Reviews

Putting aside the fact their debut album went platinum Stateside, simply their sound - managing to evoke comparisons to almost every successful AOR act of the 70s and 80s, yet delivered with a feel-good pop vibe to reel in those than think Blue Oyster Cult is a seafood restaurant - means it's only right they should have a little room to let their music breathe.

As it happens, their show tonight came off as a little compressed and compacted. That being the case, the band managed to cram all the bliss of a top-down cruise along Route 66 into the balmy room.

For while the room was small, the choruses were huge, track after track. In terms of performance, guitar acrobatics were absent and no elaborate shapes were thrown, the band letting their instruments walk, talk and wow for them. Guitarist Taylor Locke, in particular, crafted some frankly delicious riffs, with startling frequency.

Though Rooney were in town in support of their new record Calling The World, their prolonged absence from these shores saw equal airing to new and old tracks, both received with equal joy from the sold out crowd. The band certainly know how to utilize a crowd, tracks like If It Were Up To Me bolstered by mass singalongs.

Concluding an already hugely fun evening by letting the crowd pick which songs they should do for an encore, Rooney might actually be the nicest guys on the touring circuit. But with a new album adding to an already hit-packed set, and the talent to back it up, finishing last isn’t even an option.