Vans Boys of Summer

The Vans Boys of Summer tour ended its third consecutive year on Sunday night to a near-capacity Adelaide crowd. A high profile line-up ensured this was not a night to be missed.

Melbourne band, Capeside took to the stage first with a short set of upbeat pop rock songs. Unfortunately, singer Simon Blangiardo’s energy was not reflected in the steadily increasing number of music lovers filling The Governor Hindmarsh. It was clear punters were there to see the headliners, none the less Capeside stuck it out and played their songs with great enthusiasm.

Fellow Melbournians Deez Nuts were up next. JJ Peters’s (ex I Killed The Prom Queen) new project has hit it off with instant success, only having launched his debut EP Rep Your Hood in late 2007. Opening with crowd favourite 'There’s A Party Over Here, Ain’t Shit Over There', JJ and the band put on a great show with the perfect mix of hardcore guitars and rapping vocals. Fair Weather Fans sent the kids into frenzy with hardcore dancers showing off their moves and in some cases taking a hard hit. 'Rep Your Hood' wrapped up the set despite calls for an encore. Deez Nuts set up the stage and got the kids fired up ready for those to come.

It was a first-time appearance in Australia for American hardcore punk rockers Set Your Goals and they made the most of it. Admittedly over half of those in attendance had never heard of Set Your Goals, but everybody got involved none the less. The boys played songs predominantly from their 2006 album Mutiny! Vocalists Mat Wilson and Jordan Brown kept the chatter up between songs, engaging the crowd and were genuinely grateful for the support Adelaide was so enthusiastically giving them. 'This Very Moment' and 'An Old Book Misread' got things going and in no time the floor was filled with young fans yelling out the words, screaming into the microphone and jumping off the stage. Set Your Goals put on an impressive show. Their energy and passion making their performance all the more enjoyable. 'This Song Is Definitely Not About A Girl' and the band’s latest song 'Echoes' were favourites in the pit. With a promise to return to our shores within the next 18 months, Set Your Goals are bound to have an ever increasing Australian fan base after this tour.

Queenslanders The Amity Affliction have supported some great bands in the past, and the chance to be second headliners under Silverstein must have been a daunting yet exciting prospect. Unfortunately their energy and enthusiasm was not at the highs one has come to expect from the band. This could have been because singer Joel cut his foot on glass the night before and so had restricted movements, but there was certainly something lacking. The band played a very short set of songs from their EP High Hopes including I Heart Throsby and Straight Up. It was clear that fans were disappointed however this disappointment quickly disappeared when Silverstein took to the stage.

Silverstein are no strangers to Australia having toured the country previously in 2006 with I Killed The Prom Queen. This time they had a brand new album under their belts, Arrivals and Departures. If the floor wasn’t already full, it sure was now. Kicking the show off with 'Bodies and Words' it was clear from the start this was going to be an incredible set. The energy was contagious and soon every boy and girl was on their feet. Singer Shane Told was chatty between songs even engaging the crowd in a short ‘Q and A’ session.

The mixture of new and old songs was a good combination, keeping those who hadn’t picked up the new album yet well and truly involved. Songs such as 'November' (which the band hadn’t played live in over four years) and My Heroine were clear favourites early on. A cover of Lifetime’s 'Northbound Breakdown' was an interesting choice as the band finished on a high note with 'Sand Turned To Glass' (which we were told had never been played live before) and 'Smashed In Pieces'. A blistering double encore came soon after with 'Sound of the Sun' and what appeared to be a crowd favourite 'Bleeds No More'. We thought it was over until Shane Told returned once more to play a solo cover of Seize The Day’s 'Behind Every Great Man Lies A Regret' which disappointed some fans (who had requested 'It’s Raining Men') and confused others; but highlighted how much Silverstein were enjoying themselves and wanted to draw out their last show as long as possible.

Members of Silverstein and Set Your Goals hung around after the show to mix with the fans, patiently taking photos, signing autographs, answering the same question dozens of times but thrilling the punters. This year’s Boys of Summer was a huge success with some very strong performances. It’s going to take a lot to top in 2009.

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