Review: Descendents @ The Metro Theatre
Review by Natasha Christian & photos by Ben Clark
Ed’s note: While I reviewed the Sydney show, Ben’s photos are from the Melbourne show at the Forum on October 18.
Milo goes to concert.
When Descendents come to town you know you’re in for a good, good time.
In the words of Frenzal Rhomb - “I never had so much fun”.
By the end of the show at Sydney’s Metro Theatre, my foot had cramped from tapping it so much and my legs were aching from bopping the whole time.
It’s crazy to think that frontman Milo Aukerman suffered a heart attack only a few months ago. Yet he not only lived to tell the tale to this sold-out crowd (heart disease is the #1 cause of death in Australia) but he also seems to have been injected with energy and enthusiasm for life.
At 60 years old, he outshines most 20-year-old frontmen, which motivated this crowd of middle-aged fans to put aside their complaints of sore backs and seeing a concert on a Sunday night.
Similar to Napalm Death’s Barney Greenway, who also suffered an injury earlier this year and still managed to put on a hell of a show, Aukerman and Descendents refused to let anything stop them from giving it their all on stage.
The night kicked off with Sydney surf-punk band Tantichrist. Think Dropkick Murphys with PIL’s John Lydon on vocals. While I didn’t catch all of their set, what I did see was fast, fun and catchy as hell. This was an excellent choice to start the night and I was left wanting more. Drummer Yoshi Hausler (Astrodeath) ended the set with a wicked fun drum solo. I’ve added Fuck or Fight to the Outsiders playlist, and I urge you to watch the video for it.
Up next was Melbourne’s Nursery Crimes, a five-piece who had quite a following in the hardcore scene in the '90s, having toured with heavyweights like L7, Rollins, Fugazi and Faith No More.
They also supported Descendents a few years back and did such a good job they were asked to come back for another round. While they’re a bit more ska/dad rock than hardcore these days, they delivered a fun set, including a punkified cover of The Beatles Elenor Rigby.
The addition of 28Days drummer Lonny Finn was a brilliant move, as he’s captivating to watch behind the kit. However, I did find the drums, particularly the snare, dwarfed everything else. I had a similar issue when Deafheaven played here a few months back.
I’ve never seen a band walk on stage and shift a vibe as quickly as Descendents. It’s like they waved a magic wand and turned a room full of grumpy old punks into giggling children.
The first thing I noticed about Aukerman wasn’t his trademark hair and glasses, but his ultra-glam punk-rock-studded drink bottle. Dr Milo (yep, he went to college) knows how to look cool while staying hydrated. I read elsewhere that it was a coffee flask. Aside from this, there was nothing fancy about the stage set-up, it was simple, with no props, fancy lighting or gimmicks. This show was all about the music.
The band gave us a quick hello and burst into Everything Sux, immediately setting the tone for the night - fast and fun.
They backed it up with Hope and Silly Girl, with guitarist Stephen Egerton dialling up the energy even more. Next came 17 seconds of dorky punk rock heaven with I Like Food, and I couldn't help but see more Napalm Death comparisons.
Even the newer stuff from Hypercaffium Spazzinate sounded great in the mix, up against fan favourites from the 80s and 90s.
The band’s stamina during this show was impressive, I watched them effortlessly switch back and forward from high-speed no bullshit punk to slower, poppier tracks. Everyone kept pace and didn’t miss a beat despite the recent health scare. The sound issues from earlier in the night had been resolved, and everything sounded great, particularly Karl Alvarez’s bass on tracks like Nightage and I Wanna Be a Bear.
Fan faves I’m Not a Punk and ‘Merican stirred up the crowd even more. Even the security guards couldn’t resist bopping along as they happily caught crowd surfers and threw them back into the mosh. The highlight for me was hearing the band take turns singing “Nanananana” during I Don't Wanna Grow Up. Descendents are anything but dad rock, even as they enter their granddad era.
One thing I love about Descendents is how they can be both silly and smart at the same time. Aukerman, in front of a mostly middle-aged crowd, displayed a charming contrast as he playfully made childlike noises, openly declared his aversion to growing up, and professed how he likes his Wienerschnitzel. What makes this even better is his impressive achievements away from the stage. He’s armed with a PhD in biology and a long career as a research scientist, so he likely worked out early that his odds of becoming a punk rock frontman were statistically insignificant.
Yet, there he stood, defying the conventional wisdom that punk rockers can’t enjoy thriving careers well into their 60s. With his relatively normal and unassuming demeanour, Aukerman has claimed punk icon status alongside Danzig, Rollins and Joey Ramone.
Like all Good, Good Things the show had to end sometime, but it did so on a high with I’m The One, Bikeage and Suburban Home. Throughout the set, drummer Bill Stevenson held his place behind the kit, quietly supporting the band. Occasionally, he would flash a thumbs-up and the most infectious smile. However, during the encore he took a moment to embrace Aukerman up front, offering a heartfelt hug in light of his friend’s recent health scare.
This really hit home the importance of seizing the opportunity to see bands like Descendents perform live. If you have a few bands you’ve been wanting to see, don’t hesitate - act while you can. Be the one who says “I got to see them” instead of “I wish I had seen them when had the chance”.
Descendents live is straight-up, no-frills punk, and it’s awesome. Without a doubt, this was the punk show of the year.