Australian rock trio, Sick Puppies, have settled in to their sound with their two week old release of their second album, Tri-Polar. It’s a perfect album for the alt-rock fan that is sick of Nickelback-like ballads and craves harder hitting drums and guitar combos.
Formed in 1997, Sick Puppies consists of Shimon “Shim” Moore on vocals and guitar, Emma Anzai on bass and drummer Mark Goodwin. Down under, Shim and Emma met in high school and shared a common love in Silverchair and Green Day. Eventually, they added Chris Mileski to drums, but when SP went on to record and tour in the US, they replaced Mileski with Goodwin. Their first major record label 2007 release, Dressed Up As Life, really put them on the map with hits like “My World” and “All The Same.” And essentially, they have been touring the US non-stop since.
SP really makes a refreshing attempt to connect with their fans through Sick Puppies World Crew which is a fan website that includes a message board, contests, free exclusive content and daily interaction from the band. They also utilize Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube while they are touring to keep the hardcore fans posted.
Just from materialistic appearances, I can see the appeal from every angle. Shim is a cute rocker guy with longish blonde hair and sparkly eyes for the chick fans—the Australian accent doesn’t hurt. Emma has dark layered hair with blonde streaks falling around her face, smoky eyes and killer bass skills. And Mark has that mysterious drummer quality to him. Looks aside, their talent is what grabs your attention after the initial reaction of how freaking cute they are.
At the packed House of Blues, I could tell that this all-ages show would consist of hardcore young fans that can relate to the angst-filled lyrics. It reminded me of when I went on to my first concerts to see Bush and Foo Fighters circa 1998. I sound old saying that, but it’s those first concerts that mean the most and alt-rock bands always give me a nostalgic feeling.
Before the band came out, a large projection screen came down over the crowd that played a movie trailer about a documentary starring the Sick Puppies called Rock Prophecies. According to their website, it’s about the band’s “good friend, legendary rock photographer Robert M. Knight, who originally took the group under his wing when they came to America, introducing them to the people who helped kick-start their stateside career. ” I’m not sure where or when this movie/documentary will come out but I’m sure the fans are on this already and it looks like a cool concept. They really don’t have enough of these touring documentaries out there for the mainstream public.
After that intro, SP came out to a roaring crowd and Shim simply shouted “Let’s go!” They performed a new song called “War” and a mosh pit quickly formed in the middle of the standing room crowd. This song has received some recognition before its record release as it is featured in advertisements and promotions for the new Street Fighter IV video game. Shim was very charismatic as his head banged along with an energetic start. Emma sported a short pleaded black skirt and big boots as she rocked her bass.
Next up was catchy, rocking “Cancer” that brought the crowd to ecstaticness. Throughout the set, Shim would often play off the crowd and shout random sayings to motivate them to get louder, jump up harder, scream and get-your-hands-in-the-air type of stuff, with a metal-esque manner. This time he growled “Now make some fucking noise!” Cheering ensued.
“Survive” is a new tune as well and was also a mosh-pit starter. Shim got down on his knees during the song, popped back up and screamed “How do you feel bitch?!”
“My World” was a crowd favorite and has an anthem-like feel to it. Last year, it gained a lot of exposure on local radio station Q101 and the fans sang along as they waved their hands in the air. They played uplifting “Odd One” next that really showcased Shim’s soaring vocals.
SP went on to play another new song, “Maybe,” which shows some radio promise down the road. The transition from a ballad to the next extreme would normally be staggering, but for SP, it works and it’s a part of their style. Before “Rip Tide,” Shim yelled out “Ready for some heavy shit motherfuckers?” It was heavier as he channeled his metal side to go on for an electric guitar break.
The next song was interesting because it was eerily familiar. I heard Emma’s bass line chords and thought she was ripping off Green Day. No, it was a mash-up cover between Green Day’s “Brain Stew” melody combined with the chorus of Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” all with a harder guitar and new twist on the lyrics. At some point, Shim went on so fast vocally, that it sounded like jibber jabber. It was an interesting concept nonetheless, and a tinge of G Day works for me.
During the new single “You’re Going Down,” a 12-year-old kid went crowd surfing for a good two minutes. He probably only weighed 100 pounds at the most and he was being tossed around pretty rough. All the while, he just pumped his arm through the crowd with the official “rock out” hand signal. When he finally made his way towards the front, the security pulled him down and Shim took notice of this half way through the song. “Hey, take care of that guy—he rocks out.” The mini rocker walked passed me while a huge grin, proud of his endeavor. I gave him the thumbs up, he is our future. Hell yeah.
Last song before the encore was “Nothing Really Matters” in which a smirking Shim asked the crowd, “Ready to bring it to that fucking level?” This song was the only song performed off their very first album, Welcome to the Real World. It reminds me of Korn’s fast lyrical slamming and ramblings and the crowd naturally jumped up and down. As every single person on the main floor jumped, the ground noticeably shook by the side bar I was standing at. Shim had a mini guitar solo, followed by a solo by Emma that showcased her tiny fingers flying impressively over her bass. Then onto Mark’s drum explosion which was dramatically done as well.
The encore included a singalong of “All The Same” and a heartfelt “Anywhere But Here.” With all the intense new songs SP played, these two softer and older songs still pleased the crowd, even if there was no mosh pit involved.
I guess I didn’t take notice of SP a few years ago because they blended in with almost every other alt-rock band on the radio like Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin, Hinder, Chevelle and Seether. But with these new Tri-Polar songs, I can see a broader range of songs that cross over many styles. Originality has always been a thing for me with this genre and Sick Puppies seem to be getting more comfortable with their own approach. With the help and influence of others before them, of course; but this time they are not lost in the mix.
Artist:
www.sickpuppies.net
www.myspace.com/sickpuppies
www.hurtband.com
Album:
Tri-Polar is out now — [Buy it on Amazon.com]
