Anyway, rugby is the more popular sport in Australia, where professionals incite fan-demonium at a level once reserved for top-flight groups such as AC/DC, INXS, Midnight Oil and Crowded House. In fact, Children Collide’s first single from The Long Now, “Social Currency,” has been featured in the National Rugby League’s opening sequence for Friday Night Football in their homeland.
It’s a start, if trying to become the next Wonder from Down Under is more than just a pipe dream. Favored comparably in the press to garage rockers like the Vines, Children Collide have established a rowdy fan base in their country, supporting such acts as The Living End and the Hoodoo Gurus. In July, they’ll return home to open a number of shows for Jane’s Addiction before beginning their own headlining tour. And the nonstop, workaholic mentality should keep them going at breakneck speed.
That frenzied pace was maintained throughout their 30-minute set in Denver. Children Collide delved heavily into The Long Now, their first full-length album that was released in the States on May 26 (Filter U.S. Recordings), well after making its 2008 debut in Australia.
The album’s songs are filled with futuristic jargon (“Farewell Rocketship”), environmental awareness (“Brave Robot”), and political intrigue (“Social Currency,” “Economy”), but are almost always delivered at a fevered pitch. The album’s title, Mackay explained on the band’s website, is “about an atypical view of existence. ... It’s about stepping outside your own mortality and considering the universe on greater terms than simply the sum of your own years.”
Pretty heady stuff for a group that bashes your brains in during a live performance.
Of the six selections off The Long Now played in Denver, only “Cannibal” ventured into graceful mainstream territory, despite the off-the-wall lyrics (“She is a cannibal, and she likes me / Kind of ironic because I don’t eat meat”). Most of the others, including standout cuts such as “Across The Earth,” “Skeleton Dance” and “Chosen Armies,” were exploding bits on energy that jolted an easy-going crowd settling in for a night of steady but safe rock.
This was a total shock to their senses. Only a cramped stage could keep these Men (Dressed) In Black in place. Crawley and Mackay (from left), who together formed the group in 2004, nearly collided (how fitting) as they stalked the stage. Crawley, resembling a Clash-era Joe Strummer and young Casey Affleck, played some thunderous riffs while working in sync with the precision pummeling provided by long, tall Caesar, the lean-and-not-so-mean drummer (in a Wipers tee) who was added to the lineup in 2007.
Article comments
1 - suzanne
Good review. Was one of the few to see them and I did enjoy them, especially when they would almost COLLIDE on stage.However, Earplugs are needed for their performance.
2 - Michael
Thanks for the comments, Suzanne. They are a loud band, but also have a lot of musical talent, too. I'll be surprised if they don't eventually catch on in the U.S.