Words by Jimmy Glinster
Pix by CounterfeitFilms
This is a weird line-up for me, because I know every band name, but I’m only familiar with the music of one of them. And no, it’s not the headliner, or even the main support, both of which I was meant to be interviewing during soundcheck. In a strange turn of events, though, I was late, and Krispy was early. So, by the time I got in Krispy was already talking his best shit with them and I just kind of lurked in the background with my selfie stick.
Strange Fiction enter a dark stage and some rocking riffs launch off. The vocalist asks the early crowd to get closer and they oblige. He then lets us all know that they’ve come all the way from Brisbane, Australia to play for us. Thanks guys, we appreciate the long haul down Brunswick St.
I’m not sure what to call this, maybe post-post hardcore. It’s kinda like post hardcore but without those sucky singy bits. Maybe just hardcore, but not so hard, and not so core. It just kinda rocks and grooves with the odd breakdown thrown in here or there. Krispy is impressed because he was expecting some kind of emo band apparently.
The crowd starts thickening up through the set and more and more people get close to the barrier. The band throws in the odd pre-rehearsed, well timed, syncopated guitar jabs, or “the move” as Ricky T from Hammers and I call it. It works well, the crowd enjoys it, and in all honesty, these guys are pretty fucking good aye. I might even pay to watch ‘em if I’m forced to pay to get into another show one day.
The band gives a shout out to the rest of the bands before they smash out their last couple of songs, and the crowd seems pretty excited of what’s to come. If it only gets better from here, then we are all in for a treat, cause that’s a hard act to follow.
Some kind of rock and roll McDonalds intro plays and PistonFist enter the stage like there is nothing to see here, but there is, as thumping drums and driving guitars kick off the rock show. From then on, it’s riff after riff of high-octane heavy rock glazed with dirty raspy vocals.
Geoffro lets us know they have some merch for sale, as he sports one of our very own new design HEAVY shirts. He then tells everyone not to buy either of our merch though, and to spend all their money on Cancer Bats‘ collection to help out the touring band. Good man Geoffro, good man.
It’s a little after 8pm now, and as I’m thinking “I’m too old for this shit”, the band kicks into Become The Rage, and I’m suddenly rejuvenated by heavy rock and roll. Apparently, you can check these guys out on You Tube and Spotify, and all that shit. At least that’s what Geoff tells us before cracking a joke about stage diving off the 10ft high stage in the parking area at the back of the Brightside. Yeah, this is Brightside outdoors, or something like that.
The riffs keep coming thick and fast, as do the guitar solos, and that last song was called Home, and not On The Run … that was Geoff’s fault. They finish with Black Rain after we get told to talk to our mates and make sure they are ok.
R U OK? I’m ok, and I am feeling better now after that rocking good time.
And that’ll be PistonFist until they fuck or to Europe for 7 weeks on an epic tour. Go you good things!
FANGZ enter the stage in blue overalls and wife beaters while It’s a Holiday plays. Shit gets pretty hectic, pretty quick as they blast into their first track. The vocals are a bit low in the mix, and it’s a bit hard to hear what is going on there, but it’s a mix of screams and raspy cleans as they stop between songs and tell everyone to get a beer and party with the party band, before the other party band comes out. Two party bands on tour together is one hell of a time, or so they tell us.
I’m not sure where to slot these guys in genre wise either. It’s rocky, but not rock, and it feels like core, but it’s not core either. It’s almost got a bit of a punk edge, too. Maybe it’s heavy rock punk core, or maybe I’m just making shit up now. The vocals have been bumped up now, so I can hear him switch between the screams and cleans, and he’s doing pretty damn well, as are the guitarists and bass player backing him up, and a fair few people in the crowd are playing along too.
They drop a brand-new track on us called Wasting Time, which they just released today, and we may or may not have done a premiere on. I guess you’ll have to do your own research about that one. Go on, visit the website, click premiers, and it’ll send ya’ down the HEAVY Rabbit hole.
I just got busted on my phone writing this review and got pointed out mid-song and shamed in a “put ya phone away dickhead” kind of manner. And unlike me seated on fat ass, on the last song the vocalist climbs the stage scaffold to the top of the roof. In a dick move, someone mutes his vocals so that every security guard in the place can quickly run over and make themselves seem important.
Josh safely makes it back down without any assistance from them and once he’s back onstage the vocals go back up. After the biggest dick move of the Century, the set ends with full vocal volume and everyone has a smile on their face. Except for those fucking sour security guards. Actually, they weren’t that bad, but I kept ya reading, didn’t I?
Holy fuck, the Cancer Bats line check is so goddamn loud! This shit is gonna hurt when they come out and the whole band starts blasting. And I mean come out, as in come out on stage, not that other come out. But hey, who knows, each to their own. You do you.
And the band, does the band, as they come out shadow boxing and this shit gets instantly hectic. I know fuck all about this band, but I’ve heard the name for years and once turned down a show with them because I didn’t know who they were all the way back then in 2010, well circa 2010. That was probably a big mistake cause these guys are rad!
The drums are constantly thumping, and the snare blasts through like a shotgun on every hit. The riffs are thick, and now that a stagehand has run up and mic’d up the bass, that’s now pumping too. And as for the vocals, well they are just continuously intense.
I take a quick stroll to the edge of the pit to get a quick reel, but I quickly duck back behind the barrier because it is getting a little messy out front. This kind of reminds me of a rockier, less grindy version of King Parrot.
This the first day of their Australian tour, or so they tell us, and the band are super full of energy, highly active onstage. They never stop moving, which makes it very hard to stop watching. When they do stop, the singer tells us “Let’s have some fun” and starts a clap along section, which appears to be mine and everyone else’s type of fun. Not that this show wasn’t enough fun already.
They play a song possibly called Brainiac, or Maniac or maybe Radiate, or none of those, but most likely that last one. Anyway, it has a bit of a Nu-Metal vibe to it that of course tickles my fancy … as it does the crowds. A sneaky Beastie Boys cover ends in absolute Sabotage before they end their set with Hail Destroyer.
That was one hell of a time, and I definitely need to take some time to actually check this band now, as well as all of the others! What a fucking line-up, all bands killed!
Be sure not to miss one of the shows happening in all the capital cities over the next week. Well, apart from Perth, Darwin and Hobart, but no one goes there, they stop in places like Newcastle instead, on the way to Sydney. But yeah, I’m sure Kripsy will post all the tour dates for you below so that you’ll know exactly where to go to check out the show!
