More than almost any other songwriter before or since, there’s a huge sense of cathartic power in Bob Mould’s work; a sense of angst not just being unleashed through his furious melodies, but completely exorcised.
It’s not just energised music, but deeply energising and through his work with Hüsker Dü, Sugar, and later projects under his own name, he’s built up one of the most hallowed and invigorating catalogues in alt rock.
Before Bob Mould though, there’s a welcome support set from a band whose recorded output stretches back to the mid ‘90s but have only recently returned to the live scene, Sydneysiders Knievel.
With bandleader Wayne Connolly one of the best producers going around (his production credits feature classics from You Am I, Died Pretty, and The Underground Lovers among many, many more), it’s unsurprising that the guitar sound of his band is so lush and pristine; leaning towards immersive, hypnotic dream pop while never completely abandoning melody for atmosphere.
A relaxed and assured live presence, their old classics like ‘Chance Meeting’, a gem of dreaminess and chiming guitars, sound as great as ever.
The title track to new record Emerald City is another highlight, which recalls prime-era Church; its sense of space and jangling riffs a real treat.
Also making a welcome return of course is Bob Mould, who has talked of being revitalised by his time with adoring fans Foo Fighters, one of approximately a zillion bands to be influenced by Hüsker Dü and Sugar.
Having recently taken stock of his career with a remarkable if somewhat contentious autobiography, he seems to again be throwing himself into his work with a new zeal.
This tour is promoting both his most recent full-length Silver Age and revisiting Sugar’s Copper Blue, which ranks with the very best records of the 90s – an irresistible rush of energy and melody that sands some of the rougher edges and noisier leanings of his Hüsker Dü output without softening the impact of the songs.
‘The Act We Act’ is up first and ‘Changes’ and ‘Hoover Dam’ soon follow, sometimes sounding like experiments in shoving as many hooks into a couple of minutes as is humanly possible and all the better for it.
In lesser hands, the performance may seem samey, with every song falling into basically the same pedal-to-the-floor power pop. But this is more a performer who knows exactly what his niche is and is fully embracing the very specific talent he has.
There’s no chit-chat here, no messing around between songs, no ballads, no filler.
The set seems roughly divided up into different eras and midway through Mould dips into the likes of ‘Star Machine’ and ‘The Descent’, both from the modestly titled (but really quite good) Silver Age. It’s Mould’s best work in years, a muscular collection of songs with a definite pop sensibility.
The last third or so is jam-packed with Hüsker Dü firecrackers like ‘Could You Be The One?’, ‘Chartered Trips’ and ‘I Apologize’, ensuring his distinctive voice – rough and nasal but packed with emotional power – gets a thorough workout.
While the crowd, many of who would have been teens during Mould’s early career, are mostly stationary, their focus is intense and the prolonged applause that fills every pause for breath between songs suggests they’re enjoying every second.
The insanely catchy ‘If I Can’t Change Your Mind’, the high watermark of the Sugar years, and Hüsker Dü classic ‘Celebrated Summer’ feature in the encore.
Event that’s not enough though and a second encore sees Mould and company burn through a trio of Hüsker Dü numbers – ‘Flip Your Wig’, ‘Hate Paper Doll’ and finally ‘Makes No Sense At All’, finishing a consistently great show on a high.
