Wolfmother tour off to howling start at University

Jacquelyn Curtis

3 April 2007: The UCU refectory became a frenzied fan feeding-den when Grammy award winners and Australian rock success Wolfmother performed last Thursday night at the University.

The Sydney trio kicked off their much-anticipated Australian tour here in the UCU Refectory, and the excitement was palpable before they'd even taken the stage.

Audience members screamed at the sight of front man Andrew Stockdale and his recognisable ‘fro making his way along the upper level of the refectory towards the Gallery Café, which acted as dressing room for the multiple ARIA award winners.

He gave the peace sign to the adoring fans below, and later commented onstage that it was a good sign “when people cheer at you while you're walking to your dressing room”.

“It's our first night on our Australian tour and it looks like we're off to a good start,” he said.

The performance opened with Dimension , and the band kept the hits coming much to the delight of the sell out crowd. Highlights included an extended version of the psychedelic White Unicorn , and brilliant live performances of Apple Tree and Woman.

The encore provided a bittersweet ending, with great renditions of hits Colossal and Joker and the Thief .

The trio spent much of last year touring the USA and scooping various awards including a Grammy for best hard rock performance. But they showed they were glad to be home, playing tracks from the self-titled debut album and treating the crowd to a new song.

The homecoming was particularly sweet for bassist Chris Ross who spent his childhood living in Belconnen and attending Melba High School before moving interstate.

Wolfmother is the first of three big acts to perform at the University this semester, with Youthgroup to perform on 12 May and Jet on 4 June.