Sweet @ Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide 5/11/2026
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again nostalgia is a wonderful thing and a full house at Thebarton Theatre is a testament to that and proves yet again that good music transcends all generations. Sweet! What a band and what a show in Adelaide for what has been promoted as The Final Blitz. Frankly, the naysayers can bugger off, Andy Scott and his band not only honoured the legacy built but celebrated it in fine fashion. Andy Scott, what a deadest legend and icon. Rock is very much in his blood and at seventy-seven, stage four cancer survivor, last surviving member of the Sweet classic line up, powered through a ninety-minute set of this much revered and loved catalogue of music.
Rumbling through the PA was the Full Circle intro before going full throttle Sweet hits Action and Hell Raiser. The touring line up boasts some elite players including Paul Manzi (vocals), Lee Small (bass), Tom Cory (keys, guitar) and Adam Booth (drums). Manzi in reference to the legendary Andy Scott said “ I can tell you he is here, 2024 he wasn’t, you will be proud he is firing on all cylinders, he’s a V8.” That said and with a thumbs from Andy Scott ” it was on with the show. It wasn’t all just about the hits with some deeper cuts like Burn On The Flame featuring from the 1975 compilation Strung Up. The crowd went a bit silent when asked by Manzi if anyone had got the new Full Circle album indicating it might not have got to “the other side of the world yet”. Circus was one from that.
It was largely a seated affair but there were quite a few itching to get up and dance which they did. The Six Teens was awesome followed Lost Angels and Windy City from Off The Record (1977). Manzi asked the crowd to clap along and show their support. Set Me Free was wild and one of my favourite Sweet songs. Andy went side of stage for a breather and a Jack Daniels, hats off to him battling through and managing his health so he can entertain the fans. The band continued with the next three going back to circa 1971 where it all started with a melody of Co-Co / Funny Funny / Poppa Joe. The band did this brilliantly and goes back to my point about honouring the legacy of this legendary and much love band.
Manzi is reference to the collective average age in this theatre suggesting that for tonight “we are all sixteen and didn’t grow up!” Yep, I’m comfortable with that. With Andy back on stage it was another classic Peppermint Twist followed by the crowd going with the iconic Sweet chant “we want Sweet” to lead off Teenage Rampage. The hits kept coming with Wig Wam Bam and Little Willy. Andy took a moment to speak saying that “Australia isn’t somewhere you can fly down for the weekend”. Also adding that he is down from fifteen to eleven or twelve pills and that the original band is not with us anything “they’re not up there but down there”. Jokingly casting his eye out for possible “offspring” suggesting to one that yelled out they were probably one of Mick Tuckers.
Love Is Like Oxygen was awesome and the uber classic Fox On The Run brought the house albeit minus the platform show and more like Sketchers now according to Manzi. The encore was like the jewel in the crown with Blockbuster followed by that hit everyone loves in The Ballroom Blitz. This was a great show and fingers crossed for an encore run but if this is it what a way to honour the legacy.
Live Review By Rob