Thursday, Quicksand, We Set Sail @ The Gov, Adelaide 13/3/2018

Tuesday night in Adelaide officially became Thursday’s night this week, as the American band stopped by on their reunion tour of Australia. Supported by New Yorkers Quicksand, who are also given a full-length set list time slot, and Brisbane boys We Set Sail, the night was a blast of genre-defining nostalgia mixed with current cutting-edge class.

We Set Sail started the evening off with their gentle blend of punk, post-grunge craft. While the boys are undeniably talented, the lack of numbers in the Adelaide audience gave the performance a distinctly casual vibe. The quality in their song writing suggests that in a more suitable environment , this is a band that could come into their own quite easily.

Quicksand have been around the block, stopped for a coffee, then gone round the block again in their near 30 year existence. Starting from a brutal yet highly influential New York hardcore scene, with a back catalogue to rival their peers, they began tonight with the classics Fazer and Too Official before slipping into something new in Illuminant.

The music has lost none of its edge over the years and is driven expertly by Sergio Vega as his bass shakes the foundations. Tracks such as Normal To Love and Head To The Wall are groove filled pieces of music, full of class. A highlight of the set was the bass heavy Delusional, driven by a incessant drum beat to compliment Walter Schreifels angst-ridden vocals. A full set finishing with the excellent Landmine Spring had the much larger crowd distinctly jovial leading into the co-headliners.

Thursday take to the small stage at The Gov knowing they have to perform, which they do with aplomb. Tracks such as Signals Over The Air and Steps Ascending are equal parts light and shade, the heaviness of the riffs completed by the melodic vocals of Geoff Rickly.Crowd favourites, such as Jet Black New Year with it heavier head banging groove, Autobiography Of A Nation with its crowd participation and Understanding In A Car Crash, have the audience lapping up the bands performance before the short encore break precedes the final run home.

The fantastic War All The Time finishes the set triumphantly with Thursday delivering expertly. They are a band on form, enjoying the chance to play together once again. So much so you’re almost asking the question, what day is it again? Is it Thursday? Tonight, it most certainly was.

Live Review by Iain McCallum