ARE you ever too old to shout out The Living End’s classic teenage angst anthem Prisoner Of Society?
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You know the one with the prophetic lyrics, “Well we don't need no one to tell us what to do,” and then “'Cause I'm a brat/And I know everything/And I talk back/Cause I'm not listening to anything you say.”
The answer at the Cambridge Hotel on Friday night was, definitely not. The sold-out Newcastle West venue was literally heaving with mostly 30 and 40-year-olds celebrating a band, who remain one of the slickest live acts in Australia.
When Chris Cheney launched into Prisoner Of Society to close the show the entire room roared and responded shouting back the lyrics. Whereas the spitting words were once directed at parents, teachers and governments run by middle-aged men, the target of the song has perhaps changed for Living End fans.
Instead is the frustration directed at annoying children, nagging spouses, the boss or the bank manager?
Earlier in the night Newcastle punk band Split Feed made the most of their opportunity by delivering a tight performance. They were followed by the madcap Bennies, who appeared to have attracted their own legion of fans.
The sets left the crowd suitably warmed up for the main attraction.
It’s no surprise The Living End are immensely popular in Newcastle. The rockabilly punk three-piece play tough and uncompromising rock’n’roll with a heavy focus on working class values.
Cheney and double bassist Scott Owen appear locked in a time warp. They possess the same punk look and incredible energy they unveiled back in 1998 when Prisoner Of Society cracked No.1 on the ARIA charts.
The band’s self-titled debut album (1998) and second release Roll On (2001) remain their most popular records and The Living End played to their strengths early. They opened with Roll On and then a blistering Second Solution, where Cheney’s vocal was almost drowned out by the passionately singing crowd.
Tracks from their latest album Shift including Monkey, Death, Staring Down The Barrel and Keep On Running fared well among The Living End’s classic material and showcased the band progression from rockabilly to a pub rock sound.
A cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Lookin’ Out My Back Door was a nice surprise, before Cheney took the opportunity to show off his renown guitar theatrics with the underrated How Do We Know. An amazing guitar riff, which only sounds better live.
Half the appeal of The Living End is the anthemic quality of their songs. The band gave plenty of opportunities for the audience to sing themselves hoarse with White Noise and West End Riot to complete the set.
More followed in the encore with old favourites Uncle Harry and Prisoner Of Society. Good rock’n’roll doesn’t age after all.