Tonight's openers, Dead City Riots (3/5) are the side salad of rock – decent riffs and Foo Fighters-esque melodies, but their frontman does little to make them dance on the palate. With folic influences from ZZ Top, Valiant Thorr (4/5) are an air guitarist's wet dream; Gods of Rock "from Space", with meaty solos and stage presence, and power stances of epic proportions. Possibly one of the few bands to boast a song about the entire universe and actually pull it off, their vibrancy partially overshadows the dense stoner rock of the headlining Fu Manchu (4/5). Delivering a stylistically casual set, old and new tracks surmount to a great but slightly unadventurous performance. Though it's pretty clear they aren't playing to their favourite audience, the finale of King of the Road and an encore of Godzilla leaves all misdemeanors forgotten. A fantastic night all round, but the entrée and mains fought for the crowd's affections. [Rhi Tate]