The Arena - Tuesday May 22

Returning north to a more amicable reception are Adelaide-cum-Sydney- siders Jungle Fever, whose debut album Stayin’ Alive is a recent release through Melbourne label Trial & Error. Their old-school hardcore-punk sound is thrashy and raw, perfectly complimenting their issue-driven lyrical content.

Canadians Comeback Kid hit it hard, fast and heavy from the get-go, playing ferociously through a harsh sound mix early. The sound tightens in time for Broadcasting, the title track from their more intense recent release on Victory Records, and they seem genuinely happy to be touring here again. Although more comfortable playing newer material recorded with replacement vocalist Andrew Neufeld, they return to familiar territory at set’s end in finishing with the older, circle-pit-worthy track Wake The Dead. Returning from a series of injury-induced U.S. and European tour cancellations are NYHC legends Sick Of It All who tonight cover a range of material spanning their twenty-year history. Distinguished by a rare groove and tireless energy, Sick Of It All’s genre defining tracks Injustice System and Maladjusted mix well with newer tracks such as Take The Night Off and Uprising Nation. Adding an historic significance to an already blockbuster evening, they’re joined onstage by Andrew Neufeld to sing Step Down, as covered by Comeback Kid on a recent tribute album. Little has changed in the ten years since I caught their Crash & Burn show and tonight they’ve put their money where their mouth is; Sick of it All are truly Built to Last.

JAMES STAFFORD

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