Opening for Viagra Boys at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney was C.O.F.F.I.N, otherwise known as Children of Finland Fighting in Norway, who warmed the crowd up nicely and got everyone ready for a serious amount of rocking out.Â
Viagra Boys manage to be many things at the same time. They are hard punk while being melodic and with hooks swimming around all over the tracks, giving the audience something to swing to, as well as head bang and crowd surf. Sports and Troglodyte and Punk Rock Loser drove the Enmore into a frenzy. Viagra Boys are serious about having a good time and banging out the tunes, and they’re also serious about sending up the hard right, hyper- masculinity, conspiracy theories, and themselves. So irresistible. Â
Sebastian Murphy fronts the band and is equally multifaceted. Screaming and sweaty, top off and covered in tats, and charming and witty and thoughtful all at once. On stage he described his spirit animal as an earthworm.Â
Oskar Carls is given plenty of room to showcase his saxophone solos and they’re really fantastic, and often being silhouetted against neon back lighting, they are also a stunning visual accompaniment, channelling just a tiny bit of Kenny G. Â Â
The set was played against a huge endless ANXIETY stage backdrop, which was handy as irresistible saw them on the night of the US elections and felt immediately soothed.Â
Well known to be a magnetic stage presence, they have been huge hits at festivals like Coachella, Glastonbury, and Primavera, and their tours are always huge. They’re playing Brisbane in a couple of days, and apparently it’s sold out, but whenever you can get to see this fantastic band live, do. Â Â
