After TISM’s first show at Sydney’s Opera House sold out in two hours, there was still a question if they could repeat this effort for a second show in the 2,600 seat Concert Hall.
This fear was soon allayed as walking up to the hallowed house, myself and my plus one were swept aside by a couple of hundred strong TISM Army, decked out in band merch and balaclavas chanting “TISM are wankers”.
On the house steps befuddled security guards were politely asking participants to remove their masks before entering; requests generally met with after a bit of banter and feigned reluctance.
Inside, the Concert Hall was filling with a sea of die hard TISM fans, who greeted the lowering of house lights with a thundering series of “boos”, as a black-clad choral group walked out and began singing “Philip Glass’s Arse”.
Welcome to TISM’s world and the staging of Machiavelli and the Four Seasons, their 1994 “Gold” album that produced three top 10 hits.
The band hit the stage wearing neck to floor dervish-like costumes, topped with towering conical hats reminiscent of the opera house sails, and began dancing moves showing their outfits off to full flowing effect.
Each song was announced with roadies parading large signs that were quickly discarded into the clamouring audience.
Getting to the heart of the album, the band brought (He’ll Never Be An) Old Man River early into the set, before setting their efforts onto Garbage, with added detritus for the audience, All Homeboys Are Dickheads and the show stopping Greg! The Stop Sign!, which brought out the traffic cop hand signals in the audience.
Other hits that some of us didn’t know that we knew included Jung Talent Time, What Nationality Is Les Murray? and Aussiemandias.
The energy was kept tight as various band members leapt into the audience, practicing the lost art of crowd surfing to the max, with one losing his costume, leaving only a pair of shorts to maintain decency.
About halfway through the concert the musicians were joined by three giant puppets in similar dress, bringing a sense of majesty and beauty to the stage.
With only three live musicians on stage, guitar, bass and keyboards the relied heavily on programmed beats, which had the effect of bring a contemporary feel to what were essentially rock songs in their original recordings.
Complementing the costumes, which brought a sense of unity to the onstage chaos, the lighting was a classy addition to the mix.
Also in the mix for the evening was the audience, which was with the band and in on every in-joke and satirical slant to the lyrics that this group of old school anarchist could conjure.
The overwhelming feeling of the night was the connection between TISM and their audience, even when songs like Homeboys might have been close to home for some.
At the end of the set, after another round of “boos” from the audience, TISM returned for an encore which included I’m Interested In Apathy and Defecate On My Face, leaving the fans wanting more of the same, but the band had left the building.
After a hard week in the real world, this night with TISM was a welcome diversion that unified a couple of thousand people and brought smiles all round.
In TISM we trust.
TISM
Concert Hall – Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney
Performance: Sunday 12 April 2026
Information: www.tismworld.com
TISM presents Wankers of the World Unite at PICA Melbourne on Saturday 2 May 2026. TISM will also headline the Adelaide Beer & BBQ Fest on Friday 10 July 2026.
Images: TISM – photos by Stephen Fry
Review: John Moyle