The Academy descended into glorious chaos on Tuesday night as Australian punk rockers The Chats ripped through a set that was as fast, filthy, and fun as it gets. From the second they stormed the stage, the floor turned into a riot of bodies—moshing, crowd surfing, and shouting every lyric back at breakneck speed.
The band’s raw, no-frills sound was matched by the crowd’s feral energy. Beer flew, guitars snarled, and there wasn’t a still body in the room. Every chorus was a gang chant, every breakdown an excuse to launch into the pit.
Opening the night were The Sleeveens, a punk band bridging Nashville and Dublin roots, who lit the fuse perfectly. Their gritty set had the pit primed and restless before The Chats even stepped onstage, setting the tone for the carnage that followed.
The Sleeveens photos:
The Chats photos & set-list:
Set-list:
Billy Backwash’s Day
Dead on Site
Heatstroke
Paid Late
Half Arsed
6L GTR
Ross River
Emperor of the Beach
Out on the Street
Casualty / Nazi March
Temperature
Ticket Inspector
Getting Better
Struck by Lightning
Identity Theft
Drinking for Two
The Price of Smokes
Smoko
Better Than You
Rock and Roll All Nite (KISS cover)
Pub Feed
Encore:
Highway to Hell (AC/DC cover)
Photos & words – Erica Keogh @ericasnapz