Garbage, Lucky @ Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide 12/12/2025
The affinity between alt-rock legends Garbage and Australian is so tight that it never has been in doubt weathering the storm after the beach ball saga at Good Things Festival a week ago. There has been more than enough commentary on it particularly from those who weren’t even there, so thank god Adelaide fans left the beach balls at home letting the music do all the talking. This was classic Garbage and arguably right up there as one of their best shows on this tour. Friday night vibes at the recently re-opened and upgraded Thebarton were peaking right on max with a full house that might have experienced their last show here in Adelaide. It was so hot in the venue, the ceiling fans were on full trying to keep things tolerable but with Garbage doing their thing it is of no surprise that the temperature kept rising.
Melbourne indie-rock artist Lucky landed the plum support slot revelling in the chance to play in front of a big and excitable crowd. Always tough playing in front of someone else’s crowd and attempting to please the staunchest of Garbage fans is no mean feat. Fair to say that ninety nine percent of the crowd would have no idea who Lucky is but by set’s end would have had a few new fans. It was a short fire thirty minutes to knock out her set and win hearts and minds which included the likes of Clover, So Suffer, the impressive new single Houston and finishing on Beetle Lady. There were some great tunes on offer and no doubt bigger things are to come for Lucky.
As the lights dimmed and the ominous and powerful opening moments of Laura Palmer’s Theme from Twin Peaks took over Thebbie Theatre it was hard not to be captivated in awe of “There’s No Future In Optimism” from their latest album Let All That Imagine Be The Light that turbo charged the start of the show. Woah! Something incredible was unfolding! The fans knew it! The band fed off the admiration and adulation of the fans. Whatever happened a week ago was a distant memory. The set list was loaded with all their hits and very best with a couple of twists and turns. Another new tune in Hold followed by a flurry of iconic hits including I Think I’m Paranoid and Vow.
After Run Baby Run singer Shirley Manson took a moment to thank the Adelaide crowd all “the beautiful faces” reflecting on thirty years as being a band and showing gratitude with all their own headline shows selling out literally the day after they went on sale, which is something that Shirley acknowledged that they have not had before. The song The Trick Is To Keep Breathing took on greater meaning when it dedicated to some family members watching on from the balcony. The bond between Shirley, Butch, Duke and Steven is tight and one that cannot be broken. The story behind Not My Idea from that swing park in Maddison Wisconsin was priceless.
The lyrics to Hammering In My Head took on an Adelaide flavour…
“A hammering in my head don’t stop
From the bullet train
From Tokyo to Adelaide”
The harsh strobes in Wolves reinforced the themes with “this shit mess we have to deal with, greedy, very old, very white, very rich men”. #1Crush was stellar and as Shirley put it, was written a hundred years ago and was one they could not put on their first album as the lyrics were considered to be to violent but was picked up by Baz Luhrmann who used it in his global smash hit film Romeo + Juliet which proved to be their most successful single that was not on any of their albums. Queer challenged how humans look and judge each other and that “we’re all people and we’re fucking weird”. It would be remiss not to mention the influence of Nicole Fiorentino (Veruca Salt, Smashing Pumpkins), on bass and backing vocals, on the band’s live sound.
There was a tribute to Michael Gudinski who was instrumental in the early days of Garbage and then some commentary about retirement and addressing some speculation in interviews this year. But the quote of the night from Shirley was “I’ll always have something to say even if you don’t like what I have to say!” which led in to Chinese Fire Horse.
The hits came charging one by one with When I Grow Up, Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!) and Push It which really did get the crowd going. Interesting one to finish the main set on with The Day I Met God which was “unlike anything we’ve written” talking about being on painkillers and understanding what god is having “cracked the code”. With the band leaving the stage there was plenty of noise and chanting for more returning to playing another one of their iconic hits in Stupid Girl. Thanking the crowd once more Shirley conceded that she was unsure if this would be their last time or not saying that if we don’t meet again “have a nice life” and “to be kind” finishing on Only Happy When It Rains. This was a brilliant performance and if this is the last time, I seriously hope that it isn’t, it definitely is the way I want to remember them by.