Review: The Chats give a performance worth talking about

Australian punk rockers The Chats front man and bassist Eamon Sandwith on stage

Australian three-piece rockers The Chats played to a large crowd at Manchester's O2 Victoria Warehouse on Sunday night.

The evening started with their first support act Rifle providing the perfect lead into the main act.

The boys from Essex and North London were delighted - led by an energetic frontman who fired up the crowd.

Hard-hitting punk tunes got the crowd revved and moving.

Next up, fellow Aussies The Prize, a band from Melbourne took to the stage.

Slightly more mellow than the openers but incredibly technical, their performance harnessed a slightly more commercial sound.

The band from Melbourne celebrated their bassist's birthday on stage and featured a female vocalist who rocked the drum kit.

Then it was time for the main attraction, a band who grew up about an hour away from where I did and is one of the shining stars of today's vibrant Australian music scene.

The Chats launched into a couple of songs slating Nambour, a town on the Sunshine Coast near where they hail.

6L GTR was the tune that really kicked things off for the crowd who joined in enthusiastically.

Towards the back end of the set, the hits kept coming.

Smoko, Identity Theft, Better Than You and Pub Feed saw the audience pumped and the crowd surfing ensued.

Security was on it and dealt with the situations professionally and courteously.

There was a good mix of ages in the crowd from 14 to people well into their 60s showing that good, solid music with actual instruments is still immensely popular.

I'm proud to say I got to the front row and stayed there for the whole show amongst a sea of fellow revellers.

My left ear copped a blast of sound that had it tingling, I felt like I'd been in a washing machine and my legs were sore from standing on the barrier for over three hours but as I left the venue, I had a huge smile on my face.