The Drones
The Annandale, Sydney

As Liberal leader Peter Debnam gave his concession speech on the ABC, a group of large men with shaved heads and a thuggish air milled around the cellar trapdoor of The Annandale, waiting for The Drones to take the stage. It was the start of a strange gig.

There’s a certain electricity about a band with something to prove, and on the night of a “bad vs. worse” election night, with few people left to impress in Australia, The Drones didn’t manage a spark. It had nothing to do with the music. The band were tight as ever and the best description of their live show – that they play each gig like it was their last – is still fitting. They pulled out every track the audience could have wanted, including all three raucous album openers, fans’ favourite ‘She Had An Abortion That She Made Me Pay For’ and their cover of Kev Carmody’s ‘River Of Tears’ from Cannot Buy My Soul.

But in between songs, nothing felt right. Dan Luscombe, who is more than proficient but still doesn’t look the part in former lead guitarist Rui Pereira’s place, tried to crack jokes. Gareth Liddiard was smug and wore someone’s underwear on his head. Mike Noga looked like he was about to fall asleep behind the kit. The crowd managed a light jiggle at best. The last time I saw The Drones play a “farewell” gig at The Annandale, I left covered in sweat and specks of blood after Noga fell from his stool and crawled onto the hallway floor, too fucked to stand up. On Friday a girl in a Supre dress gave me shit for smoking, then I went home and tucked myself in. I tried to buy a new t-shirt on the way out, except, as I was told by the polite woman on merch duty, they only come in girls’ sizes.

by Andrew Ramadge