Millencolin – Gig Review 5th December @ The Tivoli, Bris QLD
Millencolin
The Tivoli, Brisbane
Monday 5th December 2022
Supports: Drastic Park, Something Something Explosion
For those that didn’t completely tire themselves out at Good Things Festival over the weekend, some bands were still amped to keep the festival party going for those that didn’t end up with lower back pain on Monday morning (festival life is rough for us all that have surpassed 30). Swede punk rock act Millencolin were one of those acts and kept the momentum surrounding their highly anticipated return to Australia going, proving that punk music is ageless.
Kicking the night off were two of Australia’s emerging upcomers in the scene and if you didn’t arrive early enough to catch these kids, well, you missed out. But that’s why I’m here to recap it for you! First cab off the rank was Victorian punk trio Something Something Explosion whose riot-fuelled and catchy tunes feverishly spread through the Tivoli like wildfire. It was a shame there wasn’t more of a crowd that early at the Tivoli tonight because lead vocalist Grace Drummond’s fiery onstage personality was contagious. In between her energy and the raddest early 2000s playlist blaring through the speakers inbetween each act, the right tone was set for the rest of the evening.
Up next and aiming for a milder change of pace dropping the mood down to a poppier tempo were fellow Melbournites Drastic Park. As the venue gradually filled, John Stokes, Chris Tannahill and Joe Larwood struck a chord with many new ears that evening, spreading their infectious pop punk earworms to a vastly older crowd who could still appreciate a three-chord tune that took us back to yesteryear. As a regular listener of Drastic Park and having witnessed them a few times now, the boys’ performance just keeps on getting better and better. The band’s latest single ‘Deadline‘ particularly caught on with the crowd and proved that opening for Millencolin is only the beginning of much bigger opportunities for the Melbourne pop punkers.
The Tivoli managed to pack out with last minute stragglers moments before Millencolin took to the stage. When the Swedish punk four-piece kicked in with the opening bars of ‘Kemp‘, festival fatigue almost became non-existent and it felt like taking a time machine back into the 90s. Vocalist/bassist Nikolas Sarcevic led the band into what was a consistent energy of punk rock classics from the band’s massive collection of albums over the years. While in-between banter between Sarcevic and guitarist Mathias Farm were kept to a minimum, more time was made to fit in as many hits as possible.
Although it did take three songs before the first crowd surfer took flight, I didn’t quite see the moshpit as crazy as I’d anticipated. Yeah, over 80% of the room were pushing 40 so the vibe definitely peaked midway through, but there seemed to always be a small group of keen punters in the pit ready to make Monday night as rowdy as possible.
I’ll be completely honest — before tonight, the one and only time I’ve seen Millencolin was when the lads were last here in 2013 for the Vans Warped Tour. As a post on Facebook memories reminded me last week, I actually did really enjoy their stage presence a decade ago, but I don’t think I fully appreciated their music. However, that definitely changed tonight.
Cheers Millencolin for encouraging this 2000s pop punk listener to expand her musical appreciation and proving to us all that at the end of the day, punk rock has no limitations.
Gig Review by Tamara May
Millencolin setlist:
Kemp
Bullion
Sense & Sensibility
Happiness for Dogs
SOS
Ray
Fox
Man or Mouse
Dance Craze
Botanic
Nothing
Loozin Must
The Ballad
Brand New Game
Olympic
Pepper
Penguins
Mr. Clean
True Brew
Duck Pond
No Cigar
