PUP, LOSER @ The Gov, Adelaide 19/7/2022
PUP kicked off their Australian tour in front of a big crowd at The Gov. What a way to get reacquainted and even front Stefan Babcock reflected after opener Totally Fine thinking only three people would likely rock up after not touring here for four or five years. Not so! If it wasn’t sold out it would have been very close. Encouraging the crowd that if they let it rip they would to. The crowd were turbo charged, full of beans and had plenty of voice as they tore through their set with much gusto.
It was a great packed full of plenty of great songs both old and new. My Life Is Over And I Couldn’t Be Happier, Dark Days, Robot Writes A Love Song and Free At Last set the tone. Babcock mentioned that they felt their brains were a bit mushy as a result of jet lag and lots of alcohol and adding that before everyone got sad that they should have known what they are in for when they bought tickets. The intensity and energy that they played with you would have hardly known if it hadn’t been pointed out.
Singles Reservoir and Matilda were great and there seems to be something quite anthemic about If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will. What I thought was fantastic is how the band show genuine concern and gratitude to their fans even to the point where Babcock jumped off the stage in to the pit to prevent a fan from hurting themselves as they came across the front barrier. Babcock did say that the reviews for their new album The Unraveling Of PupTheBand were even suggesting his Dad thought the album was “good”. There is no doubt that tunes such as Relentless and Waiting will be set staples in future.
Time flies when you’re having fun and it was hard to believe that an hour had whizzed by. DVP, Guilt Trip and Scorpion Hill proved popular. After Familiar Patterns Babcock spoke of their position on encores saying that “encores are fucking dumb” saying that they don’t do them opting to stay on stage and play more songs. Recreating the feel of what would be an encore they powered their way through Waiting, Morbid Stuff and finishing on Kids.
Kudos to Loser who opened proceedings, they were great and a band I would definitely like to see again. Playing songs from their relatively new album All The Rage they do look like a force to be reckoned with.
Great show and we can only hope that a return visit is much sooner.
Live Review By Rob Lyon