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Unwritten Law + Pepper, In Fiction Adelaide UniBar, Thurs 29 Sept The last time I saw Unwritten Law I was thoroughly disappointed. It was Livid 2002 in Melbourne and frontman Scott Russo was so wasted he could barely keep his pants up, let alone remember the words. In both of those respects, tonight was a marked improvement. Actually, that's a little harsh - there's no denying that tonight was a hell of an improvement. Locals In Fiction opened the night strongly. They didn't coax too many away from the bar, but a small group watched them appreciatively. The songs are there (despite being run-of-the-mill-emo-fare), the playing is tight - the band just need to loosen up more on stage, let go, rock out. They're well on the way, but you had to ask yourself: was this kind of more subdued emo-rock that a night like tonight called for? Even more surprising, perhaps, was the choice of Hawaiians Pepper as the second act. Their ska, reggae and roots-influenced sound had only a touch of the punk rock ethic that Unwritten Law are famous for. However, they were a very welcome surprise indeed. Great guitar, bass and drum playing aside, it was their friendly, self-proclaimed "party band" vibe that gradually won over the UniBar crowd. By the end of their set, which closed with a cover of Rage Against The Machine classic Bulls On Parade, the audience were cheering emphatically and the three-piece looked sufficiently chuffed with their first Australian show. A great set, and nice guys to boot. Then came Unwritten Law. I was still wary from my last run-in with the band (not to mention their dismal last couple of efforts that followed the amazing self-titled record of 1998). Wariness seemed at first warranted: apart from a dreadful mix - which I swear was just the damn PA distorting from being turned up too freaking loud - the band just could not play in time! They were loose as. They kept speeding up and slowing down, missing beats, and all this came out through a wash of bass-heavy fuzz (not helped by the absence of rhythm guitarist Steve Morris - he just had a baby). Russo admitted that "the problem when we play in Adelaide is we always get so fucked up before the show" and I didn't really need him to spell that out. But, if that was all I said, then I would have clearly missed the point of the show. Unwritten Law have a fantastic stage presence and they rocked very hard - especially Russo, who had the crowd in the palm of his hand for the duration (his Hot Lies t-shirt also helped). The crowd loved every second of hits like Lonesome, Seein' Red and the amazing Cailin. So, after the band left off with Up All Night, naturally they wanted more. However, some cocky roadies just started packing up smugly, and no encore proceeded. When the house lights finally came up after a good ten minutes the fans were rabid - boos are never a good way to end a night. As for me - well, I didn't really care all that much.  |
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