Devo @ The Hordern Pavilion, Sydney 01/08/2008

The chilly winds of August whipped around the Hordern Pavilion on this past Friday evening. But strange sights were noticed around Fox Studios as small groups of Devo-tees made their way to the structure where music was to be played. People in yellow or red jumpsuits, the ubiquitous flower-pot head gear and large numbers of band name emblazoned t-shirts were drawn to the light of the stage and the chance to experience Devo. Been a long time since they stepped on our shores and the enlightened were eager.

Prior to coming on stage we were given a short film on what to expect at a Devo show, how to dress for a Devo show and then a smorgasbord of their clips to remind us of where they came and what they have done. Volume climbing, they jogged onto the stage, looking as expected in their baggy yellow jumpsuits. They then launched straight into a professional and energetic 90-minute set. That's Good, Going Under and Girl You Want were filled with the synthesized, mechanical sound of the band and Mark Mothersbaugh's unique vocal style. Yes, it can only be Devo.

These middle-aged evangelists of de-evolution had people dancing from the get go and I had not witnessed the pogo in that large a crowd in some time. For me, after only seeing Devo on their original Saturday Night Live Show appearance decades ago and at some live venue in New York City in the late '70s, my lasting image from those days was of a group out to have fun and play with our minds a bit. Mixing new wave with a bit of punk sensibility, Devo found a release for their creativity and their de-evolution message after being hatched at Kent State University in 1973. The seed was planted due to the fact that the National Guard had gunned down unarmed students there in 1970, killing four. That was definitely a sign of the regression of the human race.

They never let us down during the set with Bob # 1 (Mothersbaugh) and Bob # 2 (Casale) shredding some guitar licks that were well beyond what I expected. The Johnny River's song Secret Agent Man and the deconstructed Glimmer Twins' Satisfaction were done superbly. Jocko Homo, Mongoloid, and the DEVO Corporate Anthem (Q: Are We Not Men?), made for grand fun, performed by the whole band now changed into shorts.

Coming out of retirement once again, Booji Boy walked out to say hello to the crowd. Booji looked at the attendees and said that a quarter of a century ago they had come to Australia and Devo had made some friends. But he scratched his head and said, "You all look like you could be those people's children!" From there, this band from Ohio launched into Beautiful World, and everyone joined in for one final dance and one final sing-along.

Certain recent events - like eight years of a Bush administration, that grisly event that took place on a Greyhound bus in Canada and the 2008 Darwin Awards hitting my inbox on Sunday - made me an even more firm believer in de-evolution. Read more about that theory on their webpage and just look around for examples - they're easy to find in your beautiful world. We missed you Devo.

Paul Busch

www.fasterlouder.com.au