There must have been a temporary shortage of parachute silk, fluoro bike pants and stonewash denim jackets across Perth on Saturday night, because roughly 600 punters turned up to the Astor Theatre dressed like they had just stepped out of a time machine with questionable brakes.
The occasion was 80s Movie Hits, delivered by The VHS Pirates — a fist-pumping, sax-blaring trip through the soundtrack of our collective youth. The band even had wristbands and headbands handed out on entry, which was a genius little marketing ploy. Suddenly, complete strangers had matching accessories, a reason to chat, and a souvenir to take home. Simple, clever, and it worked a treat.
First up was Maisie Mulvany and the Cassette Crooks, a fresh bunch of young champions (born well after the 80s LOL) who are relatively new to the performing game but clearly know how to lift a room. Their mission was straightforward: keep the magic of the 80s alive and raise the tempo early. They did exactly that.
Their stacked set list came swinging. “Walk Like an Egyptian” had heads bobbing, “Come On Eileen” included a bad dad joke that was so bad it was good — and yes, I found it funny — while “Maneater”, “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Rebel Yell” all got the crowd moving. “Hungry Like the Wolf” in particular received a huge response. The Cassette Crooks were sharp, playful and full of energy. Give them a few more shows under their belts and they will be a serious force; they have the skills, the songs and the spark. A genuinely enjoyable fresh injection of talent…… they were duely noted by Chris as not getting a support gig with them again…. as there were to damn f$%king good!!!! – “they made us look bad” – quote
Then came The VHS Pirates: a genuine who’s who of the WA music scene. Courtney, Kieren, Chris, Michael, Clem, Brent, Simon and Kirsty brought the goods, with a sneaky and very welcome appearance from Chris’s talented wife, Sherri.
There was banter, sledging, family rivalry — those Murphy brothers do enjoy having a crack at each other — and a heap of proper showmanship. It was all perfectly in the spirit of the 80s, so none of it felt out of place. If anything, the bigger and sillier it got, the better it became.
The stage was packed with saxophone, guitars, drums, keyboards and a steady flow of keytars. Frankly, there should be more keytars in modern life. Add a heap of dancing and a room full of people singing with the confidence of someone who had rehearsed in the shower for 40 years, and you had a cracking night out.
Over 30 tracks rolled through TV ads, television series, iconic movies and absolute 80s bangers from end to end. “The Power of Love”, “Kokomo”, “A Kind of Magic”, “Ghostbusters”, “Dance Hall Days”, “Eye of the Tiger”, “Footloose” and “The King of Wishful Thinking” were all standouts. “Ghostbusters” genuinely relived my youth, “Eye of the Tiger” had everyone in full Rocky mode, “Footloose” was next level, and “The King of Wishful Thinking” was sublime watching it roll out LIVE.
The crowd loved it. We loved it. The VHS Pirates have a knack for making you remember why the 80s were so much fun — even if some of the fashion choices should stay firmly in the past.
A big thank you to The VHS Pirates and the Astor Theatre for the access. We are already looking forward to the next instalment, because their music makes me love my youth even more. Massive thanks to Seth and Ross for the photos.
