Australian punk rockers The Living End are over in the UK for a series of five shows that culminates in the Reading and Leeds Festivals on August Bank Holiday. 

Getting to see this band up close and personal has always proven somewhat an elusive task for me, having only previously caught them on the main stage at Reading in 2001 so what better way to encounter the band than at Swansea's premier live venue, Sin City

Venues like Sin City shouldn't really exist anymore in the UK.  The omnipotent corporate presence of Live Nation, devouring everything and everyone its path to bring you sterile, overpriced, lifeless, music. 

Smellier than a builders butt crack and grimier than anything Kim and Aggie would ever wish to encounter, venues like Sin City are essential to bands like The Living End, because without them they simply wouldn't be able to meet their real fan base and are more essential to us the fans because without them we wouldn't witness awesome shows like this

Drawing on a range of tracks from their extensive brothel creeping back catalogue, The Living End wasted no time is adding to the venue's already sticky stage, sweating blood through tracks like set opener 'Raise the Alarm', the frantic 'End of The World' and the brooding stomp of 'How Do We Know?'

Chris Cheney and the guys are something of a joy to behold this close up, and the riotous thud of the rhythm section is enough to level Swansea's near by Kingsway Shopping Centre in one pluck of Scott Owen's upright bass. 

Saying that The Living End is a tight unit is a bit like saying Gordon Brown is doing a pretty poor job of running the country right now; it's something of an understatement.

So when the likes of 'Prisoner Of Society' and set closer 'West End Riot' are given a size ten boot down your throat type delivery, you'll forgive me if I simply admit that I'm in rock n roll heaven. And by the looks of the kids going absolutely apeshit around me, they are too.

Credit indeed to The Living End for playing such a full on set for what was essentially a Reading/Leeds warm up, and kudos also for giving an impromptu rendition of 'Uncle Harry' that was just crying out to be dedicated to the venue.

Gigs don't get much better than this and I think I may have just attended my gig of the year.  Roll On (excuse the pun) the December UK Tour; I can see Uber Rock definitely making a trip up to Birmingham for that one.

Oh and long may Sin City continue to put on gigs like this...champion effort guys.