New Found Glory @ Big Top Luna Park 6/4/07

It felt a little like 2001. Pop punk kids dressed in black were all around me, those same kids were calling pop punk 'emo' 'and The Shape Of Punk To Come was being played through the PA between acts (Sure it was released in 1998, but I was listening to them then OK). However these kids weren't 15 anymore, emo now bears little resemblance to such a style and nobody listens to Refused anymore. They were 20 somethings, all seemingly attempting to reconnect with their recently departed teenage hood and with a band that was, like me, a soundtrack to their early to mid teens. It was New Found Glory.

Frontman Jordan Pundik announced early in their set that they would be playing 24 songs that evening. I scoffed....surely they wont play that many songs? I didn't end up counting, but I think he was telling the truth.

The band were in fine form, opening their marathon set with 'Understatement' and filling out their double-dozen song quota with NFG fan favourites such as 'Sincerely Me', 'Dressed To Kill', 'Head on Collision' and 'It's Been A Summer'. NFG's portly bass player Ian Grushka revealed his impressive man boobs and keg with Jordan foolishly claiming that Ian was hotter than the bass player from Fall Out Boy who my sources tell me is quite a stud, much to the disdain of many.

It was all in good fun however, as the band really seemed to connect with the crowd and gave them 2 perfect closers; their break out 'Hit Or Miss' which brought about certain memories that only Pix can understand; and 'My Friends Over You' which closed out their encore and was a very popular choice judging by my kid sisters near hyperventilation.

New Found Glory were slick, charismatic and plenty of fun. Judging by the head butt and the elbow to the jaw I received it seemed the crowd were throughly enjoying the show also. Come back 2001...all is forgiven.

MYSPACE: New Found Glory