The Used - Gig Review & Photo Gallery 20th August @ Liberty Hall, Syd NSW

The Used
Liberty Hall, Sydney NSW
August 20th 2025
‍Supports: Hands Like Houses

There’s no denying the impact The Used has had on the alternative music industry over the last 25 years. Now, the band is celebrating their first three albums that basically defined the ‘00s emo genre, over a huge Australian tour that will see them play 21 shows.

Over three nights per city (and now with more shows added) The Used are either playing their first self-titled album in full, their second smash 2004 hit In Love and Death, or their 2007 third album Lies For The Liars.

When you think of The Used, if you’re a casual listener, you may think of 'I Caught Fire' or 'All That I’ve Got' that appear on In Love and Death. If you’re a touch older, it might be 'The Taste of Ink' or 'Buried Me Alive' that stand out for you.

For me, as an elder emo but one who admittedly was too fixated on My Chemical Romance in the early to mid ‘00s, before jumping on The Used bandwagon a tad later on, it’s Lies For The Liars that held the most nostalgia for me. After seeing their self-titled and In Love and Death run back in 2017, I distinctly remember saying to a friend after, "I hope they do a Lies for the Liars run one day". Luckily, 8 years later, my wish was fulfilled.

First up on the night was Hands Like Houses, an Aussie band that’s been around nearly as long as the Lies for the Liars album. While Hands Like Houses have been a staple in the alternative Aussie music scene for some time, their support slot for The Used showed a different band than what we may have gotten used to over the years.

After their original lead singer, Trenton Woodley, left the band a couple of years ago, fans were understandably gutted. It’s no easy feat to replace a voice or lyricist like Trenton and the band had to undergo a different kind of evolution to not draw comparisons to the old days.

They’ve managed to do it successfully. It was my first time seeing the band since the lineup shakeup, and I’m not going to lie, I was hesitant. But lead singer Josh Raven has taken on the challenge of front-manning the band with incredible gusto. Not only do his vocals speak for themselves, he boasts a charismatic stage presence, which at times is almost endearing as he makes sure to include the crowd as much as possible.

From mid-set jokes to jumping in the crowd to see the action up close, Josh has brought a commanding and energetic sound to a mature band. It’s a different version of Hands Like Houses, perhaps less introspective than what original fans are used to, but impressive in its own right.

The boys went from belting out their new hits such as 'Wildfire', 'Parasite' and 'Heaven', to showing some love to older songs like 'Space' and 'Division Symbols'. Perhaps the standout song of the night was the band’s take on Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Games’. Sure, it’s been covered many times before, but trust me, not like this. It was a haunting, powerful and captivating cover, even when a jokester tried to make Raven laugh at some stage.

They need that on Triple J’s Like A Version ASAP!

The men of the moment, The Used hit the stage promptly at 9pm, something all us elder emos can undoubtedly rejoice at. With old footage opening the show, as it flashed to a long-haired, bleached blonde Bert talking about the Lies for the Liars album, we stepped right back into that 2006-2007 era like it was just yesterday.

In quick succession, the band belted through 'The Ripper', 'Pretty Handsome Awkward', and 'The Bird and the Worm' with high energy, before lead singer Bert McCracken started bantering with the crowd, introducing ‘Earthquake’ as a love song.

“You could be doing anything with your night, but you’re here with us in Sydney!” he bellowed out to the adoring crowd, with someone yelling back, “You live in Sydney too!”

Bert’s vocals were angelic as usual, particularly highlighted through the more mellow songs like 'Find A Way' and 'Smother Me' (a song for the lovers!). Bass guitarist Jepha Howard did an impressive effort to belt out the screaming vocals to back Bert up, and Dan Whitesides’ tight drum work kept everything (and everyone in line) as he smashed through the songs.

Inviting crowd members up to dance to 'Paralyzed' was a show highlight as we watched the lucky participants dance their hearts out with the band. And then, came the cake, as Bert brought out a birthday cake and got a rousing rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ for his 12 years of sobriety, before throwing it into the crowd.

“We’ve been an emo band for 25 years,” he yelled to the adoring crowd. “We never broke up, we never took a break, we’ve been here the whole time.”

In a sweet moment, Bert dedicated ‘Find A Way’ to his Aussie wife, often staring up at her adoringly from her position on the balcony.

Surprising the fans with a song not from the Lies album, The Used gave some love to the B-side track ‘Pain’, which was an easy standout of the night as they performed it with the high intensity emo vibe we’ve grown to love them for, before ending on a softer note with 'Smother Me'.

And just like that, it was all over too fast, but at the appropriate bedtime for all of us elder emos in the crowd who had to work the next day.

The Used, unlike other bands in the genre, aren’t here to do the flashy things: they’re not dodging pyro on stage, or creating an ongoing narrative with the stage screens and lights. The smaller stage gave fans an opportunity for an intimate evening with The Used, and it’s one we won’t forget anytime soon.

Review by Tahlia Pritchard @tahliaapritchard

Setlist

The Ripper
Pretty Handsome Awkward
The Bird and the Worm
Earthquake
Hospital
Paralyzed
With Me Tonight
Wake The Dead
Find A Way
Liar Liar (Burn In Hell)
Pain
Smother Me

Photo Gallery by Bree Vane. Insta: @mindtheweathervanePlease credit Wall of Sound and Bree Vane if you repost.