It was a shower ridden spring night which saw me head to Perth’s Astor Theatre for the homecoming of one of Perth’s more celebrated bands, The Panics, with support coming from Kiwi band Avalanche City. My initial reaction to the venue was that, whilst it’s aesthetically pleasing, with a charming Art Deco feel, it seems an odd choice for a live music venue, with cinema-esque seating filling the majority of the main space and standing room making up the rest. One issue with this, however, was that the seating was in no way higher than those standing, leaving those who chose to sit with a remote and obstructed view.

Avalanche City opened to a warm reception, with the venue at about half capacity, with most of the early attendees opting for the relative comfort of the seating. The quintet set about playing a number of tracks from their debut release, with the single "Love Love Love" getting the biggest reaction from the crowd. The playing was solid and professional throughout, despite some mixing issues that marred their otherwise pleasant and charming brand of pop rock. Clearly enjoying their time on stage, the band switched between instruments freely, and left the stage surely having gained a few more fans.

By the time The Panics took to the stage, the venue had become busier - though didn’t really look to be sold out. For the duration of their set, I found myself sitting between a man full of unbridled and uncoordinated enthusiasm, and another staving off sleep. Whilst I am a fan of their recorded output, I was unable to match neither the enthusiasm nor the apathy of those around me. Their performance was professional enough, showcasing tracks from their new album, as well playing well loved favourites from their ARIA winning album Cruel Guards.

For the most part, the new material sounded promising, but not enough to make me want to run right out and buy the new album. The highlights for me came in the form of the hit singles from Cruel Guards, namely the title track, along with "Don’t Fight It", and an encore performance of "Get Us Home", which was perhaps the best song of the night, though a solo effort from front man Jae Laffer also impressed. Ultimately, the bands were marred by a muddy sound, which negated the crisp and cinematic feel of their recorded out put. Despite these issues, the crowd were largely generous with their favour and attentions. All in all, it was a solid performance, but not one that is likely to go down on my list of great gigs.