It was a culture clash for the ages as one of the blokiest rock bands the country has to offer took up a two-night residency in the middle of Oxford Street. Rock & roll gigs have sure been held in some inappropriate places before, but perhaps this is the first and last time you’ll see burly working-class men in smelly black t-shirts on one side of the road with drag queens eyeing them from across the way.

Still, once we were packed inside the Oxford Art Factory, the outside world didn’t matter. The Hoodoo Gurus were at the end of their first major national tour in years, hot on the heels of their ninth album, Purity of Essence. Maybe it was the intimate environment that did it for them, but it was a performance of revitalised energy from a band that know they’re not the hit-makers they used to be, yet don’t particularly care about it, either.

Carrying on from the heavily-masculine attendees, The Fumes were just two mates like everyone else. They work for a living and they worked hard. Some blokes drive heavy machinery, some blokes chop up meat and some, like the guys from The Fumes, play the blues. Really loud. And really well. Vocalist/guitarist Stephen Merry (or “Penny Wong” as he introduced himself) writhed about on his quarter of the stage, with the back half being taken up by the Gurus’ equipment. The limited space didn’t phase either of them, however – it was straight down to the business of their swampy blues-rock, often delivered on Merry’s knees, slithering and sliding through his dirty licks as he maniacally nods his head. Meanwhile, his other half, drummer Joel Battersby, pounds straight through the song’s rhythms and making great accentuation on crashing cymbals and thudding toms in his lightning-quick fills. No bullshit here, and that’s what makes them so damn appealing. There’s only two things that one needs to know when seeing these guys live – they ARE The Fumes and you WILL be buying a t-shirt.

In spite of the overall quality of the Gurus’ performance, things didn’t start out well as the band strode out and commenced proceedings with “What’s In It For Me?” from Purity of Essence. For one thing, the more intoxicated punters up front were just getting ridiculous – there was one “silver fox” who was bouncing around and knocking into people willy-nilly; and not even in time with the music. You think underage kids don’t know mosh etiquette, wait until you see some of the over-fifty-five-and-no-longer-working-full-time types at standing rock shows. Nightmarish. Meanwhile, on stage, Rick Grossman’s bass was the most prominent sound for the first few songs, as frontman Dave Faulkner and lead guitarist Brad Shepherd bizarrely struggled to be heard in the mix. The Gurus were unquestionably giving it their all, but it took the best part of the first four or five songs for it to be audibly appreciated.

Grey clouds loomed over, but the silver lining showed as the old dudes settled down and Shepherd made his riffs as prominent as possible. Nothing from 2004’s Mach Schau, but tracks like “A Few Home Truths” and “I Hope You’re Happy” from Purity filled the quota of new material considerably well – as a matter of fact, there were even a few devotees who already knew the words. “Crackin’ Up”, the lead single from said record, was also thrown in, which showed all four members powering through it with the kind of energy normally reserved for musicians half their age.  Shepherd shifted into his signature guitar solo stature of flipping the top half of his body back and raising his guitar to the heavens, as drummer Mark Kingsmill slammed through the four-on-the-floor rhythm and Faulkner excitably bopped about the stage. Even if Purity is no Mars Needs Guitars! or Stoneage Romeos, they’ve managed at least one transcendent hit out of the bunch.

Still, in spite of their best efforts to push the new record, there was one main reason the Gurus had sold out both nights: the hits. The second “Miss Freelove 69” graced the speakers, we knew we were in for a home-stretch of some of the band’s most well known, timeless rock radio hits. Singing and dancing wasn’t just prominent, it was mandatory – and Faulkner was evidently loving it as he heard every word he sang thrown right back at him. Not even security having to break-up a scuffle during “Come Anytime” could dampen the mood. Every attendee there had either grown up listening to the band or their parents had done so, and the enthusiasm shown during this string of tracks certainly reflected this greatly.

Things might have started shakily, but the Gurus persevered and established beyond any shadow of a doubt that they’re not back together for the money.  They’re proud of the legacy they’ve created and are more than happy to share it with whomever still enjoys it – which is, evidently, still quite a few people.