Andy J Ryan Apr 11, 2023

You Am I @ Metro Theatre 22 November 2008

You Am I return to the stage with new album Dilettantes in hand on their eagerly awaited Let’s Be Dreadful tour.

Just over eight years ago You Am I began the first of what would be a record breaking seven night stretch on a midweek Spring night here at the Metro. It fair to say a large number of people here tonight were probably at some of those shows as well. You Am I are a band that inspire that sort of loyalty.

Back then they were riding high on the back of their chart topping Hourly Daily album which also landed them six ARIAs. If you need reminding how much the Australian music landscape has changed since then, a seventeen year-old pop singer also took out half-a-dozen of the pointed silver statues this year. Though I reckon if Tim had’ve worn his accessories of choice for this evening – namely fetching black lace gloves, face glitter and a paisley-print silk scarf – out to Homebush he may’ve had a shot for Best Female Personality.

There has been a huge amount of renewed interest in You Am I around the release of their latest album Dilettantes. The band are featured in a retrospective showing on Music Max, Tim Rogers was interviewed on Enough Rope with Andrew Denton, their website relaunched and a momentous album launch among the motorbikes had anticipation high for the tour.

An expectant and plentiful hump-day crowd filled the Metro - and the cash registers of its bars - and responded adoringly when the band took the stage wearing what an invitation may denote as ‘Smart Casual’ and accompanied by a demurely dressed cellist. The band had a quite determined and resolute demeanour about them, and if it wasn’t for the recalcitrant unhinged guitar strap on Tim’s acoustic they would have grimly charged straight into the musical proceedings. As it was the mood was lightened as a dutiful roadie scuttled out to re-attach the strap and was rewarded by a chaste peck on the cheek from Mr Rogers.

You Am I have been many thing to many people over the years – Australian carriers of the rock’n’roll flame and a voice to the drunk, dumped and disenfranchised – tonight they were just a band wanting to play their songs. The four men on stage were for the first time in a good while seemingly completely cohesive and united – doing the team things - a footy commentator might say, playing for each other and the pride in their songs, and from the set tonight, You Am I are awfully proud of their latest ones. The first four songs and a great bulk of the set came from Dilettantes and the band seemed content to address each other more so than the crowd -“Did you Tivo that show for me Rusty?”.

Despite the particularly solid sound of the new servings of You Am I songs, there was a sort of restlessness running through the crowd for something more familiar. When the band would delve into their back catalogue the songs were almost like a pressure valve being opened for the crowd. We got the bop along to Moonshines High on Trouble, swoon wistfully to Heavy Heart and when they churned out a spirited Trike that allowed the audience a physical response, it came as a great relief for most.

As fas as You Am I gigs go this was a comparatively esteemed performance. There was a moment of typically shambolic intrigue however as Tim’s mic stand failed during How Much is Enough – a song that I think sadly most of us now know the answer to these days – and was duly flung to the stage along with a guitar as a hasty exit was made. All was forgiven though when the band returned with a six-song encore featuring a Pink Floyd cover and one last bygone musical bone thrown to the crowd in the form of Cathy’s Clown. Welcome back gents.