A number of eager punters were already in attendance when Jae Laffer of The Panics kicked off his set and the mood in the room was good. Ably accompanied by bandmate Paul Otway on guitar, Laffer offered a number of Panics favourites as well as a few tracks lifted from his recent solo album, When the Iron Glows Red. The songs came across well with the stripped-back setting allowing words and guitar to weave between each other to good effect. Highlights included Cruel Guards and Leave a Light, and I must admit when Augie March guitarist Adam Donovan amusingly joined Laffer to cover Dire Straits song So Far Away, it worked well and I found myself getting right into it.
Augie March were greeted warmly by the sold-out Howler bandroom. Though there seemed at first to be a few gremlins running around the sound system, things were mostly fixed after a couple of songs and the crowd got treated to a long set of modern Aussie classics. Favourites like Hole in your Roof, Little Wonder and, of course, One Crowded Hour were met fondly, and the joy of seeing this band back again was palpable throughout the room.
New album Havens Dumb got a good showing too, with songs After the Crack Up, Definitive History and Villa Adriana among the strongest in the set. While the older stuff worked well (personal favourites Lupus and Maroondah Reservoir were thoroughly excellent), it was the new stuff that was really impressive. It was presented with an intent that showed the band’s belief in their latest wares, and having given the album more than a couple of spins since the gig and it was well worth the $20.
The sound gremlins did reappear once or twice through the set but did little to detract from an excellent showing overall. A generous encore included There Is no such Place and Owen’s Lament from debut album Sunset Studies, and it felt like I had a couple of old friends with me as I headed off into the night.Augie March may have been absent for a while but they’ve come back with a presence that has a few more teeth than what I’d seen of them previously. I just hope we won’t have to wait so long again until next time.
BY GUNTHER HESSE
Loved: They’re back.
Hated: Occasional gremlins.
Drank: Dark’n’stormies.
