NEWPORT CENTRE 09/03/07

Not for a long time have I been so knee tremblingly excited about seeing a band....feeling like a teenager I waited anxiously for this Australian four piece to take the stage in the Newport Centre, which smells of fags and chlorine. My reason for being this excited? A wait of three years to see this band perform live, a love of their Rolling Stones inspired rock and roll ignited by the superb "Are You Gonna Be My Girl", a dirty ditty I could not wait to see performed live by the pouty, sulky scarf - wearing Nic Cester and crew. Boy was I rewarded for my devotion...

The Lads, Nic Cester, (vocals, guitar) his brother Chris Cester (drums, vocals), Mark Wilson (bass guitar) and Cameron Muncey (guitar, vocals) kicked the night off with "Last Chance", followed by "Get what You Need" and "Money Mouth", a clear favourite which the crowd, (strange mix of age, haircuts and dress sense, ranging from eight year olds with parents to eighties inspired teenagers to middle aged Oasis fans) who joined in with gusto, perhaps surprisingly so given the rules of the venue which mean no alcohol or smoking in the hall.

Cester then took time out to introduce himself to the crowd, quipping how great it was to be back in "Cardiff"...oops- this one fell on deaf ears! The boys then raced through tracks from new album "Shine On", and first album "Get Born", climaxing for the first time with a blinding middle set consisting of the melodic "Look What You've Done" (Get Born)  "Bring It On Back" (their recent radio one friendly single) followed by the fantastically filthy "Are you Gonna..." (Get Born). I was, by this point leaving on a JET plane bound for heaven. As good as my own enjoyment of the night was it was made better by the positive reaction of those around me, many of whom were singing along...in addition the sight of my other half (a JET sceptic) tapping his foot to "Are You Gonna", then nodding his head to "Cold Hard B****". He also appeared to appreciate the blinding "Get Me Outta Here" despite mumbling something about it all "getting a bit Bon Jovi" at some point.

All too soon however the evening was drawing to a close..."Get Me Outta Here" being the final track before the encore- (cue me winding myself up into a coil of anxiety thinking they may not come back on) which they began with silence...followed by a beautiful (and no, that is not too strong a word) rendition of "Shine On", the title track of the second album and a tribute to the Cester's late father. The degree with which the crowd were on board became truly apparent here- for much of the song you could have heard a pin drop. Shifting gears yet again "Come On Come On" followed, with the evening ending with an extended version of "Rollover DJ"- the Cesters , Wilson and Muncey clearly loving it all, Nic Cester clambering up onto the speaker like a stadium gig pro, prompting the other half to concede that he "quite liked that one"...

Jet left the stage to whistles and a crowd reaction that reflected the work this tight knit, professional outfit had put in this evening...an evening that in my humble opinion displayed their versatility, skill, professionalism and individuality (the other half disagrees- calling them "one dimensional and samey"). I don't care...I love them more today than I did yesterday, and I am with Chris Cester who describes "Get Born" as their pub album, adding that "Shine On" is an  album penned "for stadiums"....I hope so lads, I really do....

P.S. Just so you can spot me at Wembley on the 2008 world tour I'll be the misty eyed swooning 32 year old teenager standing next to a grumpy man grudgingly tapping his foot....

by Kate Wright

SET LIST:

Last Chance

Get What You Need

Money Mouth

Holiday

Skin and Bones

Take It Or Leave It

Move On

Look What You’ve Done

Bring It On Back

Are You Gonna

That’s All Lies

Rip It Up

Cold Hard B****

Stand Up

Get Me Outta Here

Shine On

Come On Come On

Roll Over DJ