Review: Skegss at Astor Theatre
Skegss at Astor Theatre
w/ The Buoys, Fool Nelson
Saturday, June 14, 2025
Byron-based surf punks Skegss hit Astor Theatre on Saturday night, leaving an awestruck and extremely sweaty audience in their wake.
On their first visit to the west since the release of their third full-length album, Pacific Highway Music, late last year, the show drew together a crowd comprised of teenage girls clinging to the barricade and adult men thrashing into each other in circle and push pits, while overlooking it all on the balcony were fearful parents and those who wanted to enjoy the music from a safer distance.
The opening act, up-and-comers Fool Nelson are a local Perth band made up of two brothers, Tom and Ned, as well as their best mate, Darcy. Tom, the lead singer, brought the grunge tone that set the stage for the night, perhaps even the teen spirit. However, it was Darcy who brought the energy into the crowd. Dancing around the stage, jumping on top of anything and everything, and getting as close as he could to the adoring crowd, at times he almost got lost in the sea of hands. Setting the energy levels high for the evening, these boys are a must-watch and worth looking out for over the months and years to come.
The Buoys from Cronulla are, unlike their name, a group made up of four women that kept the vibes high in the following set. The Buoys didn’t try to keep the audience going at 100% all night but instead were happy to change the momentum throughout the performance. Allowing pauses in between songs, ranging in genre from strong Riot Grrrl 90s influences to softer rock, it was clear that the group has plenty of experience and knows how to work an audience. In a set that showcased highlights from their impressive discography to date, The Buoys also debuted new material, using the crowd as ‘guinea pigs’ to much ovation.
Finally, the headline act, Skegss, took to the stage. The crowd pushed in, screams and shouts filled the air, and beer cans were mass chugged in preparation for the next hour. Skegss’ frontman Ben Reed was remarkably well dressed in crocodile boots, leaning into the rock ‘n’ roll persona, sculling plenty of beer and another unknown liquid in between tracks. Throughout the hard and fast set, the band tore through a string of fan favourites, including L.S.D., Up In The Clouds, and Spring Has Sprung, and even treated the crowd to an unreleased track from their upcoming EP.
The crowd loved every second of the performance, creating a volatile mosh pit and slamming into each other in circles. There were crowd surfers who all managed to avoid security, shirt tearers, and hecklers begging for guitar solos. Surprisingly, during a slow track, a group of men decided to ‘row the boat’ as their form of dance.
Skegss at Astor Theatre was a sweaty and hot night with a rambunctious 90s-feel and a vibe that never let up. This tour is a must-watch for any teenage hooligan and their unwilling parents.
ELLA HARRISON
Photos by Linda Dunjey
