Glam Fest 2023 featuring Faster Pussycat, Wednesday 13, Eclipse, Enuff Z’Nuff, Pretty Boy Floyd, Tuff, Sisters Doll, Crosson and Starcrazy at Factory Theatre, Sydney
By Brian Giffin
Given the way previous tours of this nature had been handled by other promoters, Glam Fest originally came surrounded by a veil of skepticism but as it drew nearer it was clear that all systems were go for a big day of hard n’ heavy rock and roll. Sydney turned on a blinder, and the first order of business was finding a spot of shade at the Factory for a couple of beers and some nachos in the courtyard, where an afternoon line-up of femme-led pop bands were performing in front of a crowd of rockers, younger people and families.
Upstairs is where the real action was happening, and after early sets by Starcrazy and Crosson that we unfortunately didn’t catch, it was up to Sisters Doll to round out the local contingent. Taking the stage with the confidence of a band that’s held its own among US luminaries as recently as December, the Mileto brothers have a full and melodic sound and an energetic stage show, rocking out with surprising power for a band without a bassist and punching out a nice tight set of catchy tunes. Absolutely on the money.
Next up was Tuff, led by inimitable motor mouth Stevie Rachelle whose intersong banter was a constant stream of shout-outs to fellow bands past and present and spruiking of upcoming Aussie tours by them. Of course the set wasn’t just him mouthing off as they tore through some heavy hitting rock that got the crowd into the right spirit, instigating the afternoon’s first big singalong with I Hate Kissing You Goodbye and rounding things off with what amounts to the seemingly ageless Rachelle’s tribute to the LA scene, American Hair Band, each transition into a classic riff pulled off with expert precision.
Hard, heavy and LOUD, Pretty Boy Floyd swept the stage next, looking every inch as if they’d just stepped straight out of some LA sleaze pit and sounding as if rock and roll hasn’t changed at all since 1989. For these guys, it simply hasn’t, and the crowd threw their full appreciation for them as they stomped the stage, Steve Sex behind wraparound shades leading the band through cranking versions of a set that was mainly Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz. Afterwards they did a meet and greet near the merch stand straight after coming off stage.
Meanwhile, the good times continued with Enuff Z’Nuff and their Cheap Trick-inspired look and sound. Chip Z’Nuff holds court behind a set of shades and a huge bass. Their set takes on a more power pop aspect than that of other acts on the bill as the band’s inherent fondness for folding shimmering melodies into their sound comes to light, with no less than two Beatles covers in the mix and the big power ballad Fly High Michelle gets the audience swaying, as expected.
The festival went in another direction next with Eclipse. The high flying Swedes were the least “glam” of the bands for the day, a modern melodic heavy rock act with great songs, fantastic hooks and sharp playing. There had been some grumbling online that Eclipse didn’t exactly fit the bill but by the end of their set they’d probably won over many of those people with their high-energy performance, superb rock tunes and onstage chemistry. Eclipse were a real highlight and I hope they tour again.
Wednesday 13 is no stranger to Australian stages, having toured here on just about every album. As with Eclipse, there were initially those who saw him as an outlier on a “glamfest”, but by this time of the evening hardly anyone could have still cared. Driving drumbeats saw the band enter the stage before a big cheer went up for the man himself, cowboy hat firmly in place as he marched to the front to lead the way through big grooving, heavy stomping schlock-horror that included some Murderdolls songs as a tribute to Joey Jordison to some of the biggest adulation of the evening so far.
The last time Faster Pussycat were in Sydney, Taime Downe was suffering from a throat infection and they still managed to blow away a full house at the Crowbar. Tonight they were very much back in the saddle, with a new pair of young gun guitarists to tear up the stage as they plowed through a big set of sleazy bar room metal. Downe’s gravelly roar was back in place as Sam Bam and Ronnie Simmons chimed in on back ups in between guitar wielding hi-jinks, adding the necessary energy levels for the crowd to feed from as Glam Fest hurtled toward a huge ending, a barreling cover of Don’t Change in the mix.
With each act apparently determined to set the bar for the next one to raise, and each one subsequently rising to the challenge, Glam Fest 2023 was one long rock and roll party on a glorious Sydney Saturday. Every performance was on point, everyone nailed it. It was nothing less than proof that rock and roll has never gone out of style.
