LIVE: FUTURE OF THE LEFT, Perth – 10 Jan 2017

Shane | 12 January 2018 | Reply

LIVE: FUTURE OF THE LEFT, Perth – 10 Jan 2017
Badlands Bar, Perth
Wednesday, 10 January, 2018
Review & photography by Stuart McKay

The hump day spirit was well and truly given that extra push towards the weekend as the cacophonous sounds of Future of the Left descended upon a swelling crowd of eager fans at Badlands tonight.

Before everyone got all hot and sweaty though, it was up to hometown heroes Rag ‘n’ Bone and The Love Junkies to get the crowd salivating. By all reports the “Boners” put on an impressive display of energetic and soulful rock playing favourites such as I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.

The Love Junkies came shortly after and were a perfect pairing to the headliners with their raucous grunge offerings. Their sound has really filled out well since becoming a four piece and with the driving force coming from the heavy-hitting Elle Walsh, songs like Cough and Splutter and Maybelene were delivered with tremendous intensity.

Now, it was time for the irrepressible sounds of Future of the Left and as front man Andrew Falkous (Falco) entered the stage with his band of brothers (Jack Egglestone on drums, Ian Catskillin on guitar) and wife Julia Ruzicka on bass, they were ready to tear Badlands a new one.

[Show picture list]

Opening song The Lord Hates a Coward set the tone for the night and from then on the atmosphere was electric to say the least. Falco and Co delivered consistently with a blistering set of old and new tracks that boiled the crowd into a sweat filled frenzy as they sang along with Falco on songs like Arming Eritrea, The Limits of Battleships and the FOTL anthem Manchasm.

With the pounding rhythm section rattling the room to its core and the ferocious vocals splitting the air as the swirling mass of bodies moved in unison with the music it was clear to see that tonight was a perfect cohesion of rock and growl as You Need Satan More Than He Needs You perfectly illustrated.

The onstage banter from Falco between songs was delivered in almost stand up comic fashion and was almost as enjoyable as the music itself with him taking hilarious pot shots at everyone from Dave Mustaine , “the Cunt” Morrissey, to audience members requesting McClusky numbers.

They ended a triumphant set with a medley of songs including Lapsed Catholics and McClusky number Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues which then saw Falco dismantling drummer Jack Egglestone’s kit piece by piece and moving all of his drum set to the front of the stage, laid out in a disjointed fashion with Ruzicka playing a looping bass riff whilst Catskillin and Falco filled every crevice of the room with a dissonant wall of feedback with their guitars.

Safe to say they didn’t just tear Badlands a new one, they completely obliterated it.