Review: You Am I at Metropolis Fremantle

You Am I at Metropolis Fremantle
performing Hi Fi Way and Hourly Daily
Saturday, May 3, 2025

Nostalgia’s a hell of a drug.

You Am I wowed a capacity Metros Freo on Saturday night, where there was little room to move and even less chance of getting a decent beer.

But it couldn’t have mattered less as friends old and new threw their arms up and around one another to sing along to songs that will forever be etched into our collective memories.

Have you ever noticed the song lyrics you remember best are the ones you grew up with?

From opener Hourly, Daily (“What kind of mess have you gone and got yourself into?”), which saw Andy Kent playing his Flying V bass with a violin bow, through to deep cuts like Gray (“I just don’t think we’ll ever get that other band together now”), it was an all killer, no filler singalong fest.

In fairness, no one owned the years of 1995 and 1996 like You Am I did. Producing two era-defining albums released less than 18 months apart, it culminated in an Album of the Year ARIA for Hourly, Daily, while timeless predecessor Hi Fi Way earned unprecedented reviews for its consistency and Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo’s sparkling production.

Early highlights included Mr Milk and Soldiers, the crowd contributing “Woo-oo-hoo!”s at the end of each line in the former. Frontman Tim Rogers acknowledged The Beatles’ influence on Tuesday by throwing in a verse from A Day in the Life to start, and his harmonies with guitarist Davey Lane were simply perfection.

Cover snippets became pattern as Teenage Fanclub’s The Concept intro’d If We Can’t Get it Together, Suffragette City worked its way into a rollicking Baby Clothes, and Dragon’s Rain opened Moon Shines on Trouble. Meanwhile, Please Don’t Ask Me to Smile and Who Takes Who Home were like campfire singalongs in their acoustic simplicity.

Following an intermission of 20 minutes or so for a costume change, You Am I returned to the stage for their greatest record, Hi Fi Way. Now in sparkling gold flairs, Rogers was in fine form, and by the time Cathy’s Clown rolled around, the crowd was eating out of his palm (that was even before he threw in half of breakthrough single Adam’s Ribs in the outro, as we shouted back, “Let me grow up!” at the top of our lungs).

Jewels and Bullets, The Applecross Wing Commander, and Punkerella had the d-floor pulling shapes, while Purple Sneakers and Handwasher remain just as affecting lyrically as they were 30 years ago. Rogers even allowed himself an emo moment to thank fans for the life they’ve given him ahead of How Much is Enough, and the song itself was the perfect finale in all its epic glory.

How much? Even at two and a half hours, it was never enough, but before they were done, You Am I would throw down a further four songs in the encore. The surprise was debut album Sound as Ever‘s opener, Coprolalia, while that record’s biggest single, Berlin Chair, was an emotional payoff for many, closing Saturday night on the ultimate high.

With members of renowned Perth bands of the late 90s and early 00s straining for a peak among the sea of punters who probably used to watch them play too, it was a reminder You Am I were always the band most admired by other songwriters.

Could there be a better compliment? They may not have been the biggest Aussie act of the 90s, but they were probably the best.

HARVEY RAE

Photos by Linda Dunjey