REVIEW - Short Stack Rock Out At Festival Hall, Girls Faint!

19 December 2009

Short Stack Review - Festival Hall, Melbourne
Friday December 18, 2009.

Paramedics were working overtime at the Short Stack concert at Melbourne's Festival Hall last night, reviving over-excited fans from various maladies including fainting, vomiting, injured limbs, severe shock, bleeding and more.

But all this is not surprising. It seems to have become a standard one can expect at a Short Stack concert, with the three NSW boys successfully carving their place in Aussie music as teen-pop sensations, complete with hoards of devoted girls who follow their every move.

Supported by local bands Die For You and The Sundance Kids, Short Stack's Shaun Diviney, Andy Clemmensen and Bradie Webb greeted their excited crowd on a stage complete with inflatable dinosaurs and their signature skull and cross bones insignia.

PHOTOS - Check out the pics from the gig!

Kicking the show off with album track 'One Step Closer' and getting into the boppy 'Ladies and Gentlemen' three songs in, I could already see that over their short history, Short Stack have grown into their performer skins and now have it down to a well oiled set (despite a few hiccups with Shaun's guitar and Andy falling over mid-rock-and-roll-spin! Rock Star FAIL!).

The concert was like one massive teen-gasm, getting closer to climax with every stimulating tune, like the infectious 'Drop Dead Gorgeous' leading straight into 'contagious' crowd pleaser 'Princess' (oh yes, I went there! Lame jokes FTW!).

By this time Short Stack had me tapping my feet and wanting to dance, against my better judgement!

Front man Shaun Diviney occasionally said a few words to the crowd, at one point even suggesting they all start getting naked! He reminds me of a young Tyson Ritter (All-American Rejects), but with bigger hair!

During a short break for Andy and Bradie, Shaun performed a solo ballad called 'Rain On Her Parade', apparently written by friend of the band and touring member Shaun Jumpnow.

All three boys had their chance at a solo, not forgetting Andy's solo 'The Back Of My Head' in which he had a go at the mic; and Bradie's 'Super Mario' inspired drum solo (nerdy but cool nonetheless).

After playing their latest weeknight radio hit 'Sweet December' they shared some chocolate with the hungry and exhausted crowd -- some of whom had been queuing since the crack of dawn and camping out overnight to ensure the best position possible.

Some of my highlights included having a chuckle watching Shaun get frequently manhandled by the roadie and girls at the front of the crowd being fed water from the same bottle like they were animals -- now I know what caused the spread of Swine Flu!

Capping off the show after an incessant crowd chant of "Short Stack! Short Stack!", was a two song encore of 'Thick As Thieves' and possibly the ultimate favourite, 'Sway Sway Baby', leaving fans screaming for more while their parents waited in their cars outside to take them home!

Overall I think Short Stack certainly know how to put on a good show that they know their devotees will love and they definitely show their fans a lot of love. It will be interesting to see in the coming year or two how (and if) the fans grow with the band -- and whether their fans will have completely wrecked their vocal chords from all the screaming! What was that kiddo? Speak up -- I'm a bit hard of hearing today!

SETLIST - Festival Hall, Melbourne 18th December 2009
One Step Closer
It's 4 U
Ladies and Gentlemen
Before Angels Fall
Counting The Stars
The Back Of My Head
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Princess
Rain On Her Parade
Drum Solo
Sweet December
In This Place
17
We All Know
Shimmy A Go Go
Keyboard Solo
ENCORE
Thick As Thieves
Sway Sway Baby

Review by Kate - The Take 40 Team