The Living End – Gig Review & Photo Gallery 14th November @ Hindley St Music Hall, Adel SA

The Living End
‍Hindley St Music Hall, Adelaide SA
November 14th, 2025 
‍Supports: Coldwave

Celebrating the release of their 9th studio album, I Only Trust Rock And Roll, Australian rock royalty The Living End took over Adelaide's Hindley St Music Hall for a night of noise, nostalgia, and no-nonsense rock.

​I still remember the first time I heard The Living End. It was 1998, towards the end of my first year in high school, and a school mate shared one earphone off his Sony Discman to listen to his most recent CD. From the opening riffs of ‘Prisoner of Society’, I was hooked. I ended up with a copy on cassette that I played on repeat so much, I am surprised the cassette ribbon didn’t turn to dust. The Living End brought a dynamic style of punk, rockabilly, and ska to a whole new audience, and were a massive influence on my musical tastes.

​Since that day, I would have witnessed The Living End play live more than a dozen times, across solo shows, supports and festivals, like the long missed Big Day Out.

​I wouldn't have thought my relationship with The Living End was unique, but walking into tonight's sold out venue, the diversity in ages and demographics truly showed the mass-appeal of their music, and how it must resonate to fans in so many different ways (many too young to understand my anecdote about sharing earphones, discmans and cassettes).

The bringing together of young and old, was perfectly paired with this evening's show, as it would consist of two sets. The first showcasing the latest release with a collection of new songs and favourites, followed by the three-piece playing their debut ARIA winning self-titled album in full.

Starting off the night's proceedings was local six-piece Coldwave, whose high-energy, experimental post-punk fusion captivated the full capacity room. Vocalist Harry Evans' raw, spoken-word delivery was paired with explosive and manic instrumentation, somewhat resembling a punk jazz improv session. Their unique use of horns and synths, added an interesting, almost chaotic layer to their sound. With a number of recent shows neglecting to have a local opener, it was great to see The Living End putting local bands as the only support at each date of this tour. Coldwave took full advantage of this opportunity, earning strong applause and likely a few new fans. 

With the venue overflowing, both on the floor and the surrounding balconies, navigating the room was extremely difficult, and anticipation was huge as the lights dimmed.

Before long, Andy Strachan took his place on the drums, Scott Owen picked up his double-bass, and Chris Cheney, with guitar in hand, launched onto the stage, kicking off with the new release ‘Alfie’. This was quickly followed by the classic ‘Roll On’.

Immediately, it was obvious that the three-piece had lost none of their raw talent, charm, or legendary showmanship, commanding the room through a strong set backed by impeccable lighting and strong visuals. Cheney’s vocals sounded as impressive as ever, and the visual spectacle of Owen commanding his double-bass was something to behold. Whether standing atop the instrument, or swinging it dramatically, his ability to manoeuvre the bulky bass continuously reminded the crowd of their punk-rockabilly roots.

The first setlist was a comprehensive journey through their catalogue, featuring tracks from the latest LP, I Only Trust Rock And Roll, alongside established hits from albums like White Noise, Roll On, and State Of Emergency. Old school fans were also treated to the deep cut ‘From Here On In’ from the early It's For Your Own Good EP. 

The mass-appeal of The Living End is undeniable, the crowd of riff lovers, punks, and those who can't resist a catchy radio-friendly rock tune, all lapping up the experience, before closing out the set with another new track, ‘Misery’.

Promising to be back, the stage lights went down for a 10-minute intermission. The backdrop playing clips reminiscent of old cinema intermissions, before transitioning to news clips from 1998 and videos of a young The Living End being interviewed at Big Day Out, playing shows, and receiving awards at the Arias. It was a perfect, nostalgic prelude to the second half of the show.

Then the lights cut, and the room boomed as the boys were back in action. The mood in the room shifted completely. The first set was about celebrating the band's current output and energy, but the second set was a defiant, joyful exercise in nostalgia.

Without hesitation, they launched into ‘Prisoner of Society’, a massive singalong erupting and for the first time for the evening, a couple of crowd surfers launched into the air. 

They proceeded to play their 1998 debut, The Living End, in full. Tracks like ‘Second Solution’ show that through their evolution, these classics still stand proud. There was a noticeable absence of phones out during this second set, with the crowd immersed in this moment.

Between songs, Cheney offered moments of reflection, explaining his feelings on being in a punk rock band, yet gaining commercial radio play. The intensity remained throughout the whole set, with ‘West End Riot’ bringing a huge surge of crowd energy, as they closed the set with the instrumental ‘Closing’.

The band departed, only to swiftly return for a much appreciated encore. They ripped into the stadium anthem ‘White Noise’, which seemed to bring out the most phones filming for the night.

Thanking Adelaide for their support over the last three decades, Cheney announced their last song, telling the crowd to take nothing home. 

“I give you permission to be as crazy and immature as you want. Let's blow the fucking doors off.” he commanded before ripping into ‘Uncle Harry’ for possibly the biggest singalong for the night.

Leaving the venue, it was hard not to be grinning from ear to ear. After a perfect two-hour performance from one of Australia’s most celebrated rock acts, you couldn’t help but feel nostalgic, reliving memories of misspent youth, summer music festivals, and that early introduction to Australian punk. As I navigated my way back to my car, you could hear multiple chants of “Uncle Harry, pissing in the bath…” echoing down Hindley St.

Review & Gallery by Daniel Hill @No.Quiet.Photography. Please credit Wall Of Sound and Daniel Hill if you repost photos.

Setlist

Set 1 (New Songs & Favourites)

Alfie
Roll On
Roller
Pictures in the Mirror
Hold Up
Hey Hey Disbeliever
Nothing Last Forever
I Only Trust Rock and Roll
Strange Place
How Do We Know
From Here On In
Misery

Set 2 (Playing The Living End Album in Full)

Prisoner of Society
Growing Up
Second Solution
Bloody Mary
Monday
Trapped
Save the Day
Have They Forgotten
Fly Away
All Torn Down
I Want a Day
Sleep On It
West End Riot
Closing’ (Instrumental)

Encore

White Noise
Uncle Harry