Live Review: Custard

Two years ago, after a 16-year absence, Brisvegas music legends Custard made a triumphant return to Adelaide on the back of their comeback album, Come Back, All Is Forgiven, out the previous year. Two years on and they returned to Adelaide for an encore performance.

Opening with a couple of staples - Hit Song and Anatomically Correct - ensured that band and (small) crowd were in sync from the start, with singer David McCormack proclaiming, “I’m feeling feisty tonight.” And indeed, he was; encouraging all of the parents in the audience to raise their hands “Prime Minister ScoMo-style”, apologising for the late start time and frequently checking his heart rate via a smart wristband.

More recent material was warmly received, like 2000 Woman and In The Grand Scheme Of Things (None Of This Really Matters) from 2017’s The Common Touch album (“the best version we’ve ever played of that song”) and We Are The Parents (Our Parents Warned Us About). However, it was the old faves that the fans had come out to hear.

Lucky Star was a surprising standout of the night, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Radio favourite Apartment sounded as raucous as ever, while Pinball Lez, Alone, The New Matthew and Music Is Crap had us devotees in full reminiscence.

Guitarist Matthew Strong was also in fine form, rubbing his guitar strings on every microphone stand during one solo - and later joining the crowd on the floor to cheer on the band.

Requests for songs were cheekily deflected, with McCormack joking that “this setlist was worked out months ago”. “With focus groups… this set is tried and true… this set is jobs and growth.”

Sadly, the show’s duration lasted little more than an hour. The encore did include a couple more of the band’s signature hits – Girls Like That (Don't Go For Guys Like Us) and Ringo (I Feel Like) helping to round out an evening of solid gold nostalgia.

Hopefully this isn't the last we've seen of the band - their retirement in the late 1990s was utterly premature and return visits are more than welcome.