Gig Review: Pandemonium Rocks, Sydney

Live review: Pandemonim Rocks at Cathy Freeman Park, Sydney, Thursday, April 25 2024

By BRENDAN DELAVERE

IT’S been absolute pandemonium in the lead up to Pandemonium fest and this joke has been made as many times as there have been changes to the festival; venue changes, lineup changes, media reports of cancellations, data breaches and refunds left, right and centre. But finally the day is here. Melbourne and Newcastle have had theirs and now it’s Sydney’s time.

Controversially taking place on Anzac Day, a tad over 5000 punters turned out for an afternoon and evening of rock n’ roll, albeit with a very much reduced lineup from the original announcement. Enough of what we’ve all heard – let’s get to what we did see.

Cathy Freeman Park at Olympic Park wasn’t the first choice of venue but it certainly has potential to be a practical mid-size outdoor venue in the future. With the sun drenched Olympic cauldron as the backdrop, trees surrounding, close to public transport – with a bit of tweaking this could very well be used again. A good size for the amount of patrons in attendance, many of whom brought blankets and chairs on which to get comfortable.

First up, those blokes you can trust, Cosmic Psychos. Hard arse blue collar punk n roll, they might’ve shocked a few when they sang about “David Lee Roth” and his “great big 20 inch cock” or their prolific use of the F bomb in “Fuckwit City”. But for the first band we caught on Anzac Day, Cosmic Psychos are about as Aussie as ya can get!

Cosmic Psychos. Pic by Brendan Delavere

It may come as a surprise to some but yes, Wolfmother are still kicking, and the crowd that formed may not have seen them on stage since their heyday. Nowadays they’re stripped back to a trio once more, Andrew Stockdale continuing the charge, a mess of guitar licks and hair. Cuts from the debut album garner the largest response. There’s “Woman”, “Apple Tree” and “White Unicorn”, the last dedicated to one punter in an inflatable unicorn costume. Newer songs fall on deaf ears, some unaware they even had other albums. Closing with “Joker and the Thief”, the sound turned to mud the further one strayed from centre stage.

“Wow! Wolfmother! It’s like taking the stage after Led Zeppelin!” yells Wheatus frontman Brendan B. Brown. Well, he’s not wrong, and for a band like Wheatus who most people would only know for one wondrous hit, it was an uphill slog to get the crowd up and going. Many folks took this time to get beers, food or stretch out in the fading sunlight. The band were energetic, cracking wise between songs, Brendan dropping stories about being sued and getting divorced, but like the old woman on the barrier with her fingers in her ears, Pandemonium only wanted one song and it wasn’t “Leroy”. Seminal classic “Teenage Dirtbag” had people running to the front, the whole crowd singing along to every word. Almost a quarter of a century later and we’re all still teenage dirtbags.

For a “festival” catering to a crowd of 5000, the lines for food and drink were reasonable, the mid strength beers however were not favourable. Damn Olympic Park regulations!

Pushing almost 50 years on tour, English rock veterans The Psychedelic Furs took the stage. The new wave punk band crowded the stage, frontman Richard Butler weaving between the multiple members. The Furs may not be a name that many had heard, but you’ve most certainly heard their songs. “Mr Jones”, “Pretty In Pink” and the hugely popular bubble pop of “Love My Way” had heads bopping and bodies swaying.

Blondie. Pic by Brendan Delavere

Looking absolutely fantastic for her age, Blondie frontwoman and legend of the stage Debbie Harry doesn’t let up for the entirety of the set. With Glen Matlock- one of the other originators of punk – on bass, Harry leads us through the ages, touching on new wave, rock n roll and rap as they go, the crowd loving every minute of it. “One Way or Another”, “Atomic” and the rocking classic “Call Me” had the crowd singing as one. Dressed in a onesie that states ‘No War’, Harry made her thoughts known, acknowledging that it is Anzac Day today.

As the show progresses, items of clothes fall by the way side, her bright red lipstick highlighted with the striking red suit. “The Tide Is High” gets the crowd going, the big screen flashing animations behind the band, closing out with “Dreaming”.

Many thought that this festival would be cancelled or moved inside, yet despite all the setbacks, changes and cost of living affecting ticket sales, we’re finally moments away from rock royalty, Alice Cooper. Flanked by masked clowns, the crimes of Alice Cooper curtained the stage as the man himself strode forward to “Lock Me Up”.

In his patented top hat, silver cutlass and mess of black hair, the godfather of shock rock commands the stage. Kids, millennials and some older than the 76-year-old shocker are all rocking out. “Welcome to the Show”, “No More Mr Nice Guy”, “Hey Stoopid”…the hits keep coming.

Back in the fold, Nita Strauss shreds on guitar, trading licks with Ryan Roxie, tongue out and leering at the crowd. “Snakebite” sees a guest appearance from our slithery python friend, adorning Cooper like a necklace. Chuck Garric battles a 10-foot tall Frankenstein in “Feed My Frankenstein” and all of Pandemonium join chorus for “Poison”.

Always the psycho – and with a straitjacket to prove it- Alice Cooper is a showman first and foremost, never failing to put on a world class show, finishing the festival with “Schools Out“.