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REVIEW: Heavy Mag 10th Birthday Brissy Bash, Mansfield Tavern, 20/08/2022

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Words: Shannon-Lee Sloane – The Colourful Writer

10 years of all things HEAVY all via one solid platform; Heavy Magazine. The mag has been a staple in many heavy music fans’ lives, keeping us up to date on all things metal, rock, punk and more. A place for bands and musicians to showcase their music and a place for heavy music fans to join forces in one big family of like-minded souls, connected via the music they so adore. This year we celebrate those 10 years of pure heavy music madness via a slew of killer gigs and events around the country. On this occasion we join forces and raise our horns for the Brisbane celebration featuring a stacked lineup of the best of the best heavy bands in Brisbane and some from further afar. 

The iconic Mansfield Tavern is the undeniable home of a good hard hitting live music show and is the perfect venue to take on the attack of the Heavy Mag birthday bash. With the talented, knowledgeable and experienced sound and lighting crew at Rockstar Productions along with the hard working crew at the venue, you know the show is in safe hands from the get go. 

14 bands took to the Rock Arena stage to each bring their dose of heavy to the mix, all of which had crowds with their horns held high and no doubt their necks a little sore for days afterwards. Headliners, The Poor and Frankenbok are in good company with PistonFist, Armoured Earth, Azreal, Massic, New Clear Vision, From Crisis To Collapse, Smoking Martha, Deadweight 80, The Silencio, Clam Sandwich, Gutterfire and Goatzilla. 

Goatzilla kicked things off. I was doing a door shift at the time but could hear them loud and clear from my station in between scanning tickets and trying not to get arm hairs stuck in the sticky part of the arm bands. The drum beat was felt right through my chest, their fast-paced and somewhat angry sounding rock was a great heart starter to a long day and night ahead of all things heavy. The second track they played came to an end, sounding like something straight off an early Motley Crue album. I dig. Another track gives me huge Rose Tattoo vibes, big 70s hard rock energies swirling through the rafters of the Rock Arena, setting the mood on a high for those who had arrived early enough to take it all in. 

Time for a bit of sludgy rock next as we change the pace and bring back the riff, but slower. Gutterfire are always, pardon the pun, on fire. One of the tightest bands in Brisbane with a stage presence that is solid but somehow gentle at the same time, kind of like a comfortable and soft jumper but with a battle jacket layered on top. Jaws of the Universe is played early in the set and one of my personal favourite tracks, such a catchy ditty that gets you grooving and rocking out all at once. It was then I realised I could see the band through the reflection in the mirror inside the door across from my station on the door letting punters in. This was a good thing because I love watching Clay play drums and can see him perfectly from my spot. Frontman, Kev announces a new track which has serious early Nirvana energies circa Bleach period. All round good times with Gutterfire on stage. 

The Silencio. One of my absolute favourite bands. Just being in the same room as them makes me smile. Their sound is huge and equal in stature to their hearts, not only brilliant musicians but just really good people. These guys deserve to be, and are capable of, playing all around the world in much bigger shows to much bigger audiences, I am talking stadium style shows. They are tight as can be, and their melodic rock is reminiscent of bands like Incubus and Silverchair when Daniel became more in touch with his real and true self. Not that his Frogstomp and Freakshow days were not real, those albums are pure gold. But hopefully you get what I mean here. Frontman Nick gives a shout-out to Krispy (Kris Peters of Heavy Mag) for putting on the show before playing my all-time favourite song, Same but Different. This song speaks in volumes louder than its decibels. The lyrics get me every time; “We are all the same. But different. Make way for change. Be more tolerant. … “ The band made mention of them being one of the less heavy bands on the bill, but honestly, their sound is heavy in a very different way, it’s heavy in its delivery, always delivered in full force and with so much gosh darn passion, it’s just dripping from their fingers into their instruments and out into the crowd. The Silencio wowed crowds with their live performance yet again, with those who had not heard them before suitably impressed. 

