The last time Hot Snakes came through was a bit of a personal nadir. In a sign of our priorities at the time, my friends and I had spent all our coin on an assortment of Nike sneakers, so a decision was made to pregame whatever liquid bowel-crampers could be salvaged from behind the couch of our filthy Carlton bedsit. Soon after our arrival, to the opening chords of I Hate the Kids, I decided it would be necessary to lie down on the tiles of the men’s room stall and take an hour-long nap.
With the band back together and back to tour through the same venue, I was glad to get the opportunity to prove that the last seven years had taught me at least some social graces.
River of Snakes showed off a couple of new tracks for an album in the works for next year, but they put on a more engrossing show when Raul Sanchez is a bit looser, and it was too early in the evening for that. Six Ft Hick did their thing, but the nature of the support slot meant a disappointing lack of barnyard props and incest references.
Playing to a pretty decent crowd for a Meredith weekend, the Hot Snakes set was more or less a facsimile of their last tour, an excursion through the A-sides of their first three records, and bonus Drive Like Jehu cover to boot for those select few with overlapping interests in rock music and the trickier subgenres of calculus. Busy with other things in the intervening years, there wasn’t much more to expect from them, but it was a welcome relief all the same when the band stuck to the angrier sections of their back catalogue instead of venturing into the tepid sounds of the single they put out last year.
I might have set the bar low, but given that I didn’t wake up at one in the morning with a tile pattern imprinted on my cheeks and a security guard banging on the stall, I am pleased to announce that the evening exceeded expectations.
BY SEAN SANDY DEVOTIONAL
LOVED: A band returning from indefinite hiatus that didn’t rustle my jimmies for once.
HATED: The Kids.
DRANK: By the Yarra before the show, trying not to ogle the couple dry humping on the opposite riverbank but still looking creepy all the same.
