Review: Bad Religion / Social Distortion @ Riverstage, Brisbane

To many, the past week has been like any other. To fans of the punk rock genre, a historic series of events unfolded in the form of a five-date co-headline tour through Australia and New Zealand that saw Bad Religion and Social Distortion play on the same bill for the first time since 1983 at The Whiskey in Los Angeles, California.

As contemporaries occupying the same place in time for so many years, the question has been raised many times as to why this pair of heavyweights in the same field chose not to pair up and tour together. Both bands addressed this as they hit Riverstage in Brisbane on the first night of the tour – of course, both had their own unique phrasing, but the underlying message was the same, and it was something along the lines of “we didn’t plan it that way, we just had our own things going on”. Finally, after forty years, they were able to find a few days to spend together! 

After the opening antics from electro-reggae-stoner-psych act Anty! Bad Religion took the stage and proceeded to deliver a high-energy performance that none in attendance will soon forget, thanks to a 21-track greatest hits setlist. The projected intensity from the band was un-paralleled, with vocalist Greg Graffin and bassist Jay Bentley visibly feeding off each other and the crowd to fuel their enthusiasm. Overall, their performance was impressive, and a shining example of just how some bands stand the test of time, while others fade into obscurity. 

After a quick stage change, Social Distortion were greeted by a much more intoxicated crowd, which is par for the course, and proceeded through a calculated set – opening with Mommy’s Little Monster from their first album, before walking through the bands entire back catalogue while touching on some new material from their upcoming, as-yet-unnamed new album. The powerfully enthusiastic rhythm section provided a well-placed contrast to the laid-back stylings of vocalist Mike Ness and guitarist Jonny Wickersham. The band certainly delivered in quality and consistency, but one cannot help but wonder if their signature Cowpunk style might have been better placed in the earlier timeslot.

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Individually, both bands are very similar in their power, their energy, their outward-facing political views and their fuck you attitude toward the establishment which, in all honesty, remains as relevant today as it was in 1983, but to see them together is like watching two very different social groups; Bad Religion being the fun-loving skater punks who smile as they give you the finger, while Social Distortion are the brooding cool kids with a look at me and I’ll punch you kind of vibe. Of course, in reality, both bands consist of some of the nicest, most open people you’ll ever meet, but hey, sometimes life is stranger than fiction, right?