Pix by Peter Mellows
Words by Annette Geneva
Spiderbait brought their 30th anniversary tour of Ivy & The Big Apples to a packed Odeon Theatre in Hobart celebrating the record that helped cement their place in Australian alternative rock. Watching a band that’s been doing this music thing for decades, but still look like they’re having the time of their lives is exceptionally satisfying.
Saturday night at Hobart’s Odeon Theatre was a celebration of Australian alternative rock, with Glass Media, Custard and Spiderbait bringing three different flavours of guitar music to a packed room and the room was ready for every second of it. Floor packed shoulder to shoulder, balcony full, drinks in hand and an audience that clearly hadn’t come to stand around politely.
Glass Media opened the evening with their familiar set. Having seen them a few times now, there’s no denying the potential. They’re a band with something worth paying attention to, although there’s still room for growth in the way they build a set and command a stage. A little more movement, confidence and connection between songs would go a long way. The foundations are there.
Custard followed, bringing a welcome dose of their own offbeat charm. Their setlist, written on the back of a VB box, included Lucky Star, Alone, Ringo, Anatomically Correct, Pack Yr Suitcases, FunkyAgain, Pinball Lez, Girls Like That and Apartment. It is definitely enjoyable to see a band with such a distinctive musical personality sharing a bill like this. Custard have always occupied their own little corner of Australian indie rock, and their presence added another layer to an already strong lineup.
By the time Spiderbait took over, the Odeon was heaving. The floor was shoulder to shoulder, the balcony was filling out and the atmosphere had shifted into full Saturday-night territory. From the opening crunch of Chest Hair, Spiderbait wasted little time reminding everyone why their songs have managed to lodge themselves so firmly in the Australian alternative rock subconscious. They have their own kind of energy: loud, loose, slightly unhinged and entirely comfortable in its own skin.
The set moved through a generous stretch of their catalogue, including Hot Water, Buy Me a Pony, Calypso, Goin’ Off, Don’t Kill Nipper, Horshack Army, Jasper, Goosh, Hawaiian Nights and Driving Up the Ceiling. These aren’t songs that need much introduction to a room full of people who grew up with Spiderbait rattling around their CD collections.
There was plenty to enjoy in the heavier moments, but it was the band’s willingness to play around with things that made the evening particularly memorable. A few songs saw the usual instrumental arrangements get shuffled, with members swapping roles and stepping into different spots. It’s a small thing, perhaps, but it gives a live set an unpredictability that you don’t always get from bands this far into their careers. The audience was equally invested. There was no shortage of movement down the front, plenty of singing along and the kind of collective recognition that comes when the opening seconds of a familiar song hit. Shazam!, Outta My Head, Old Man Sam, Fuckin’ Awesome and Black Betty all featured as the set pushed towards its closing stretch.
What struck me just as much was the feeling coming from the stage. Having watched the tour unfold, it was clear Spiderbait weren’t simply clocking up another run of dates. They seemed genuinely delighted to be there. Kram even made a point of saying how much they loved coming to Tasmania, and that enthusiasm felt reciprocal. It’s easy to underestimate how much that matters.
Audiences can tell when a band is enjoying itself. It changes the atmosphere in a room. And that’s the appeal of Spiderbait. Their music has always had a knack for being both ridiculous and brilliant, with enough melody tucked inside the distortion to keep you coming back. They don’t need to reinvent the wheel or deliver some grand statement about their legacy. They just need to plug in, turn it up and let the songs do their thing. Decades in, Spiderbait are still making a bloody good racket. And judging by last night, Tasmania is more than happy to have them back.
