Wavves
Manning Bar, Sydney University
Wednesday 9th March
w/ Magic Kids and Bleeding Knees Club

Taking the stage after Magic Kids and Bleeding Knees Club, garage surf-punk superheroes Wavves immediately electrified the crowd. Everyone was suddenly 15 years old in their first (and best) concert mosh. King of the Beach went off. Power chords, bratty melodies and a general “we’re having a great time and we don’t give a fuck” attitude led to a constant stream of feel-good illegal crowdsurfing which for the most part security were unwilling to prevent – enthusiasm is contagious, goddammit!

During Post Acid, the final song, one security man (narc) had finally had enough and exploded like a powderkeg all over a hapless concertgoer. The band stopped playing and singer/guitarist Nathan Williams yelled, “if you’re security, fuckin’ secure shit and stop running into people!” before encouraging the crowd to keep doing exactly what they were doing, to rapturous applause. They then began the song again. It was the perfect denouement to an energetic, reckless night that was a window into the freewheeling adolescence that we all want.