PANDEMONIUM ROCKS REVIEW
Pandemonium Rocks was held at Cathy Freeman Park on Anzac Day and people rocked up from all over, eager and excited to see Jet Fyrebird, Cosmic Psychos, Wolfmother, Wheatus, The Psychedelic Furs, Blondie and Alice Cooper.
Wolfmother went on stage and they belted out their hits with their powerful vocals. As Wolfmother played 'Woman' it was a driving, upbeat monster and it was loaded to the brim with badass riffs. Wolfmother performed with a hard rock mentality, and featured energetically played drums. As Wolfmother started playing "Joker and The Theif" the crowd sang along and everyone was pumped and buzzing for more bands.
Wheatus came on stage and opened with a 'temporary song' and it got the crowd eager for the rest of the set. As Wheatus Covered an Australian classic "Rock and Roll Damnation by AC/DC" the catchy melodies and rock guitar riffs brought excitement to everyone around us. As they continued their set with songs including " Lemonade and Valentine" the unique beat, fun riffs and mad drum beats filled Cathy Freeman Park. Wheatus told us the story of 'Leroy', being filmed at Melbourne's Hi-Fi Bar and it was cool to have a piece of their history in Australia.
Wheatus thanked Australians for putting their song "Teenage Dirtbag” on the map, which has become an enduring cult classic. As the band sang "Teenage Dirtbag" the crowd sang with the band and when Brendan B. Brown got to the chorus he invited everyone to sing the lyrics "I've got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby, Come with me Friday, don't say maybe, I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby, like you" back to him and he said it was In perfect pitch and asked if we had singing lessons. Wheatus played a great set and we were keen for the next band.
Next up were The Psychedelic Furs, an infectious post punk band with overtones that drew you straight into this fun and energetic set. As they kicked off their set with " Mr Jones, Love My Train and Long Way" the exceptional bass lines, massive guitar riffs and drum rhythms made you want to rock out. As the band continued with songs including " The Ghost In You, Pretty In Pink and Heartbreak Beat" the powerful vocals and sharp lyrics and unique groundbreaking tracks brought the fans to the barrier and It was sad to see them leave the stage after their last song "Heaven".
As Blondie emerged on stage From the first thunderous chords it was clear that this set was going to be something special Which took the atmosphere to another level. The video wall was filled with amazing images and we were excited to hear the first song "X Offender". As Blondie played her hit "One Way Or Another" I looked around the audience and there wasn't one person I could see who wasn't singing and dancing to this engaging set. Blondie continued the set with "Call Me" which is a classic, the vocals flew across the crowd to thousands of eager fans.
Blondie did a cover of "The Tide Is High" and the powerful sing-a-long chorus encouraged the audience to get involved In the set and enjoy the hits. Blondie finished the set with "Dreaming" and the excellent tracks are not only drenched with catchiness, but they feature some excellent guitar work and make you grateful to watch a set that was loaded with melodies and fun.
Alice stepped onto the stage and to say everyone was excited was an understatement. An impressive show of lights broke us into the first songs 'Lock Me Up and Welcome to the Show' and the crowd were immediately captivated by the godfather of rock, energetic drumming and the harmonised guitars.
As Alice Cooper continued with "No More Mr. Nice Guy and I'm Eighteen" The crushing bass guitar riffs were mindblowing and the crazy breakdowns were insane. The crowd were singing from start to finish and Nita Strauss and Ryan Roxie were killing it on stage. Alice played Billion Dollar Babies and confetti shot up into the crowd and the atmosphere went to 11.
Alice walked off the stage and came back on with a snake around his neck while he played 'Snakebite'. The stage props were amazing and they were only getting better. As 'Feed My Frankenstein' played a giant Frankenstein came out on stage and chased the band around which brought fun to the set. A crowd favourite was up next and "Poison" started running through my veins.
As Alice Cooper walked up the stairs he asked if Australia would Elect him as president and they cheered and he was "Elected". Alice Cooper played his last song"Schools Out For Summer" and it is an anthem that struck a pretty large chord. Alice introduced his amazing band, consisting of Glen Sobel on drums, Chuck Gerrick on bass, Nita Strauss on Rhythm Guitar, Tommy Hendrickson on rhythm guitar, and Ryan Roxie on lead guitar, Alice's wife Sheryl Cooper that was dressed like Marie Antoinette and then they finished 'Schools Out' and the band bowed.
Each band that had entered the stage had brought their own levels of rock and roll that lit the place up in an energetic haze. It was a great night and a rock and roll journey that's worth a full day out.