Words by Kyra-Jade Coombs
Pix by Nate Rose (thanks to EVERBLACK MEDIA)
The second this tour was announced I was crazy about it. Kublai Khan for me is easily one of my favourite bands in recent times, and then you pair that with hardcore heavy weights Terror and that is just chef’s kiss. Not only did they sell out their 11-show tour across Australia, but they also upgraded their venue in Brisbane and sold out the Tivoli in 24 hours. Finally, hardcore is having this massive resurgence to the forefront, and it warms my soul to see so many people getting into it.
Something I like to check for straight away is whether international acts take an Australian band on tour as their support act, and I was stoked to see they have Splinter from Newcastle, NSW on the bill. To complete the already epic line-up was Guilt Trip from the UK in front of an Aussie crowd for the first time!
I already knew it was going to be a fucking epic night because everyone was front and centre from the word “go” to watch Splinter. This was their biggest venue they’ve played to date and faced the huge task of opening this show. This didn’t phase them at all, they were hard as fuck, not missing a beat and embraced every moment on stage. Their energy was massive, and they set the tone for what kind of night we were in for. It makes me feel super proud of the direction that Australian hardcore is going, and I can’t wait to watch them again.
The crowd barely disperses throughout the venue, (thank you to the gig Gods for a quick turnaround between sets), and only continued to fill up waiting for Manchester’s Guilt Trip. They start playing their first song Fallen at My Feet and barely halfway through their set, there’s already a crowd surfer over the barriers… everyone is here to fuck shit up and have a wild night. I love it. Frontman Jay Valentine is a ball of energy, watching him run around the stage, spin kicking and not fucking himself up on his mic lead is a show in itself. Guilt Trip finished their set off with a Machine Head cover of Davidian.
It was time to tie my long ass hair back and start getting really excited because I knew that Terror was up next. Now, I’m a self-confessed hardcore kid… but I’m also an absolute disgrace because I’ve never seen these guys live, and they are hardcore royalty. They came out on stage and immediately whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Turning into a security guard’s worst nightmare, they encouraged punters to get to the front and over the barrier to keep them busy. “I hate this barricade, more of that shit” screams vocalist Scott Vogel. They then proceeded to churn through huge hits from their Discogs starting off with One with the Underdogs. Towards the end they got to Keep Your Mouth Shut and were joined on stage by noneother than Destroy All Lines very own Ash Hull, and he fucking killed it! What a core memory…. Terror finished their set on Keepers of the Faith and when I looked around and I could see people looking at each other and nodding with that side smile of complete and utter fulfilment, I wish I could bottle that feeling.
Kublai Khan have grown massively in the scene over the years. Here they are in Australia for the sixth time but this time as a sold-out headliner about to show us why they deserve this level of success. I must start by saying Isaac Lamb is one of my favourite drummers to watch, he’s cool as a cucumber, but his playing is tight as fuck. Here he is as a headliner setting up his drums without a drum tech, I love to see it.
Matt Honeycutt, the vocalist, is a brick of a dude and has one hell of a stage presence, (spoiler alert, he’s actually a sweetheart off stage), from the second he came out on stage you could feel the intensity of the crowd grow to apocalyptic levels.
They proceeded to rip shreds off everyone playing through their set list with so many new and old bangers like Theory of Mind, Low-Tech, and Self-Destruct and of course smashed everyone with their major hit The Hammer right towards the end.
Kublai Kahn have been the support act for Terror several times over the years so it speaks volumes to have the roles reversed on this tour and adds to the level of respect and sense of community these bands share. It’s a fucking beautiful thing to witness. Scott Vogal came out for Swan Song and it was a fitting moment shared between mates.
Keeping to their word for selling out two Brisbane venues, they played a live debut of Antpile 2 from their upcoming album Exhibition of Prowess, due in September 2024. The crowd did not disappoint and gave Kublai’ all they’ve got. Which I was sure by this time the fans would be bloody stuffed, but they never dropped that level of intensity the whole damn show. Respect.
What more can I say? Every time I see Kublai Khan, I am overwhelmed with how fucking epic they are. They are one of those bands that I will always go back to. I will be old as fuck passing around their vinyls at the nursing home for sure… The next day they were due to play the Sunny Coast’s Solbar and I couldn’t help but wish I was there to watch them blow the fucking roof off that humble venue…. Goddamn.
If you missed this gig, shame on you. However, judging by the colossal success they had, they will return. KAHN IS KING after all. (Says every journalist for the foreseeable future).
