With Supports Vermantics & Riff Raiders
Well…A thirty-two year wait to finally, once again, witness one of my favourite and most listened to bands at home has been and gone so fast! I am trying with all of my old man-ness, to recall every magical moment of seeing the magnificent Disneyland After Dark live in Australia once again. But more on that soon.
Opening the evening was young rock legends Vermantics. This was my first time seeing them and what a cracking choice from D-A-D to give them the huge honor of opening both Sydney and Melbourne shows. Sensational down to earth yet mature rock, capably delivered from five young blokes clearly well versed on what it takes to keep a diminishing lackluster genre alive and revised. Nice one Lads 🤘
Second to take the stage was another well-selected and well-known hometown band Riff Raiders. Fronted by the lovely and equally fucking RAD Jenni, who’d no doubt get Lita Ford’s rock goddess golden guitar stamp of excellence, every punter at Max Watt’s was blown away by their stellar performance. So stoked you got this support slot as well, so well deserved and couldn’t have chosen a band more worthy.
Now…I don’t want to at all understate anything but honestly, this was an evening that was all about D-A-D pure and simple.
I literally do not know where to start with this review. Anyone who knows me and will lend me their ear for a fleeting moment is very aware that I will let them know what I think about anything metal and/or heavy related. And then there are those rare moments when I am lost for words. Saturday evening at Max Watts in Melbourne was unquestionably one of those nights. Knowing that I have been to an unfathomable amount of shows during my existence, there are those few that leave an indelible snapshot in my memory. And in all honesty, one of those was one of my first proper rock gigs, coincidentally seeing D-A-D at the old Palace in St. Kilda in 1990. I was an underage seventeen-year-old, year twelve kid that had to convince a fellow student friend with a license and car to drive us from Geelong to Melbourne on a school night to see them. He agreed, and I still remember that evening vividly and fondly. I had the honour of relaying this to Jesper Binzer (founding member, vocalist and guitarist) a few weeks ago, during pre-tour interviews (FIND IT HERE). I was given the privilege of getting to the venue early to check out D-A-D’s soundcheck plus brief hangs pre-show and all of the seventeen-year-old Metal V emotions at seeing and hearing one of his childhood favourites came forth without apologies.
I relayed to my guest at the gig, stating without remorse that I would keep this review as brief as I could because honestly, seeing Disneyland After Dark in Australia again was one of the most perfect and memorable shows I have ever had the pleasure of being at.
Jesper, Stig, Jacob and Laust, you four gentlemen are the epitome of the perfect package in D-A-D both recorded and in a live environment. Seriously there are no words that I could ever type or speak to try and articulate what a packed Max Watt’s witnessed. An hour and a half of the best, perfectly executed and delivered rock show we diehard faithful could ever of wished to witness! That’s it! From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU! XOXO
Every song on the set list was a magnificent choice, the looks and smiles apparent on the whole band was that of sheer joy and gratitude directed at their stoked fans that braved coming out on this rainy miserable evening, being gifted a performance that exceeded expectations and should hopefully leave an everlasting memory as vivid in thirty-two years time as we heard and saw that memorable evening.
Dear Disneyland After Dark, Australia hopes that you take our love, respect and graciousness at your presence being here back to Copenhagen with you and that we worthy Aussies may have the honor of seeing you again soon! Please don’t leave us waiting so long for a next time OK!
