I went back and bought their earlier EP "Hellbound" which I still play regularly to this day for the unbridled enthusiasm and cool songs. In 1997 they released the double A side single Prisoner of Society/Second Solution. This needs no introduction really, as the single won the 1998 Aria Award for Highest Selling Single of the year and spent a record breaking 47 weeks in the Top 50 of the Aria charts. The highest selling single award is pretty amazing given that (a) the single never reached #1, peaking at #4 and (b) this was in a time when CD singles were a big deal and you had to actually sell a lot to outsell everyone else. Not like today! Prisoner of Society was brilliant for its rebellious lyrics and anthemic chorus - no teenager can resist its powerful chant of "we don't need no-one like you, to tell us what to do!". Unfortunately over time the song's social commentary has faded in people's minds in favour of the snotty brat cliche. Something which the band have obviously felt and decided to take the song out of their live setlists, but somehow it always manages to creep into the set. Second Solution was the other A side single and it is actually the better song I think and gave them a good lead in to their debut album "The Living End".
I started going to shows around the time of the second EP coming out, and The Living End had me hooked on live gigs straight away. There is a very good reason for their reputation as one of Australia's best live bands - they have worked damn hard and played so many shows, and they give their all every time. I saw them at every little dirty basement around town, but I will never forget seeing them at The Chelsea (RIP) in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. I knew the songs inside and out but this time instead of jumping around in the moshpit, I positioned myself up the front in front of Chris Cheney and had what I would afterwards describe as an epiphany. It wasn't an epiphany in the Christian sense, but in the other sense of the sudden comprehension or realisation of a larger meaning of something. It was watching the sheer genius of this man with his guitar playing (while singing!!!) that I realised I was born to be a punter and a fan of this band; that I would never have the talent to be in a band or entertain people, but I sure could do a great job of appreciating those that do; and that The Living End were a worthy band to follow. And they have repaid me so many times, particularly with their latest tour, the Retrospective Tour.
For many years, I saw The Living End play at every venue possible whether Brisbane or the Gold Coast. I've seen them support local bands (Snout) and international bands (Rancid), headline their own shows with various supporting acts, and play massive festivals like Livid and Big Day Out. This has died down over the years as I became too old and uninterested in modern music to attend every festival, so I've missed quite a few festival appearances. Which is a shame as it's a great place to see them in their element, entertaining the bogans and the rockers alike, Chris playing a solo with his beer bottle and Scott with his double bass up in the air over his head. They are amazing and if you don't believe me you have to buy the 'From Here on In' DVD which documents several fantastic performances.
Another great gig was at the Arena in the Valley, which I almost missed. A group of us were going to this show and all but me were enjoying quite a few pre-show drinks. As the time rolled around to leave, we went out to the car and in the process of cleaning out the back seat for my passengers, I bent down and banged my eye on the car door with a loud 'crack'. When I stood up, it didn't feel too good and everyone said "Are you ok?" to which I said "I don't know". Then Ben took one look at me and said "We better go inside and have a look at that". We did and that was a bad idea. I'd cut the corner of my eye on the corner of the door and although I'd been fine while they all inspected me, looking in the mirror at the blood running down my cheek made me go all woozy. Now here is the driver, unable to drive, and the passengers all too drunk to drive - what could we do? We called some friends and Karen was sober so she popped around to take a look. We decided it wasn't too bad and she took me to the chemist who agreed that it could probably be solved with a butterfly clip which was duly applied by our sober steady-handed friend. Then I decided that we were still going to go to the concert, because there was no way that I wanted to miss The Living End! So we got in the car, drove into the Valley and enjoyed one of the best concerts they've done although I bounced around a bit less than usual as I didn't want the cut to open up again. Afterwards we hit an alternative club and danced the night away (for some reason I thought headbanging to Bullet for my Valentine would be a good idea). The next day when the black eye came out and we could see the cut properly and how close I'd come to actually cutting my eyeball (see picture below), I realised that all of that was probably not the best idea. But I landed on the right side of fine and gee it was a fantastically fun night out.
The Living End almost came to a screeching halt back in 2001 and 2002 after Chris was involved in a serious car accident that left him unable to play for a long time, and then founding drummer Travis left the band citing burnout and disagreements over the musical direction of the band. Fortunately for us, Chris did recover and is able to play better than ever, and replacement drummer Andy Strachan (formerly of awesome Aussie band from the 90s Pollyanna) has slotted into the band so well that most people wouldn't even know there was another drummer. Andy does a fantastic job.
All of that was a long time ago and a lot has changed with me and them. I think a lot of people would say that The Living End's best music is in the past, because as they've grown up as people and developed as musicians, their music has changed. It's a lot less punk, a fair bit less rockabilly and a lot more mature. But if you give it a chance, this music is still excellent. No, it's not the same but is that such a bad thing? People complain when a band repeats itself until it's no longer good (the 'time to give it away' argument) but also don't want their favourite bands to change. Lose-lose. Also they are men in their late 30s, married with kids so are they going to write about teenage rebellion forever? To me, their songs and lyrics have always been based in either real experiences or stories ripped from the headlines and based around the experiences of Aussie workers - it's stuff that people can relate to. This has not changed and it would, in fact, be ridiculous if they were still writing about being little punks. I myself have grown with the band and still love everything they release. The new album "The Ending is Just the Beginning Repeating" is great, with some very punchy songs crossed with the more mature, moody rock stuff. I'm disappointed it hasn't had more attention, praise and appreciation, especially by fans of their early work. It's the band's favourite album and the more I listen, the more I can see it becoming mine too.
I've also had people tell me they have 'sold out' but I would argue that they have done the opposite. If they were selling out, they would have changed their musical style to something that is actually popular e.g. screamo punk, pop, hip-hop. How can you be selling out when your music is becoming less popular and selling less over time? Also I've never heard a Living End song in an ad for anything. I think they have actually stayed true to themselves and made the music they've wanted to make regardless of how it is received. And it has been received pretty well, even if not by the old fans, as they still won 2 Aria Awards in 2011 for Best Rock Album and Best Live Band.
The thing that I can't fathom is that TLE did not win Best Live Band at the Arias in 2012. What better gift can a band give it's fans than a massive run of shows where they play all of their albums in full? This was the most exciting music news of the year for me, and the 6 concerts in the first week of December was the most anticipated event I think I've ever attended. It's a massive physical and technical undertaking for the band, having to learn something like 90+ songs and play for 7 nights in a row and then only a few days break before the next city. Anyone saying there should have been more shows should have their head read, it's an absolute gift that we are getting this. And two nights in, I have enjoyed every minute of it so far and look forward to the other 4 shows. I am giving them the 'Best Live Band' award from me right here, right now. The love and appreciation that this band have shown their fans is unprecedented and makes them the all time greatest band from Australia in my opinion.
If you have given up on The Living End or don't know their work, I strongly suggest that you seek out their six albums and two EPs and give it a good, close listen. I'm sure you will love it. Better yet though, go to a live show and experience the band in their best element - raw, hot and sweaty, fun, passionate rock and roll. Join me at The Zoo in Brisbane this week for one of the remaining 'Retrospective Tour' shows!
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