Ever since the Australian festival scene lost Soundwave in 2015 we have had a massive dent in the rock music category. But finally we received a replacement with the birth of Download Festival in Melbourne. The inaugural festival boasted a line up of the likes of Korn, Good Charlotte, Limp Bizkit, Mastodon, NOFX and Of Mice And Men. But with the festival only being based in Melbourne some of the more punk-rock acts came together to support Good Charlotte for some massive headline shows. Neck Deep, Falling In Reverse and Issues delivered short but engaging sets that entertained their hardcore fans who were passionately singing along to every lyric. But one of the most impressive supports came from local homegrown favourites Chase Atlantic. After growing their fanbase in Australia by constantly touring and through the use of social media they moved to Los Angeles a year ago where they signed a record deal with The Madden Brothers and started working on further evolving their sound as a band. Their debut album heard them fusing rock, hip-hop and moody synths together for a versatile sound that impresses with a DIY production and vulnerable storytelling. They delivered a set of fan favourites including “Triggered”, “Into It” and “Friends” which highlighted their tight sound and commanding stage presence.
It has been seven years since Good Charlotte have toured Australia and to be honest it’s very overdue. A lot has happened in between that time but one thing hasn’t changed and that’s their incredible stage presence. From the moment the band stepped foot on the stage they treated the very excited Brisbane crowd to an extensive trip down memory lane. Kicking off the show with “The Anthem” the bar was quickly set for a whole night full of massive singalongs and the crowd didn’t disappoint. Old favourites “The Story Of My Old Man”, “My Bloody Valentine” and “Riot Girl” treated long term fans to a bit of nostalgia before the hits started rolling. “Girls & Boys”, “Keep Your Hands Off My Girl”, “The Motivation Proclamation” and “Little Things” had everyone jumping from the pitt all the way up to the top of the hill. Whilst their songs may be full of angst and big hooks both Joel and Benji Madden surprised the crowd with their down to earth and grateful banter. They both gave candid talks about how their lives have changed since starting the band, about how they feel like they are actually Australians and and gave empowering speeches about the importance of believing in yourself. Joel also opened up about why they sometimes introduce songs as “this one is for the ladies” and explained how they mean it in an inspiring and respectful way. He wants his daughter to grow up to be confident and comfortable in her own body to do whatever she wants or say whatever she wants. And if you didn’t feel a little emotional while listening to him passionately talk about that then do you even have a heart? They quickly changed the pace with the massive singalong moments of “Misery”, “The River”, “The Young And The Hopeless”, “Dancefloor Anthem” and “Last Night”. The production was quite simple with a couple of pyrotechnics, CO2 and moody lighting to give a cool visual experience. After thanking the crowd for coming out to see them after waiting seven years they closed the show with the ultimate throwbacks “I Just Wanna Live” and “Lifestyles Of The Rich & Famous”. Tonight they proved that they are still as good as ever before and whilst they are still performing angsty songs they actually have a very mature and reflective outlook on everything.
You can purchase Good Charlotte’s new album “Youth Authority” from Sanity now; https://www.sanity.com.au/products/2311315/Youth_Authority_Australian_Edition