Dream On, Dreamer + Polaris + Far Away Stables
The Lair @ Metro Theatre, Sydney
20 November 2015
Review by Greg Smith
This was my first trip to The Lair, and my first time seeing all three of the bands on the bill. I was genuinely excited, and it was encouraging to see the venue full of young punters supporting local music. Opening up was Sydney quintet Far Away Stables. These guys have only been around since 2012, but have managed to build quite a reputation, with successful national tours, and support slots with several international acts.
Their set consisted of a blend of their established material such as In My Head and The Art Of Madness, and also new song Azalea, which went over well with the audience. Opening track Understanding The Depths, and set closer What Are You Waiting For were highlights, and vocalist Brendan Sheargold screaming into his mic through a megaphone was a nice touch. They warmed the room up nicely, and set the bar high.
Next up was another Sydney band, Polaris. Heavier, and more aggressive than their predecessors, they raised the bar set by Far away Stables just a little higher. They opened with a new song, Regress, which instantly incited an aggressive mosh pit. The highly energetic Jamie Hails’ heavy vocals were well complimented by melodic back-up from bass player Jake Steinhauser, and they played all of the songs from their Dichotomy EP. Highlights included Wherever I May Walk, and In Memoria Di. The band has promised new material in 2016, and after seeing them live, I’m really looking forward to their next offering.
With the room near capacity, Melbourne’s Dream On, Dreamer took to the stage to an enthusiastic reception. The band is touring on the back of new album Songs Of Soulitude, and if this evening was any indication, it already has a big tick of approval from the fans. New song Vertigo went right off, and every single song received a vehement response from the audience. The set also included tracks from previous releases Heartbound, Hope and Loveless, including Hear Me Out, The World In Front Of Me, Neverlove and Downfall, which instigated a huge, aggressive circle pit.
Lead vocalist Marcel Gadacz was captivating, and guitarist Zach Britt was extremely impressive, both musically and vocally. The show had it all….big breakdowns, mosh pits, circle pits, clap-along, and plenty of screaming vocals from the fans. They closed the show with Ambitions, which gave the crowd one last opportunity to mosh and scream. After seeing Dream On, Dreamer play to a room full of rabid devotees, it’s easy to see why they are one of Australia’s leading post-hardcore acts.
