Let’s be real. For a Tuesday night, this show had no business going this hard. I went in expecting a fun trip down memory lane. I walked out sweaty, buzzing, and completely obsessed all over again.
The opener, Mannequin Death Squad, had a tough gig because Tuesday crowds are notoriously hard to warm up, but they pulled it off. While their sound wasn’t exactly my vibe, you couldn’t fault the energy. Watching the duo seamlessly swap between drums and guitar mid set was wild. It actually grabbed the attention of a room that was still trickling in.
But then Cobra Starship walked on and the place just detonated.
I don’t know who gave them permission to be this good after a ten year hiatus, but time hasn’t faulted these guys at all. Sometimes with reunion tours, you worry it’s going to be a bit rusty or relying too much on the past. This was different. It was tight, polished, and loud.
Gabe came out swinging, and the energy was immediate. Kicking off with The Church of Hot Addiction and tearing through The City Is at War, they managed to turn a random weeknight into a 2009 dancefloor.
It was a total time capsule, but it didn’t feel dated. It felt like the kind of party you desperately need at a festival. The setlist was feral in the best way possible including Nice Guys Finish Last, Kiss My Sass, and the absolute chaos of Bring It (Snakes on a Plane).
For me, this was a bucket list night. I remember hearing Good Girls Go Bad when I was ten and wishing I could be there. Finally seeing it happen live did not disappoint. The encore was the knockout punch. You Make Me Feel… into Good Girls Go Bad had the entire room going mental.
It is rare to see a crowd this unified in just having so much fun.
Cobra Starship are back and proving they’ve still got it. They were gone for a decade, and we don’t know how long they’ll be back for so if you’re on the fence about seeing them at Good Things Festival, get off it. This is exactly the high energy dance party that breaks up a heavy festival day perfectly.
And if you are in Sydney? Seriously. Go tonight. Cancel your plans. Call in sick tomorrow. It will be the most fun you’ll have this week (apart from Good Things Festival of course)
Review by Luci Scott
