.
Since their hiatus, Basement have been kind to Australia with frequent tours. Basement supported AFI also at The Gov a year and a half ago and were now owning the stage as headliners in front of the sold-out venue.
The band continued for a tight, 50-minute set, keeping the momentum strong as they played popular hits across their four-album discography with songs from 2012’s ‘Colourmeinkindness’ keeping the energy in the mosh pit high while ‘Crickets Throw Their Voice’ from 2011 had some of the biggest screams of the night.
With a balanced set of old and new, the band ended with one of their biggest songs ‘Promise Everything’ to a massive roar from the crowd.
The Story So Far have slowly evolved their musical style, moving from their early pop-punk days to their rockier self-titled album and 2018’s ‘Proper Dose’. The band now has an interesting set list of wild and rough pop-punk anthems such as ‘Quicksand’ and ‘Roam’, plus slow ballads like ‘Take Me As You Please’ and ‘Upside Down’.
It’s a balanced mix of everything a TSSF fan would want, spread evenly over their set for circle pit thrashing and dreamy sing-alongs. Although the crowd favourites seemed to be from the early albums, the newer singles still got everyone in the room shouting back at the band.
Ending the night on 2015’s ‘Nerve’, The Story So Far capped off the evening with the perfect blend of pop punk and rock. This co-headline tour might be one of the best pairings in recent years for alternative music fans.
