Hard Ons/High Society/Earth to Nigel
February 10, 2001
Annadale Hotel, Sydney

The Hard Ons have seemed to polarize a fair proportion of Aus rock fans over the years, with many complaining about their otherwise uncompromising sound being adulterated and diluted needlessly by pop hooks and sometimes smutty, puerile lyrics, while just as many others have deplored their sonic onslaught as too hardcore/thrash, spoiling their frenetic but surreptitiously melodic pop punk by overwhelming it.

Whatever your opinion, I think it's fair to say that they usually look like they are having a lot of fun; when it stopped being so much fun for them, they stopped doing it. As we all know, after a couple of years away from the fray (much of which guitarist Peter Black and bassist Ray Ahn spent working together on their louder, even less compromising Nunchukka Superfly side-project), they threw themselves back into it again - initially for a "best of" release, but lately there's been a brand new album to celebrate as well.

The truth is that some of the smaller gigs I have seen them play in the last couple of years have been a bit rough and loose (which translates into exceedingly careless and organizationally chaotic rather than musically chaotic, even in comparison with the standards they themselves have previously set), though generally they still looked like they were having fun.

However, I'm happy to be able to report that tonight's show was not only fun, it was also a vintage display of the focused aural anarchy for which they are justly famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view). This trio have never looked like they were thinking of going "gentle into that good night" and on the basis of this show they are still front runners for an award in the category of band least likely to grow old gracefully.

Right from the outset, Blackie's face disappeared behind a swirling veil of hair as the stage area filled up with their trademark brand of furious noise (think: Ramones and Husker Du collaborating on an AC/DC tribute album using Spinal Tap's amps), which then flowed out into and over the audience in a raging torrent, like the inevitable flood from the burst dam in every disaster movie you've ever seen; only tonight there was no loss of life or livestock and no one was desperately trying to escape to higher ground.

Doing my amateur photographer imposture once again, the call of the camera found me right up against the front of the stage with nowhere to go as a mini mosh developed in the area behind my back; the only still point in the pandemonium being some clown immediately behind me yelling in my ear all night for them to play "Girl in the Sweater". I guess perseverance must count for something because, despite Blackie only acknowledging these requests by shaking his head or occasionally saying that they had no intention of playing it, they eventually relented and dragged it out for their final encore.

The advertised opening act had been Earth to Nigel. Unfortunately I'd arranged to meet a mate at the Korean BYO down the road for a quick feed before the show. It turned out that his dad had just had a stroke and been carted off to hospital, so he proceeded to prescribe himself a little self-medication to ease the anxiety (three bottles worth - two whites and a red) and by the time I'd carted him home (at his wife's behest; he insisted all the way there that he was still ready to rock) I'd missed the first set entirely. However a bloke in the audience, who buttonholed me when I finally arrived, assured me that they'd played a great set, which was a great consolation.

The other support for the evening was the ubiquitous High Society, flogging their EP (appropriately boasting a Ray Ahn cover) via the merchandizing table and the songs therefrom via a typically intense set; if anything seeming to be trying a little harder than usual tonight (no, I didn't think it was possible either) - perhaps because fans of the Hard Ons hardcore crunch aren't their natural audience, although they got (and had earned) a pretty positive response at the end.
- John McPharlin

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