The Stray Cats farewell tour hit Melbourne last night for the first of four shows at The Forum, and what a spectacular show it was!
After miraculously rooting out a spot with sight lines not dominated by hard and high hair, we were treated to a surprise show by The Living End.The band, who could easily fill The Forum many times over, did the show to pay tribute to the Cats, who had so clearly been an enormous influence on them.
The Stray Cats, however, were the reason everyone was there and they did not disappoint.
Running through a series of songs from their short, but iconic career, the band showed no signs of slowing with age.
Obvious charmers ‘Rock This Town’ and the early inclusion of ‘Stray Cat Strut’ were crowd pleasers, but one of the most fascinating aspects of the night wasn’t Slim Jim’s fantastic clothing, or the spectacularly modern-tinged retro backdrop, it was Living End front man Chris Cheney’s childish grin when he joined his idols on stage for three songs, including the band’s much loved cover of The Clash’s ‘I Fought The Law’.
The band, who are all nearing the big half-century are a must see, and since it’s the very end of their illustrious career and they’re officially on their farewell tour, if this show is coming to a city near you soon, be there.
