The Used, Hevenshe @ Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide 29/8/2025
2007, the year of the trilogy. Spider-Man 3, Shrek The Third, Pirates Of The Caribbean : At World’s End and Lies For The Liars, The Used third album.
On a day when Adelaide was hit with two tornadoes, The Used landed a third streak of destruction at Hindley Street Music Hall.
Following on the from the bands finely detailed homage to 2002’s Self-Titled and 2004’s In Love And Death, the band complete the set with 2007’s grand masterpiece.
The set up all week has been exceptional. Most bands on an anniversary run, just play songs – sometimes but not always in order- then bail. Yet The Used’s attention to detail all week to include giant album covers, the stage backdrops, the music in between sets all lend itself to a band that genuinely cares for its fans. Now if only we could get 2007 bar prices, that would be just swell.
Throughout this, Hevenshe have also stepped up each night, keeping the energy flowing and it has been interesting to see their reception grow as those who attended all three nights buy into Jenna MacDougall’s relatable tales of exes, friendships and celebrating yourself. Impressive.
The now nightly excitement to see if the PA’s playlist matches the year continues and yes it does. Avril, Kanye, Gwen and even Hinder, all here. So is Creed though at the death ruining my week long theory.
However, that is what the final part of all trilogy’s do. The twists and truths of our heroes’ journey all present themselves in dark reality that often goes against what went before.
In this case, Lies For The Liars is a shuddering juggernaut of heavy, crunching, extreme emotions that were only dabbled in on the first two nights.
Drummer Dan Whitesides influence on this, his first album, presents itself with the way he works beautifully with guitarist Joey Bradford to hammer out the grooves to The Ripper, Pretty Handsome Awkward and The Bird And The Worm. Sinister and aggressive.
McCracken, stood arms outstretched taking in the adulation, is affable and cheeky as usual, careful to not repeat any anecdote or quip all week. Tonight, it’s about the guy with a blue beard getting a celebratory crowd ‘whoop whoop’.
The explosions are bigger in the third act, created to get more gasps of awe and when McCracken invites a dozen or so fans on stage for Paralyzed, awe is granted. Each fan dances and recites the words like they were born to be on stage, adding more sauce to the meal as the band take a backseat. Chef’s kiss to The Used.
The stage and lightning is literally electrifying during With Me Tonight and Wake The Dead before the big heart wrenching moment of Find A Way signifies the end is coming, not just for tonight but for the week.
Liar Liar (Burn In Hell) and deep cut Pain, is the part in the movie when your hero battles, and finally vanquishes the enemy it’s battled over three nights, before the haunting and beautiful ending of Smother Me has lighters out, tears falling and voices croaky to finish.
It was difficult to envision at first how The Used would keep each night fresh except for the music. Yet each night was a unique show in itself, a time machine back to whichever magical year you chose to go to. Or all of them.
The one consistent throughout the three nights? Well, that’s easy. It’s that Bert is ‘hanging’ out with my boys’. We are the boys he’s been hanging with.
Live Review By Iain McCallum