Photo: Kristen Ashton

As the doors open tonight the Tivoli is bum-rushed by wave after wave of youths harbouring unbridled enthusiasm and genuine positive energy, something rarely seen where liquor is being served. As packs of excitable teens scurry about the Tiv’s dual levels, obsessive fans pack the barrier and begin waiting for The Used before Stealing O’Neal make it to the stage. The Melbourne indie rock outfit’s pop hooks and galloping guitar riffery pierces the air of electricity hanging above the mosh pit this evening. The upbeat band have the kids in the front dancing as older fans hang at the Tivoli’s perimeter. As their set culminates, the eager masses packed tightly against the barrier spend another 45 minutes waiting, the only amusement coming from ‘80s pop songs and an empty stage. As soon as The Used’s Bert McCracken struts on stage the crowd forgives the wait. McCracken is tonight’s ringmaster. When he implores the crowd to “Make some fucking noise” during opener Blood On My Hands, the crowd respond by making some fucking noise; when he commands “Hands in the air!”, hands shoot up as though it were a math class for the smart kids. McCracken keeps all eyes on him as the set progresses. Before Empty With You he pulls a kid up on the stage and shares the mic. McCracken is charming and charismatic; so charming, in fact, no one seems to mind when his shallow, clichéd banter takes up nearly half The Used’s set. In between tracks like I Caught Fire and Hospital, McCracken’s verbal diarrhoea is only matched by guitarist Quinn Allman and bassist Jeph Howard’s tune-ups and drummer Dan Whitesides’s fills. But the heartfelt power The Used inject into their post-emo sing-along rock & roll cuts like All That I’ve Got is undeniable. 

TOM HERSEY

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