Saturday night, Gadigal/Sydney’s Factory Theatre witnessed Australia’s own crown jewel, The Angels, in their element and celebrating 50 years of rock excellence. For many of us, knowingly or not, our lives have been intertwined with The Angels and the monumental legacy they’ve bestowed upon Australia and the world. Some of us have even had them within earshot our entire lives – isn’t that something special?
In 2023, The Angels ushered in a new era with Nick Norton stepping out from behind the drums to become their lead singer. He joins founding members John and Rick Brewster, alongside John’s sons Sam and Tom.
Meanjin/Brisbane band DIAL kicked off the night with a loud and energetic set, sharing their infectious shoegaze rock with Sydney-siders for the first time. Fresh off the release of their self-titled debut album, they delivered a delicious converse-and-cigarette sound, even overcoming a snapped guitar string mid-set without missing a beat.
Aotearoa/NZ-based Mi-Sex soon took the stage, with current lead vocalist Steve Balbi electrifying the crowd with his famous theatrics. The band brought 45-year-old hits like ‘Blue Day’ and ‘Computer Games’ to the adoring crowd, along with the Mi-Sexual’s latest favourite, 2016’s ‘My Sex Your Sex’.
As the crowd chanted “An-gels, An-gels” in their lowest tone, the lights dimmed and The Angels emerged to thunderous applause. The band’s legendary charisma and musicianship were on full display. Nick Norton commanded the stage, while founding members John and Rick Brewster delivered blistering guitar riffs, effortlessly transporting the audience through the decades of The Angels’ storied career.
The setlist was a perfect blend of classic hits and tracks from their latest album, ‘Ninety Nine‘. Anthems like ‘Take a Long Line’ and ‘No Secrets’ had the entire audience singing along, with the riled-up crowd replying to “Am I ever gonna see your face again?” with the quintessential Australian rite of passage “No way, get f*****, f*** off!”.
The Brewster brothers each had their own moments in the spotlight, standing in their signature stoic poses, whilst the talented Nick Norton, Sam and Tom Brewster breathed neverending life into these soundtrack markers of classic rock history.
The 50 Not Out tour continues with tickets on sale now via theangels.com.au
Fri 12 July Doyalson RSL Club – Doyalson, NSW
Sat 13 July Hindley Street Music Hall – Adelaide, SA
Fri 19 July Mounties – Mt Pritchard, NSW
Sat 20 July Hornsby RSL – Hornsby, NSW
Fri 26 July Freo Social – Fremantle, WA
Sat 27 July Astor Theatre – Perth, WA
Fri 02 August Beats at Sopo – Southport, QLD
Sat 03 August Alexandra Hills Hotel – Brisbane, QLD
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