Despite approaching the end of their Gold Snafu tour, Sticky Fingers have yet to run out of energy. The band played the first of their two sold out shows in Sydney with the vivacity that you would expect from a bunch that have lovingly labeled themselves as “inner west rats”.
Supporting the boys from Newtown were fellow Sydney band, Little Bastard. Those who were unfamiliar with the seven-man ensemble would have undoubtedly been disoriented by their country-folk sound, sheathed by their alternative look.
Little Bastard created a playful atmosphere, pumping up the crowd for the rowdy night ahead. It’s not everyday that you see a band member skillfully playing a mandolin at The Metro, alongside a harmonica, banjo, and violin, complemented by eloquent harmonies demonstrated in songs such as ‘Bodies In The Water’. Their original sound cleverly channels the folk-flare of Mumford & Sons and badass nonchalance of Jake Bugg, naturally leaving punters square-dancing to their ‘party’ country music and happily linking arms with multiple strangers.
The entire venue soon transformed into what seemed like a football stadium, with enthused patrons collectively chanting “STI-CKY… STI-CKY…” in painful anticipation for the charming young lads.
Anyone within 500 meters of the venue would have known that Sticky Fingers had taken the stage, courtesy of the deafening screams. They kicked things off with ‘Freddy Crabs’, engaging the audience with the chillingly mellow vocals of Dylan Frost, dreamy overtones, and heavy guitar riffs.
Dressed in a rather interesting feathered robe of some sort, the vocalist added another dimension to his performance of ‘Clouds And Cream’ by wildly shrieking the audience to life. The bass-heavy track did not fail to get everyone in the crowd grooving to the impeccably catchy melody.
As a special treat for all the rabid Sticky Fingers fans, Frost discarded his jacket and announced special guest Jimmy Young from Bootleg Rascal to play guitar alongside band member Seamus, sparking the crowd further into a frenzy. At this point, the boys decided to unveil some fresh material.
The excitement trebled when Spit Syndicate’s MC Nick Lupi, a human energy drink in his own right, stimulated the crowd to bursting point with his exclamations of “put your hands up!”, adding his own hip hop flare to the performance.
Things took a slight turn when the headliners played the slower, more lyrically intimate song ‘These Girls’. However, the pace of the set was soon picked up after playing their newest single ‘Gold Snafu’ straight from their upcoming album, Land Of Pleasure, to be released in September of this year. As soon as the catchy tune and drumbeat kicked in, everyone was on their feet, singing and whistling along. Hopefully the reaction to this fresh crowd-pleaser foreshadows the success of their new album.
The liveliness of the riotous crowd continued throughout ‘Caress Your Soul’, proving to be a definite favourite and leaving a sea of diehard fans upon the shoulders of others. The bands’ mellow, reggae vibes sent the audience on a dreamy trance while ‘Bootleg Rascal’ played, with the crowd collectively swaying together in admiration.
After leaving the stage, the packed venue of sweaty, animated adolescences immediately wanted more. Soon enough, The Metro was again transformed into an ocean of hungry punters – screaming, chanting, and clawing for them to return.
The still topless Frost arrived back on stage to perform one of their earlier tracks, ‘Slow’ off their demo EP released in 2009. The minimal use of instruments, accompanied by haunting vocals, completely captured the attention of the crowd.
The set concluded with their feel-good song ‘Australia Street’, a personal anthem for everyone at the venue. The punters were dancing to the unique reggae-pop melody and singing along to the strangely relatable lyrics. A sea of hands shot in the arm with sweaty fans crowd-surfing in every direction.
No one left the venue without a smile on their face and their clothes completely drenched in sweat. Sticky Fingers, as expected, did not disappoint. They played a crisp-sounding, energetic set, giving those lucky enough to be there a taste of some fresh material.