Clam Sandwich. First up, I love a band who has the balls to wear their own merch on stage. Guitarist Jaiden was sporting an awesome Clam Sandwich shirt. My first thought was that these guys gave me Screaming Trees vibes. I was wearing my Empire Records shirt at the time and I could totally imagine one of Clam Sandwich’s tracks fitting right in on that soundtrack, great 90’s rock vibes. The vocals were on point and there was great banter from the stage to the crowds. I was informed that Reuben makes his own guitars, which is super cool and just added to my levels of being totally impressed by these guys. Shout outs to the venue and supporting your local venues from frontman Reuben as he also announces with a smirk, “We’re Clam Sandwich, whatever that means, you decide for yourself, we’ve got merch and shit, come see us after our set” Reuben can really play that guitar he was wielding and has the voice of some kind of rock angel and then there is his ability to know how to work a room; these guys were ticking a heap of boxes to be a good, solid rock band. I am a big fan.

New Clear Vision are back and bolder than ever with a new line up and a new lust for the life of their music. Their set was well received and included all the F’s and C’s in the banter in between songs that frontman Brad is known for. The guys brought their own fan club, with a good chunk of the crowd up the front of the stage screaming words of encouragement and singing along throughout their set. In the midst of the excitement from both the band and the fans, Brad took a serious moment to explain “This next song is about domestic violence, for a good friend of ours. F**k that shit, don’t be that person!” New Clear Vision now features three new members, two of which are from one of my favourite local bands, Skunkbone. Zac (drums) and Raff (bass) were clearly enjoying playing a much heavier setlist than their 90’s grunge vibes with Skunkbone. With Brodie joining them on guitar, and Brad taking his rightful place up front, the line up is complete. The guys sported nuclear symbols on their shirts with fake bloodied bodily insides displayed on the outside of their shirts and wore masks too. New Clear Vision are warmly welcomed back to the stage and the music scene by old and new fans alike. 

From Crisis To Collapse. Solid as f**k. I’ve loved this band for many moons and they never fail to deliver a solid, heavy, enthusiastic performance that leaves your ears ringing and your heart full. This is a band whose live show you feel right through your body and soul. Frontman Angus states “Next song is one of our new ones, we’ve just finished recording it.” The track commences softly for a short moment in time as Angus sits alongside Marco on the drums before the song erupts and the brutality hits as the big sound pounds through your chest. The band is made up of a group of metal music magicians, all born to be up there on stage, the voice techniques from Angus are impressive and simply off the f**king scale with the rest of the band following suit in their abilities and talents with their chosen weapons.

At this point, I feel the need to mention and complement the sound and lighting in the Rock Arena at the Mansfield Tavern. It honestly shits all over most other venues with the quality it provides and produces (nothing against our other venues in Brisbane, I have a huge love and respect for all of them, but I really do love that crystal clear, crisp sound and the stunning light display at the Mansfield). This is partly due to the crew, but also due to the high quality equipment and the size and stature of the room itself. This stage has seen the likes of so many bands over so many moons, it is an iconic venue and an important piece of Australian live music history. Bands such as Hunters & Collectors, INXS, The Angels, Skyhooks, Violent Soho, No Doubt, The Offspring, The Cult, Madness and so many more have rocked out to adoring crowds right there on that stage. You can feel the presence of that energy and excitement of years gone by and bands who’ve played there before lingering through the venue. It’s something really special that newer venues just can’t replicate. 

Azreal. One of the only heavy bands I know who can play limited shows but still manage to have a steady, solid and dedicated fan base. Of course, when you’re a band who hits this f**king hard, it’s understandable that you don’t have to play a shit tonne of shows. These guys are all legends in their own jocks, they take their chosen roles in the band and run with them head first into performance oblivion, with crowds eating out of their hands. It’s brutal beauty at its finest. It looks, sounds and feels effortless on their part and that energy relays into the crowds. Effortless heavy. Effortless cool. Gold Coast metal from Azreal. No one really compares. 

PistonFist never fail to draw a crowd to the front of the stage when they kick off their set. Their high-octane energy and ability to interact with their crowds and each other on stage creates an atmosphere that draws you in, hook, line and sinker. They opened with two fan favourites, On the Run and Home which flowed seamlessly into each other with no breath in between. It is impossible not to sing along to these two tracks. Black Rain is always well received as it’s not only a cracker of a song, but it also focuses on an important and not often enough spoken about topic, male suicide. Along with some crowd favourites, the band also included a heap of hot new tracks including the latest single release, Dig In which has been reviewed with approval by listeners and fans since its release on Friday. 

