LIVE: PAT CHOW’s Final Show Ever – Perth, Western Australia, 27 Aug 2022

Shane | 2 September 2022 | Reply

LIVE: PAT CHOW’s Final Show Ever – Perth, Western Australia, 27 Aug 2022
w/ Supernaked, The Spunloves, Last Quokka and DJ Pazuzu Boogaloo at Lynott’s Lounge
Saturday, 27th August, 2022
Review & photography by Karen Lowe

Pat Chow

There are some bands that have been around for so long that you just assume that they would be around forever. We often forget that things change, people move on or grow – even when we are doing it ourselves. That’s why, when Pat Chow announced the release of their latest album (and their final show ever), the news was bittersweet.

Supernaked opened the show with their beautifully dark, ethereal music. With so many talented and experienced musicians in one group, it’s absolutely no surprise that they put on a good show. In fact, the only disappointing thing was that doors opened earlier than expected so there weren’t as many people as there should have been to witness their set.

Supernaked

It didn’t take long though before the place was starting to heave with so many familiar faces as The Spunloves took the stage. If you haven’t seen The Spunloves before, their sound evokes scenes of the Santa Monica surf tinged with the breaks off Margaret River.

The Spunloves

In between acts, DJ Pazuzu Boogaloo (Blake Hayt) was on the decks and spinning actual records. It’s rare these days to see actual vinyl being played and there really is something special about that. Even an untrained ear would be able to pick up the superior sound. Of course, it also helped that the record choice was on point.

DJ Pazuzu Boogaloo

Something that Pat Chow has always done is curate a line-up that takes you through various moods – starting with the sedate and building slowly to the crescendo. It’s an artform in itself that is often overlooked. Saturday night was no different as Last Quokka brought their consistent yet chaotically brilliant energy to the stage. Lead singer Trent Rojahn went to thank the bands but comically grabbed his phone to ‘look’ for the line-up. “Thank you to uhhh… Patrick Chow. He’s a great bloke!”

Last Quokka was the band that brought everyone to the front and whipped the crowd up into a bit of a frenzy as Trent jumped off stage and into the audience.

Last Quokka

As Trent said, “Let’s get real for a second. Pat Chow are a great band. One of the best bands in Perth.” He’s not wrong there. Leading up to the gig, I tried to recall the first time that I truly noticed Pat Chow but for the life of me, I just couldn’t do it. It’s not for any reason other than the fact that they are one of those bands that fit so well into the scene that it feels like they have just always been.

Walking around the room before Pat Chow prepared to play their final show, there was a feeling of disbelief, excitement, sadness and the tiniest bit of hope. Hope that this would be a John Farnham farewell and that somewhere in the future, we would witness their rebirth.

[Show picture list]

Over the many years of Pat Chow, I have witnessed great shows, shit shows and shows where they may not have always played their best, but Saturday night was hands down the best show that I have seen them play.

They played all their hits and everyone there sang their hearts out. As it came to the last song, Ben Pratasiewicz, Jamie Gallacher and Andrew “Goldy” Meredith put their instruments down and hugged it out on stage. It’s one of the only other times that I have seen the smile drop from Goldy’s face whilst playing. Of course, we all demanded one more song and they delivered – finishing on an absolute high with FML.

Pat Chow

Pat Chow has been a staple on the Perth scene for so long now and it’s absolutely no wonder as to why. Even though it’s certainly not the last time we will see Ben, Jamie and Goldy play, it’s the last time we will see them play together as Pat Chow.

It’s been an absolute honour watching Pat Chow over the years and watching them grow. Thank you for all the memories and, as Ben said as they finished FML, “We’re Pat Chow and you’ll never beat us.”