Live Review: The Lookout Festival in Perth 2024
The Lookout Festival – Live, Incubus, Birds of Tokyo, Eskimo Joe and the Super Jesus at the Lookout Festival on 20 April 2024 at Nodes Park Hillarys – Perth in Western Australia
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
Promoter Face to Face Touring has done it again with a stellar linup, luring a sold out crowd across Australia.
In the post covid era of collapsing festivals like wind gusts over a deck of cards, the concert promoter formerly known as Zaccaria Concerts and Touring is blitzing through the storm in an army tank and bucking the trend, thriving from sold out shows of various pseudonyms (By the C, Red Hot Summer Tour, Castaway, Summer Salt etc) across Australia. The Lookout Festival 2024 saw two iconic rock bands co headlining the tour, attracting a horde of fans to various locations. With 50 million albums sold between them, US 90s icons Live and Incubus were the gravitational headline of the music experience, backed by the home grown talents in Birds of Tokyo, Eskimo Joe and The Superjesus before a near sold out festival of rock shenanigans…
The afternoon sparked with The Superjesus, spearheaded by Sarah McLeod. She’s the exemplary of a rock chick, raising her guitar and acting for the crowd through various facial expressions, from Down Again to Gravity, showcasing her stage presence with the sea of patrons that became choppier by the minute. Stuart Rudd (Ruddy) was flirting with his guitar, occasionally synchronising to Sarah’s movements. The vocal powerhouse of Sarah and the musicianship of the band consisting of end to end twisted riffs and soaring guitars were addictive, causing involuntary body movements across the field of dreams throughout the 30-minute set. It was an explosive start.
The spirit of Western Australia came alight with Eskimo Joe gracing the stage, initially asking the crowd to shhh, sparking the hit song Sarah (won’t you tell me you name). It was a special day for the lead vocalist icon Kav Temperley as he told the crowd it was their wedding anniversary. The lead vocalist from Fremantle oozed that Elvis vibe thanks to the hair do that took a full bottle of hairspray, and his trademark move in bending of the knees on occasions. Together with Stuart MacLeod on lead guitar and Joel Quatermain on guitar, the band that was formed in 1997 were a tight unit, like a dance choreography but with their instruments on display.
Temperley may be the lead vocalist, but the harmless egos and humility are spread equally among the three. It was also an evening of showcasing their latest single, The First Time that musically stem from Black Fingernails, Red Wine thanks to the stadium ready vibe – capturing the festival essence, along with hits New York, Foreign Land, and From the Sea. The pride of WA music was embedded following their appearances in a series of festivals in 2023. With 8 ARIA awards in the bag, mainly garnered from the 00’s, we feel it is time for Eskimo Joe to reach double digit of ARIAs in their cabinets.
The stage took a turn for bridled chaos, as the nice guys next door who love wine exited and came the noisier WA neighbour in Birds of Tokyo. They brought the occasional grunge into the rock festival. After all, Ian Kenny is also the lead vocalist of the progressive metal band Karnivool. Brace drew a chaotic vibe where metal and rock collided, as the entire crowd went into headbanging mode, as if we were at a Korn gig. The lead vocalist were engaging, almost raising his arms and punching the air, and jumping like the Kris Kross would in a night of their own.
Most of us were waiting for the likes of Plans and Good Lord but many didn’t expect a cover of Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger by Birds of Tokyo It was a lift-me-up performance as we reached the halfway mark of the Lookout festival. The compounding atmosphere grew wings after a musical dose of Red Bull, perhaps it was a track of sing along familiarity that injected the spirit. The night ended with Lanterns, sealing the night for the Australian chapter.
The sun had kissed the Indian Ocean from across the venue. The air thickened as temperature plummeted by a few degrees, but the night was almost about to go into lava mode. The stage darkened, the mood was set for the alt metal band Incubus, who stormed the stage with Quicksand, Nice to Know You and Anna Molly, already casting a blend of heavy metal, alternative rock, funk, jazz, grunge to name a few.
Lead vocalist Brandon Boyd is the epitome of a rock frontman, as his unmistakable silhouette forged an unforgettable iconic image, animated like in a shampoo ad for restless matured men. Boyd may look a bit rough on the edges, but at 48 he is still as fit as an Energizer bunny. Chris Kilmore the DJ who does the techno bit let his hair our on occasions, and like in a scene of The Predator, the dreadlocks whipped through the air in the background of visual spectacle. The crowd were maniacally tranced by the sounds and visual, mirroring the moves.
Along with Boyd, the original members – guitarist Mike Einziger, and Jose Pasillas on drums were a water tight unit, with bass player and newbie member inducted this year Nicole Row (toured with Miley Cyrus) drawing the boom boom sounds. Like some fit mid age rockers with the confidence of the young Fabio, Boyd removed his shirt and continued with the Iggy Pop vibe, who was often seen playing the percussions like a Chinese drummer on a tanggu from the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Many came to see Incubus due to the metal vibes, which reflected through the crowd’s shenanigans. They also took the softer side of music with The Beatles’ cover Come Together and Bowie’s Let’s Dance, showcasing their electric soundship, before finishing the night with the radio friendly Wish You Were Here. The duality of soundship is mellifluous.
When the moon had fully risen above the Lookout stage, it was Live’s turn to rock the stage. Ed Kowalczyk, with the guitar in hand and sunglasses, walked through the smoky hues. The lead singer is the only remaining member of the original Pennsylvanian band, but most had forgotten about the original fabric when hit song All Over Me was performed second on the setlist. The touring members were a perfect fit (that’s right, Live is officially a 1-piece band as of 2022), instrumentally clogging with Ed like a unit that has been around for decades. With the backing of the number 1 US Album on the US Billboard 200, the seminal Throwing Copper celebrated its 30th anniversary in style as we heard the radio hits I Alone and Selling The Drama to the sea of people.
Ed Kowalczyk is very much the old school Live, turning back the clock to the 90’ with those raging and charging vocals for the likes of I Alone, pleading for mercy. The stage presence was similar to some of the wild animation in the music videos, interweaving with themes of the tracks. He stood like a rockstar that he is, feet apart at times, and swish swooshing with touring members Zak Loy, Robin Diaz and Chris Heerlein. Hand gesture of rock god poked through the canopy of heads, and female fans sit on the shoulders of their male counterparts.
The final song of the night was Lightning Crashes – as Ed Kowalczyk retired at the pit and embracing the crowd. It may not be the typical song to end a rambunctious festive night, a track about the death of a female friend killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. But the mood wasn’t a solemn one as we would expect, rather a celebration of a wonderful day and night, signing off as the perfect note in the last moment of The Lookout 2024.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Menard PR and Face to Face Touring for the Press Accreditation.
About the Writer/Photographer: Perth based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) have been accredited to over 80 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), KNOTFEST (Melbourne), Coldplay (Perth), KISS, P!NK, Tom Jones, Robbie Williams and Rod Stewart with reviews shared by the likes of UB40, Delta Goodrem, The Wiggles and Toni Childs on social media. He has interviewed rockers Suzi Quatro, Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) and Eskimo Joe plus over 40 artists.
