How did we get here?
Years ago, on badly lit pub stages, surrounded by the suffocating smell of cigarette smoke, other smoke and way too many drinks my obsession with TISM began. A band I have seen more than any other in my long and ever-expanding list of live shows. For a time, I along with everyone else believed we would never experience this phenomenon on stage once again. From those dark pubs to major venues and even bigger crowds at Homebake and Big Day Outs TISM never put on a bad gig. Their signature style and high energy was always on show, even as they and their audience approached and surpassed middle age the only thing that slowed down was the recovery time. Thankfully they heard us and made a triumphant return to the stage a couple of years back showing us they still have exactly what the Australian live music scene needs!
So how did we get here? On the steps of one of the greatest concert halls in the world, The Sydney Opera House. We purchased our tickets, questioned each other on how we were to dress for the occasion, is this a TISM show or a night at the Opera House? and made our way into what was feeling like a surreal and somewhat cautious night out. We were unsure of what to expect, were we being punked? TISM were promoting it as a performance of their third studio album Machiavelli and the Four Seasons, a pivotal release for the band in 1995 announcing them as a commercial success in Australian music and showcasing their unique blend of electro punk music and classic pub rock fused with satirical lyrics that you can’t help but sing and dance along too. It also features some of their biggest and longest running hits.
Sitting in the main concert hall there are all types of fans surrounding us, a showcase of the wide and longstanding reach the band has had over the years. I am by no means one of the youngest there but very far from the oldest. There was also the odd spattering of people who were dressed for a night of theatre, I wasn’t sure if this was a tongue in cheek nod to the venue, or if they were Opera House members and not aware what they had signed up for on this Friday night. There were still questions to be asked of what we were in for. The stage was adorned with specifically laid out microphones for a choir and the beautiful organ that is the usual centre piece for some of the greatest stories ever told on this stage was lit up above.
We didn’t have long to wait, but our questions still remained unanswered as a choir group walked out on stage and gave us a beautiful rendition of Phillip Glass’s Arse, a hidden track from the original release. Everyone clapped and cheered like you would at any standard live show which the choir looked almost relieved to experience and just as they exited stage right, TISM appeared to tease us a little more before exploding onto the stage and straight into (He’ll Never Be An) Ol’ Man River. Our seated positions in the concert hall were quickly abandoned as we rose to meet the energy on the stage, and concerns that this would be a more subdued experience quickly went out the window as mere moments into the song I turned to see an underwear only clad crotch on its way to meet me before being lifted away to continue the crowd surf of one of the band members. TISM were here and ready to give us exactly what we expect and crave!
For the next 90mins or so they were relentless. Giving us each of the hits off the Machiavelli album including Garbage, All Homeboys are Dickheads, Les Murray, !UOY Sevol Natas, Give Up for Australia and of course Greg! The Stop Sign. They also threw in some of their other biggest hits like Whatareya and Defecate of My Face, the latter of which visibly confused a couple of the younger faces I saw around me! Throughout all of this complete madness they didn’t stop. The energy in the room was electric. They sung from within the crowd, walked through us via the chair backs and surfed over us continuously. I would have been forgiven thinking we were back at a pub in the early 2000’s not the Opera House.
If you’ve never seen a TISM show I implore you to listen to them, they very much may not gel with you, but if they do you need to experience one of Australia’s best live. The energy is unmatched and the crowd that goes is an experience in itself. I doubt the concert hall has ever witnessed as much unintentional male nudity as it did Friday night.
The Opera House shows are not going to be repeated elsewhere and there are still a couple left for the Sunday night show (12.04), if you’re reading this in time.
