With 14 years and now five albums behind them, these guys are veterans of the Aussie scene, and can put on a lengthy show, replete with multiple encores, and almost every song is a crowd pleasing favourite. The Forum, with its epic, gothic setup and vibe, always seems to be an excellent choice of venue, no matter who is playing. It becomes the third entity in the show alongside the band and crowd, as opposed to a building with a stage and sound system where the gig takes place. And again this proved to be the case.
Highlight of Eskimo Joe’s show this night was the mid set showstopper Foreign Land, with its fat groove and Led Zepellin-esque vibe, but Love is a Drug, closer Sky’s on Fire and the massive hit Black Fingernails, Red Wine were also standouts. They even threw a cover of Roy Orbison’s Crying for good measure, and they did it rather well. Tunes from the new album, Ghosts of the Past, slotted in beautifully alongside the more tried and tested numbers.
With longevity comes confidence, and with the recent demise of Powderfinger, these guys seem set to step up and fill the rather large void left by that band, in the realm of radio friendly alternative rock. They have the songs, the history and the type of live show that has hundreds of punters leaving the venue with big, cheesy smiles all over their faces.
