After a worldwide tour, Australia’s contentious band Sticky Fingers returned to Perth to transport their unwavering fans to a Land of Pleasure in the final stop of their ‘Yours to Keep’ Australian arena tour.

Whilst this wasn’t Sticky Fingers’ first Australian tour since their return from hiatus, the ‘Yours to Keep’ tour represented their return to the wider world and supported the full release of their fourth album, Yours to Keep. This tour included a venture through America and the UK before reaching their home nation in a bid to sate their fans long-whetted appetite.

This appetite is likely the driving force behind their ability to ride the ever-flowing wave of controversy that has followed them these last few years and defy the odds. Never has this been demonstrated more than in their recent announcement, informing the public that they’ve become the first Australian band to sell out all shows in an independently run, arena-level tour with no promoters.

Opening the concert were support acts from Dante Knows, an American rapper from Brooklyn, followed by the UK reggae group, Will and the People. The combination of the two most certainly provided an eclectic set of sounds that tantalised the ears in preparation for the main event.

As per tradition, Sticky Fingers unleased their opening track, ‘Land of Pleasure’ which – in conjunction with the showstopping lights available at RAC Arena – provided a portal into a world guided by their unique and inspired blend of psych, reggae and rock. From here they leapt into banging tunes from their Westway (The Glitter & The Slums) album in the form of ‘Sad Songs’ and ‘Outcast at Last’, warranting an explosion of voice from the crowd as they released their pent-up anticipation and love for the band on stage.

From here, the boys transitioned into tracks from their most recent album, Yours to Keep. My highlights from this segment could only be ‘Cool & Calm’ and ‘Kick On’, both of which saw the crowd rise into a chorus of passionate voices reflecting the energy provided by Dylan Frost (lead vocals/guitar) and the other members of Sticky Fingers. It was here that their renowned showmanship and ability to form a connection with listeners was undeniably shown, leaving little doubt as to why they continue to receive support and have even grown in spite of the recent controversy.

The next hour or so were made up of favourites from all albums, playing into all fans – including my own – fantasies and providing a euphoric ride up until the encore. Their performances in songs such as ‘Gold Snafu’ and the finale, ‘Lazerhead’, were nothing short of incredible. Both exhibited their talents in invoking crowd participation and their willingness to jam on stage, providing an elongated ‘eargasmic’ end to their setlist.

It was most definitely not to end there though. The encore was coming, and the crowd knew it.

A deep, resonant, acoustic ‘E’ note rung out, announcing a change in tone as Dylan Frost and Seamus Coyle (lead guitar) combined to deliver the fan-favourite, ‘never-officially-released’ tune, ‘Cyclone’. This was followed by Caress Your Soul classics, ‘How To Fly’ and ‘Australia Street’, both representing many people’s introduction Sticky Fingers and were received appropriately, receiving the loudest response from the crowd of the night. As must always happen, they moved onto their final song, ‘Sleep alone’. Whilst initially giving me pause, I realised that considering the circumstances preceding this concert and tour, this song from their new album was quite an appropriate note to end on. A truly special end to a special night.

For as much as I have gushed about the concert, I think it prudent to mention that I noted an imbalance in the sound that admittedly dampened my enjoyment, particularly at the start. The vocals were not very well translated through the amps and unfortunately led to them being slightly muffled. However, this complaint was minor and didn’t have a significant impact in my overall experience.

Ultimately, the famed showmanship of Sticky Fingers was on full display and provided a sold-out RAC Arena experience to remember. They are amongst the most consistently impressive live acts I’ve seen to date.