What do you get when you mix mainstream American rock and British pop? KODALINE, of course! On the last leg of their Australian tour, Kodaline played their hearts out at Rock Rover, only ever stopping to wipe the sweat off their brow and rehydrate.

Duncan Saige started the night with his repertoire of soulful blues and put his own twists on some classics too; he covered ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’, and I don’t think I’ve ever clapped harder in my life. His performance was absolutely captivating. With just himself, a guitar, and probably a bit of delay, he stole the hearts of just about everyone in the room.

Kodaline, on the other hand, with their anthemic indie rock and the momentum from the rest of their Australian tour, jumped straight into their set by smashing out ‘Follow Your Fire’, ‘Brand New Day’, and ‘Ready’, all without missing a beat! Their transitions were seamless; I didn’t know what had hit me.

The first thing I noticed about Kodaline is how much better their tracks were live. Maybe it was a combination of their energy, their passion and the all-round good vibes in the room, but listening to ‘Head Held High’ on the way home did not have the same oomph it did when the audience was singing it too.

The second thing I noticed was the sheer amount of musicianship each band member possessed. I lost count of the amount of times lead singer Steve Garrigan changed instruments between songs.

They played several tracks from their latest album Politics of Living, like ‘I Wouldn’t Be’ and ‘Shed a Tear’, but also hit some of their classic songs too, like ‘Honest’ or ‘Love Like This’. Garrigan even performed ‘The One’ with just himself and an acoustic guitar, and the audience went wild, but nothing could ever beat the sheer excitement everyone feels when Kodaline begins ‘All I Want’.

Not once was there a silent moment; even between songs bass guitarist Jason Boland or lead guitarist Mark Prendergast or drummer Vincent May would be playing an atmospheric instrumental that filled the space and lead in to the next song. But maybe these atmospheric fills could’ve been done without; there was very little space for Garrigan to speak, and even less time for the audience to breathe. Before I knew it, the night was over.

The night, in short, was amazing. Surrounded by very considerate fans (thank you to the people who offered to let two short asian gals get closer to the front!!), and also some mildly inebriated ones, all I really wanted was a good time- and Kodaline delivered.