Smoking Martha. As much about the rock as they are about the fashion. This band not only sounds the part, but looks the part too. There’s always a gorgeous jacket or two with tassels, glitter and velvet galore. The band played new tracks off their new album. Smoking Martha are like a river of seductive rock flowing so seamlessly over stones and branches, their sound is like a cascade of pure smooth rock magic. Natasha is known for her strong and faultless vocals and during this performance I could hear similarities to Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and in fact some of their songs were giving me this vibe too. Yeah Yeah Yeahs are brilliant so I was loving this comparison. Good Girls and Liquid Sunshine were stand out tracks for me, both songs performed to perfection. 

The Poor. To quote another iconic Aussie rock band, this is high voltage rock and roll! The Poor bring an outstanding, engaging and enthralling live performance every gosh darn time they make their way onto a stage, with the swagger of true rock stars, these guys are the real f**king deal. With a stage presence, natural talent and seemingly endless energy, every member of this band brings everything they’ve got and throws it into their performance. Want to know how to rock? Let The Poor show you how it’s done. The guys played a mix of long time fan favourites and included their recent single, Payback’s A Bitch. These guys rock hard, play hard, gig hard and tour hard. Recently back from an overseas tour, they’ve got a stack of killer shows coming up for their Aussie tour, including a solid little support slot, playing with none other than KISS. More wine waiter please? More live Poor shows please! 

Frankenbok. Australian metal music royalty. We’ve been trying to get this rowdy lot of metal heads back to Brisbane for far too long! With Covid issues and restrictions cancelling and postponing other shows here for them, it was with a sigh of relief that I watched them take to the stage. The Bok are simply just groovy f**king metal. If you’re not grooving your ass off while they are taking over the stage, then what are you doing with your life? The band played their new album, Overdose from start to finish. It was clear it was not only the fans who’ve been so eager to have them on stage again in Brisbane, the band themselves looked as though they were fired up to be rocking out for their fans here again. Brilliant set and groovy as hell. 

Massic took over the stage after the Bok exited to no doubt take a breath and down a beer after one hell of a performance. With no time to rest our necks, Massic were ready to bring their own groove metal to the stage and as always, delivered a stellar set. I’ve seen Massic possibly more than any other Brisbane metal band and I never grow tired of what these guys bring to the party. With their unmistakable sound and contagious energy and drive during their live sets, they are impossible not to love. No bass player I know embodies his bass guitar quite like Rashid. I love watching Rashid writhe around his bass while Simon destroys the mic, with guitars and drums blazing alongside. It’s always a feast for the ears and the eyes watching Massic play. 

Armoured Earth also hail from Melbourne like their metal brothers in the Bok. They took to the stage in full force and displayed just how heavy they really are, proving their inclusion in a Heavy Mag birthday bash was well earned. With some punters starting to wane a little as we got later into the night, Armoured Earth shocked you back into focus with their tight, fast paced set. With some solid riffs and double kicks, they delivered an in-your-face performance. 

Deadweight 80, hardcore metallers also from Melbourne closed the night with a solid and captivating performance. I last saw these guys at Killfest at Old Kilmore Gaol in Victoria for Kilfest 2021 along with a killer lineup. They impressed me then and did so again with their set at the Heavy Mag birthday bash. High on energy and talent, these guys didn’t seem phased by how late it was getting and that they were the last band to take to the stage. They gave it their all and had the last punters standing enjoying every moment as the night came to an end. 


10 years of Heavy Magazine. From its beginnings with Livvy at the helm, through other managers and owners, and many contributors, to the legend himself, Kris Peters who now runs the show. An abundance of bands and artists showcasing their music, gig reviews, interviews, articles, music news, events, gigs, festivals and most of all; a whole lot of heavy f**king music! The weekend’s celebrations were a whole lot of fun and the best way to celebrate such a momentous event.

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