Rewind back to the ‘in our day...’ memories of Gen Y where the revival of indie rock and grunge was in full swing, Carlton Cold was on tap and flowing free in plastic pints, and haircuts styled a la Rachel from Friends were all that. Enter The Superjesus, the Adelaide four-piece who bucked and scorned trends of musicians in the 90's who presented a clean cut image and 90s slogans throughout both their music and titles. After a chart topping decade in the industry with a slot on the Big Day Out bill during their pioneering year and two ARIAs to boot, Superjesus became a household name for alternative Australian rock before taking an extended hiatus to work on solo projects and secondary bands, including the now renowned Rogue Traders and Screaming Bikini. However just like the admired rebel teen in the school band who departed into the world after graduation, only to return better than ever with a well fashioned bad-boy look for the school reunion, The Superjesus returned to The Gov for their one and only come back gig in ten years, recapturing a world we remembered them from (only this time with more pixie cuts and pints of TEDs in sight).
First up for the evening were Angels of Gung-Ho – not the extras from an early Jackie Chan flick as the name might suggest, but boy, these guys still pack quite a punch and would be rather enjoyed by yours truly on the soundtrack of any martial arts film. Sweeping through their set in a colourful and engaging display of well placed lights, plaid shirts and some clever musical dexterity, the five-piece played hot new tracks off their first release, Fire in the Sea, including the popular Electrify Me. The availability of their debut EP on this very night was then pointed out to fans, both current and would-be before the Angels departed – but not before copies of the EP were scattered over and off the merch desk, punters eager to remember the catchy tunes of the local rockers well after the show was over.
First up for the evening were Angels of Gung-Ho – not the extras from an early Jackie Chan flick as the name might suggest, but boy, these guys still pack quite a punch and would be rather enjoyed by yours truly on the soundtrack of any martial arts film. Sweeping through their set in a colourful and engaging display of well placed lights, plaid shirts and some clever musical dexterity, the five-piece played hot new tracks off their first release, Fire in the Sea, including the popular Electrify Me. The availability of their debut EP on this very night was then pointed out to fans, both current and would-be before the Angels departed – but not before copies of the EP were scattered over and off the merch desk, punters eager to remember the catchy tunes of the local rockers well after the show was over.
Six Hours were up next in a well timed slot, injecting a very chilled out feel to the evening through the slow charged preview of just under a dozen of their songs, including tracks from their popular self-titled album that’s seen more than it’s fair share of playtime since it’s release in the early 2000s. With an irresistibly grungy sound and feel to every brilliant riff and vocal hook they captured onstage, the rock n’ roll outfit had punters unable to resist the groove of their tunes, especially to two specially dedicated to the girls [with their guys] and guys [with their girls] for the show. Having warmed up the audience as best they could then, the band thanked their fans, and the musicians of the night before making the way for one of the biggest, original Australian rock and rollers of our time.
Flagged by the stunning old school backdrop of the cover of their debut album, Sumo (which dare we say, was traditionally old, borrowed and eerily blue too – we later found out it came from one of the members’ parents’ homes; (onya Nan and Pop!), The Superjesus took to the stage with a classic track, Dead Ended. For a return gig in the small town of Adelaide, where no part of the floor was visible amongst the swaying bodies and where a video crew and several photographers struggled to fit around the surging fans, the welcoming home for Superjesus was overwhelmingly upbeat – an awesome sign for what frontwoman, Sarah McLeod recalled as their first show in ten long years.
The come back to their [musical] Adelaide family was made possible by drummer Paul Berryman’s arrival on Australian soil and it was clear the energy the four-piece had shared for so long had never disappeared; more like a dormant volcano biding its time to do what it does best. The Superjesus blasted away any critics who swore the one-off show was just for the money and once more poured the warm, hot heart and soul of the music that shot them to fame a decade ago. Hammering out more fan favourites like Stick Together, I’m Stained, Gravity, and Secret Agent Man to the joyous sound of a crowded house, McLeod agreed that the thrill of seemingly going back in time between the walls of the Gov was fucking cool. Having too much fun together or not, the festivities carried on, reaching an all time high when it was announced that it was McLeod’s birthday.
Flagged by the stunning old school backdrop of the cover of their debut album, Sumo (which dare we say, was traditionally old, borrowed and eerily blue too – we later found out it came from one of the members’ parents’ homes; (onya Nan and Pop!), The Superjesus took to the stage with a classic track, Dead Ended. For a return gig in the small town of Adelaide, where no part of the floor was visible amongst the swaying bodies and where a video crew and several photographers struggled to fit around the surging fans, the welcoming home for Superjesus was overwhelmingly upbeat – an awesome sign for what frontwoman, Sarah McLeod recalled as their first show in ten long years.
The come back to their [musical] Adelaide family was made possible by drummer Paul Berryman’s arrival on Australian soil and it was clear the energy the four-piece had shared for so long had never disappeared; more like a dormant volcano biding its time to do what it does best. The Superjesus blasted away any critics who swore the one-off show was just for the money and once more poured the warm, hot heart and soul of the music that shot them to fame a decade ago. Hammering out more fan favourites like Stick Together, I’m Stained, Gravity, and Secret Agent Man to the joyous sound of a crowded house, McLeod agreed that the thrill of seemingly going back in time between the walls of the Gov was fucking cool. Having too much fun together or not, the festivities carried on, reaching an all time high when it was announced that it was McLeod’s birthday.
When the band returned for the closure of the show, their crowd gave back a vocal favour to Adelaide’s favourite rock and roll frontwoman, singing a rousing happy birthday and cheering when McLeod’s fellow band members gave her flowers. After these spirited gestures, Superjesus delivered an equally vigorous encore in the form of Second Sun and titular track, Down Again.
While Sarah McLeod’s joking promise to come back [to Adelaide] when she turns 60 years of age to do it all again was in the spirit of the moment, and perhaps a bit too adventurous for the time, if there was one thing that their one off performance proved, it was that The Superjesus may have been underestimated when they first began, and too over their long hiatus, there is no doubting that they were back that night with enough fuel to keep the fire burning for many more years. And as for me and my thoughts – Sarah McLeod rocks the dark pixie cut now, but given her changeable style over the time as frontwoman of three bands and respected musician and personality in her own right, I personally reckon she’d rock a fierce grey bob. Only time will tell!
Review by Rebecca Grant
Photos by Supernova Photographics - full gallery can be seen here.
While Sarah McLeod’s joking promise to come back [to Adelaide] when she turns 60 years of age to do it all again was in the spirit of the moment, and perhaps a bit too adventurous for the time, if there was one thing that their one off performance proved, it was that The Superjesus may have been underestimated when they first began, and too over their long hiatus, there is no doubting that they were back that night with enough fuel to keep the fire burning for many more years. And as for me and my thoughts – Sarah McLeod rocks the dark pixie cut now, but given her changeable style over the time as frontwoman of three bands and respected musician and personality in her own right, I personally reckon she’d rock a fierce grey bob. Only time will tell!
Review by Rebecca Grant
Photos by Supernova Photographics - full gallery can be seen here.
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