There is a particular kind of devotion Sticky Fingers inspire, and it filled the PNE Forum on Friday, April 3, 2026. The Sydney five-piece have spent more than a decade turning their sun-bleached blend of psych-rock, reggae and dub into one of Australia’s most fervently loved live exports, and their Live in North America run rolled into Vancouver to a general-admission floor packed with people who plainly knew every word.
Canadian singer-songwriter Ruby Waters opened, her smoky voice and loose, bluesy songwriting a warm and soulful way into the night. She has the kind of easy stage presence that wins a room without seeming to try, and by the end of her set the floor had filled in and warmed up nicely.
When Sticky Fingers ambled on, they wasted no time settling into the hazy, hip-swaying groove that is their whole appeal. “Land of Pleasure” and “Sad Songs” set the tone early - all warm basslines, reverbed guitars and that unhurried, half-lidded cool - before “These Girls” drew the first big singalong of the night. The band sounded loose in the best possible way, the kind of looseness that only comes from a group that has lived inside these songs for years.
From there it was hit after hit. “Gold Snafu” and “Cool & Calm” turned the Forum into a heaving, arms-up crowd, while deeper cuts like “Outcast at Last,” “Rum Rage” and the dubby “Bootleg Rascal” kept the groove rolling. “Saves the Day” and “Angel” leaned into the band’s softer, more melodic side, the whole room swaying together.
By the home stretch the anthems did their work: the swaggering “How to Fly,” the beloved “Australia Street” and “Liquorlip Loaded Gun” landed like communal hymns, thousands of voices carrying the melodies back at the stage. For all the miles and years behind them, Sticky Fingers on a good night remain a genuinely joyous live act - and this was a good night.
They left the PNE Forum floor sweaty, hoarse and grinning, which is more or less the entire point. On a Friday night in Vancouver, a long way from Sydney, Sticky Fingers proved once again why their following follows them clear around the world.
