West Thebarton @ The Gasometer (Melbourne)

It’s been, as frontman Ray Dalfsen tells the near-sell-out crowd at The Gasometer, a few years between dances for Melbourne fans of the seven-headed hydra that is Adelaide’s West Thebarton.

Last undertaking large-scale touring for the release of 2019’s ‘Tops’, fans have had to deal with sporadic one-off affairs amidst the backdrop of COVID.

However, with new single ‘George Michael’ recently arriving ahead of their forthcoming ‘Victory’ EP, the South Australian band have again hit the road for a series of shows, with Melbourne receiving the penultimate event (26 May).

Kicking off proceedings at Collingwood’s beloved Gasometer Hotel was local quartet Garage Sale, who showcased a love of early ’90s shoegaze and post-rock across their set.

Pairing their casual banter with rhythmic, atmospheric compositions, the group felt like the marriage of Smashing Pumpkins early grunge and the eloquent emotion of Slowdive.

Their forceful, yet somewhat understated, performance style saw the group leaving the stage with a few new fans on their side, and some ears eager to hear their soon-to-be released tunes.

Next onstage was Melbourne’s self-described ‘two-piece trash pop’ outfit Sophisticated Dingo, who launched into their ferocious set with the subtlety of a truck crashing into a wall.

With just guitar, drums, and vocals, the pair were the very definition of commanding performers, showcasing a mastery of formidable pop songwriting, filtered through a working class lens reminiscent of SixFtHick.

No more was this apparent than on their unexpected cover of Blondie’s ‘Heart Of Glass’, which won just as many fans as their originals did – including latest single ‘Radio On’.

Undoubtedly, newcomers to the band would’ve been left stunned by what they had witnessed, certain that Sophisticated Dingo deserve recognition as one of the country’s finest live bands.

As the crowd swelled, the familiar strains of George Michael’s ‘Freedom! ’90’ rang out across the PA, with the dimming lights accompanying the silhouettes of seven figures emerging from the crowd onto the stage.

Some light-hearted banter from Dalfsen about West Thebarton’s return to Adelaide’s rival city was broken by his explosive transformation into the role of charismatic frontman as the group kicked off with new song, ‘Humble Heart’.

The slick guitar interplay of Tom Gordon, Josh Healey, Brian Bolado, and Josh Battersby was paired by the thumping rhythm section of Nick Horvat and Caitlin Thomas on bass and drums, respectively, with the group leaning heavily on new material for their set.

While recently released single ‘George Michael’ appeared alongside 2019’s ‘Tops’, the group showed off their slower side with ‘Faceless’ and ‘Desire’.

However, their 2018 ARIA-nominated debut ‘Different Beings Being Different’ wasn’t neglected, receiving a solid look-in thanks to cuts such as ‘Stuck On You’, ‘Basics’, ‘Ivan’, and the unifying ‘Bible Camp’.

As the crowd reached fever pitch towards the end of the set, a visibly delighted Dalfsen bade us all farewell before promising a return visit in the near future.

With that, Gordon’s guitar played the opening riff to the cathartic ‘Moving Out’, with Dalfsen crowdsurfing as the whole venue chanted back lines about sharehousing in Adelaide’s western suburbs.

Though it’s been a few years since West Thebarton made their way over to Melbourne for a typically-intense performance, the wait was more than worth it.

Whether you’ve been seeing them since their early days in The Exeter beer garden back in the City of Churches, or catching them playing to sell-out crowds a decade on, you can’t help but feel a sense of pride watching West Thebarton prove to the country they’re far more than the sum of their many parts.