By Olivia Burns
Alt-rock band Teenage Wrist all the way from LA , made their debut Australian appearance celebrating the release of their third album on their ‘Still Love’ headline tour. Melbourne’s well known punk/rock venue, Stay Gold played host to their first stop. It was set to be a great night with local bands Bad Juju and Better Half to kick things off for the night.
Bad Juju has quickly become one of my favourite local bands to see, they really know how to get the crowd pumped with their heavy grunge sound and clean but powerful vocals. The place was slowly filling up, they gave those who were showing up a great performance, those that weren’t punctual really missed out on a great opportunity to find a new favourite band. Next up were Better Half, another well known band from the area, people really started to fill up the venue now as they delivered a high energy performance encouraging the audience to participate in singing along and joining in on any sort of movement to warm up for the main event.
Both openers really showcased how much talent we have in this country and even though we are so far away from the rest of the world, they really do hold their own in the scene.
Teenage Wrist took the stage with no barricade separating them from their fans, creating an intimate atmosphere in the tightly packed venue. They kicked off the night with their hit “Sunshine.” As a new listener, I attended the show with minimal knowledge of their music, having only briefly explored their discography. I didn’t know what to expect, but the band delivered a blend of nostalgic and fresh grunge-modern rock. They have a calm and collected manner on stage and their songs showcased their instrumental talents, often featuring heavy melodic riff intermissions where the band could really just let loose and playfully interact with each other also.
Coming off a tour in Asia and lacking rest, lead singer Marshall apologised for struggling with his voice, expressing his desire to give the fans the performance they deserved. However, from the audience’s perspective, his vocals sounded flawless as he hit every note. They played a range of songs from their catalogue of 10 years worth of tracks, and the crowd’s energy was electric, jumping and headbanging along to the music.As the night drew to a close, they performed their final song, “Earth Is a Black Hole,” thanked everyone for coming, and left the stage. The fans chanted for one more song, and after a few minutes, the band returned, noting that they rarely do encores. They treated the audience to “Cigarette Two Step,” fulfilling their wishes.
Every band visiting Australia for the first time should make Melbourne their first stop. Known for being a favourite city in Australia for bands to play in, Melbourne gave Teenage Wrist a warm welcome and I have no doubt that the rest of their run in this country will be a success. Despite being around for 10 years, this band is only going to get bigger from here on out as they start collecting new tour spots and new fans along the way. It was a fantastic start to their tour down under, and I look forward to seeing them return with new music soon.
