Live Review: Alien Ant Farm & Drowning Pool Brought The Ultimate Shakedown in Sydney – Spotlight Report
Last night was what we have come to know as a typically chaotic, late summer evening in Sydney. Hot, overcast, humid, on the cusp of rain… giving the aircon and wall mounted fans at the Metro Theatre a real work out. Saying that, the dimly lit, close quarters of the venue felt surprisingly upbeat and cool even despite the amount of bodies gathered drinking cans of their favourite tipple. Last night really was all about great, but somewhat under-estimated bands. It is one thing to add in a cover or two to your set, whether it’s as a mark of respect or to have fun and remix something your fans would never believe! But what happens when that defines you?
While the headliners Alien Ant Farm were sure to be a drawcard for those of us craving the 90s, support act Drowning Pool certainly held their own with a perfectly formed hour long set.
Drowning Pool have had their fair share of challenges and sadness over the years, leading to multiple changes to the line-up. Today, the sound is great and the band look and feel together and settled. What has contributed to this? Well lead singer Ryan McCombs is back (again), and perhaps with all the line-up changes, the whole band seem to provide backing vocals to each song, giving them depth and harmony. They also just seem to have fun, chatting between songs. Opening with Sinner, a small but determined group in the crowd started a mini mosh pit at the front of the stage. The head banging kept going, until the whole place erupted to a cover of Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell, literally crying for more, more, more! Drowning Pool gave them exactly that with songs like Feel Like I do, Sermon and even a little Pantera ‘Cowboys from Hell’, closing with a bang to Bodies.
Alien Ant Farm took to the stage at 10pm on the dot. Opening with Courage, and Wish (featured on a Tony Hawk, Pro Skater soundtrack), it’s clear that this band are more than ‘that’ cover they are so famously associated with.
They aren’t a one trick pony, the crowd also loved Movies, singing along together, closing their eyes to sing the chorus remembering a perhaps simpler time of album sales, not streaming and watching MTV, when bands made videos. But then video killed the radio star.. and so on goes the circle of life.
The set went quickly, lead singer Dryden Mitchell stopping occasionally to address the crowd with stories of sobriety, making music videos and why time is valuable and that they really appreciate the crowd choosing to spend their valuable time with them.
Opening Smooth Criminal (‘that’ cover) was a voice over of MJ himself talking about how flattering it is when people cover his music. Did Alien Ant Farm think this would be their biggest hit when they covered it? Probably not. Was it a differentiator for them at the time? Probably. Any regrets? Unlikely.
For the fans, it’s probably the only time they will experience that song live, and certainly the only time they will hear it mashed-up with a bit of Ce Ce Peniston, Finally!
For the band, they know playing that song live makes the crowd goes wild, and online it only brings more new fans to their site to experience all their music.
The evening was also supported by the great Frankenbok (who also had a famous cover! But no longer play it live – give it a Google!).
Alien Ant Farm are coming to a city near you. Check out the rest of the Aussie tour wherever you buy your tickets.
