Woogie nights

The Living End roll on

by Sean Richardson

The Living End's stellar '98 debut, The Living End (Reprise), not only made the band superstars in their native Australia, it also helped them put an impressive dent in the notoriously tough US rock radio market with the rousing single "Prisoner of Society." Three years later, the fiery trio are back with Roll On (Reprise), a daring new disc that adds both poppier touches and a harder edge to their trademark punkabilly sound. Just in stores here, it's already a certified smash at home, where the band recently finished opening a month of arena dates for Australia's original monsters of rock, AC/DC.

"I can safely say that for the three of us, that was the hugest thing we've ever done," says the Living End drummer Travis Demsey when I reach him by phone after a club date in the Netherlands. (The band will touch down in the US this week for a brief three-night stand that includes a stop at the Paradise in Boston on Wednesday and a performance on The Late Show with David Letterman next Friday.) "To be on the same stage with one of your main idols is phenomenal in itself. And then to play to your home-town audience, who are really familiar with all the stuff already -- it just made for one very jubilant month for us. It was the first time I can remember where everybody was like, `Fuck yeah, we've got a show tonight!' -- every night. Watching AC/DC every night, how could you not? They're timeless. Every song is a huge hit, and it just makes you want to forget your inhibitions and do a bit of a woogie. It was awesome."

The Living End work up one hell of a woogie on Roll On, which maintains the political slant of their debut but tones down the stray-cat strut in favor of a classic hard-rock attack that evokes AC/DC and, on the balls-out boogie metal of "Carry Me Home," Van Halen circa "Hot for Teacher." According to Demsey, it's the sound of a band on a mission. "All the bands that we admire are the ones that evolve from album to album. Bands like the Clash and the Who were just forever experimenting with different tangents. You either love it or you hate it, and we like that risk. We just thought, `We're gonna move away from certain influences, as much as we love them. Let's make a good rock-and-roll album.' 'Cause what they're calling rock and roll [in the US] -- Limp Bizkit and all that stuff -- I admire it, but I don't call it rock and roll. Rock and roll is about hip shaking, drinking, and having good friends. And sticking up for what your rights are."

On Roll On, the group's impassioned brand of rock and roll is also about sunny vocal harmonies and singer/songwriter Chris Cheney's well-crafted narratives. The title track is a "Prisoner of Society"-like union workers' anthem, but tunes like "Pictures In the Mirror" and "Staring At the Light" owe more than a little to classic Britpop. The disc's equal doses of rock energy and pop sophistication are a tribute to the influence of seasoned Australian producer Nick Launay (Midnight Oil), who had the band record the disc live in the studio. "There's a lot of good bands that basically just play too heavy all the time," says Demsey. "There's no depth to the songs if you keep doing that. Launay brought out a bit of a lighter element. He brought out a different side of the band that maybe we were afraid to bring out for fear of not being hard enough or whatever. But I like a good pop song sometimes. The Jam, the Clash -- they wrote good pop songs."

The Living End will return to the US this summer to play select dates on the Warped Tour, which they also played in '99. The band have a reputation as one of the hottest live outfits on the punk circuit and beyond, thanks largely to Cheney's rapid-fire guitar playing and bassist Scott Owen's antics on the upright. "People think all the flashiness of the '50s is corny, so no one does it anymore," says Demsey. "I really believe if you're into it, do it. We think guitar lead breaks are good when they're done tastefully. I think people standing on double basses is kind of cool. A lot of bands go the angst route and don't communicate with the audience. As far as we're concerned, we're a rock-and-roll band -- we're here to have a good time, and we want you to have a good time."

The Living End, Sinners & Saints, and Lost City Angels play the Paradise this Wednesday, April 11. Call (617) 423-NEXT.