Touché Amore, Militarie Gun, Colourblind @ Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide 18/7/2025
Jeremy Bolm, the softly spoken vocalist of Touché Amore, regales the crowd of a time flying into Australia that his heart was broken, and it inspired a song. That song was called Subversion, the plane landed in Adelaide and Bolm wrote about this place. Naturally when the Adelaide line appeared mid song, the crowd cheered. Touché to Touché Amore.
Like Bolms lyrics, it’s poetic that a song, and a bands musical style matches with Adelaide. A mixture of bounce and energy, serene and tranquil, I could be describing either band or city.
For that is Touché Amore in a nutshell. Bolm sways across stage and has the voice of generations of anger, hurt and beauty while in song, yet in between songs comes across shy, reserved and the voice of a mouse drinking red bull, barely audible.
Their set lasts a little over an hour and rips through over twenty songs, all carefully placed like chapters in a book. From the opening salvo of Tilde and New Halloween there is a short break and then bang, chapter two starts with Nobody’s, Green and Amends. Each song blurring into the next like a medley in a theme for the night, once the band start, it’s gonna be three and out for a break, then another three and out. It’s quite cool.
Bolm remarks this is their biggest show ever in Adelaide and those invested down at the front at treated to an emotional charged lyrical, vibrant performance and all given the opportunity to join in on the microphone whether it’s in Pathfinder or Hal Ashby.
Investment is a key here. If you got in early you would’ve been treated to Adelaide’s Colourblind who go pretty hard. Based on a backdrop of British punk, mixed with post grunge with an Alexisonfire vibe, Colourblind rock through their vocalist Finn Cameron’s ability to scream into your soul or just get you to bob along. New single Learn To Be combines both elements and the fact they sound good going heavy or slight when playing live, is a testament to the bands ability to harness magic.
For many, Militarie Gun’s appearance is what they want to see. Vocalist Ian Shelton resembles the love child of Bez from Happy Mondays with Liam Gallagher, his style in constant motion, his vocals raw power.
There is attitude to their music, tracks like Very High jolts the crowd with its catchy chorus, and even the newer numbers land well like Throw Me Away. My Friends Are Having A Hard Time ironically has everyone bobbing along having a good time and Big Disappointment is anything but. While they are American, their palate is British and that is making for a winning set and show from Militarie Gun
Which brings us back to Touché Amore. Their show is like having a giant warm hug from the band. The exhale of emotions being sung out from the crowd a truly cathartic experience. Bolm mentions two barriers between him and the crowd during the set, by the end, those barriers are gone as band and audience become one. A special show.
Live Review By Iain McCallum