Hoodoo Gurus Revisit Their Scene on Sunset

Hoodoo Gurus Revisit Their Scene on Sunset: It’s been a while single Australian college rock band the Hoodoo Gurus were last in these parts, and you could tell at the Roxy on Tuesday. The place was packed — their no-longer-college-age fanbase seemingly not put off by the $100+ ticket price. And the sense of anticipation in the air prior to showtime was tangible.

The band was sensitive to their aging fans too; there was no opening act, the Hoodoos went on stage at 8:15 and were done at 10 p.m. With work in the morning, being in bed by 11 was welcome on a Tuesday. Mock all you want.

That said, not a single minute of that hour and three quarters was wasted. The Gurus, obviously looking less jangly than they did in their ’80s heyday but still full of life, played one infectious alt-rock ditty after another, spanning their illustrious career.

We got eight songs from their ’84 Stoneage Romeos debut, including the singalong “I Want You Back” and the hyper-punk “Tojo.” They were open to requests where they could squeeze them in too; they had a go at the prog-metal-esque beast “Brainscan” from 1991’s Kinky, before abandoning ship. It sounded great while it lasted though.

The mix was a little rough at first but that soon got straightened out. But the four musicians were flawless. Bassist Rick Grossman didn’t play on the first three albums, joining in 1988. But he adds a cool swagger to the band, even those early songs, that seems indispensable now. New boy Nik Rieth is a powerhouse drummer. And Brad Shepherd remains a criminally underrated guitarist. Dave Faulkner, all smiles at the Roxy, exchanged pleasantries with the enthusiastic crowd throughout, and he remains a compelling frontman (shiny shirt and all).

Towards the end of the set, the songs from the Mars Needs Guitars classic sophomore album, including “Poison Pen,” “Bittersweet” and “Like Wow – Wipeout,” are magnificent highlights, and “What’s My Scene” is the perfect way to end the set, and the US tour.

Hopefully it won’t be so long before they’re back next time.