Yellowcard @ UNSW Roundhouse Review

The Australian leg of Yellowcard's 'Lift A Sail' tour didn't kick off to a great start.

With venue and date changes to battle with, disappointingly (on the fans' part) the punk-rockers entered tonight's show (9 July) with tickets still available at the door.

You wouldn't have guessed this on the inside however, as the legion of fans was still mightily strong; shirts and jumpers branded with the letters YC dominating a mosh pit where ample standing room was only permitted on the outskirts and the loyalists weren't to be messed with (more on that later).

Mayday Parade at The Tivoli Theatre 8 July, 2015 - Image © Chris Ward

Born Lion screamed their way through their set while Mayday Parade bounced between their punk-rock winners and their soft ballads for a crowd-pleasing hour.

Click here for photos from the show.

It was obvious that allegiances in the pit were divided as I witnessed complete rows parting ways as Mayday Parade said their farewell, leaving Yellowcard fanatics the chance to move up and close to their idols.

In stereotypical fashion, Sean Mackin (violinist) opened Yellowcard's set on his strings, teasing the crowd and sending them into a two-minute submission on the back of 'Lift A Sail's opening instrumental, 'Convocation'. But the silence didn't stand long as the rest of the band chimed in for another newbie from said album, 'Transmission Home'.

There was a roar in response and for a moment it felt as though everyone present was only versed in the latest record. Then, history surfaced winding us back a number of albums to 'Lights And Sounds' and bringing the fans ever closer, ever louder.

Yellowcard at The Tivoli Theatre 8 July - Image © Chris Ward

It was also at this point when things started to become gnarly, Sean squatting down to point as if fatherlike to girls who were swabbing in the front row over who knows what triviality. Ryan Key's (lead guitar, singer) response was a little less mature, him making a joke: "how come it's always the girls who fight at our concerts?" before suggesting it was probably not ideal that the next track was another dance-worthy rock number. This one being 'Awakening', off their penultimate record.

Now it's an odd and somewhat bittersweet thing seeing a band like this grow up and mature over 15 years, but despite age there's still an uncontainable amount of energy on the stage, the band push hard on the keys and strings refusing to take a break least they not make it through their 19-song set within their one-and-a-half hour time frame.

Words were spoken but were short and no introductions were required – everyone knew who they were here to see. Surprisingly, Mackin too still worked his backflip into the mid-section of 'Way Away'.

Then, there was also this unmistakable atmosphere of gratefulness emanating across the stage, for attached to every-other song Mackin would join his hands in a prayer-like thank you, sending his love into the crowd while Key would continuously transmit appreciation for a crowd who was so responsive to their new material.

It's a rare and remarkable event to see a punk-rock band like this, from the early noughties, still continue to headline gigs halfway across the world so frequently (the last time they played Sydney was late 2013). And they know it.

They also know how to work their audience as, after ten songs, only one came from their breakout album, 'Ocean Avenue'. But patience is a wonderful thing and they do not disappoint, bringing 'Believe', 'Only One', 'Way Away' and 'Ocean Avenue' pretty much one after the other, ripping into the fans' child/ teenage hoods and making them believe all over again.

Well done boys. Till next time.

Click here for photos from the show.