Words by Andy Parkinson
Pix by Sarah Robertson
Currently gallivanting around the nation, playing stadiums in support of Metallica, Cyco Miko and crew have once again shown a blatant disregard for father time, and slotted in a slew of side shows, as if they are genuinely offended at the idea of sitting still for more than two minutes.
Having recently just seen Suicidal Tendencies play in Melbourne, at the monstrously sized Marvel Stadium, this reviewer was very much looking forward to seeing the band once again play in a venue more befitting for their unique style of skater thrash punk. No offence to the band or Marvel Stadium, but a band like this is just not designed to play at such a gargantuan-sized venue at only 50% capacity.
Congregating at the always delightful Tivoli Theatre in Fortitude Valley, the S. T army began to fill the venue early, with many punters showcasing their allegiance to the band, wearing merch from their recent tours. Australia has, of course, been fortunate enough to have had the band on our shores three times in three years now, and given the size of the crowd in attendance, it is clear that neither the band nor the punters have grown weary of each other’s company.
Opening the proceedings for the evening was the new project on the block that is turning heads everywhere they play, Big Noter. Fronted by enigmatic frontman and proud indigenous musician, Briggs, it came as a surprise to many earlier in the year when he announced that he grew up as an unabashed metal head and dropped from seemingly out of nowhere wih the banging debut track Identity. Having unfortunately missed the band supporting Karnivool on their recent Australian tour and hearing rave reviews, I was sure not to make the same mistake twice, as it appears many others did too. Think somewhere between Bodycount and Prophets Of Rage, throw in a bit of Mammal, and you’ll be somewhat there to having an idea of the band’s sound.
Blending funk, metal and hip hop into one, Big Noter came onto the stage to a healthy crowd, ripping straight into one of their many unreleased songs, Free Yourself. It was clear from the outset that this band is tight, heavy and Senator Adam Briggs ain’t fucking around!. The man is a natural metal frontman, and by the time they reached their fourth song, a full-blown circle pit opened up, something that likely wasn’t on most of our bingo cards when talking about Briggs this time last year, but makes absolute sense in hindsight.
Full credit to the lads behind the instruments, Steve Smith (Drums), Leigh Davies (Guitar) and Craig Strain (Bass), these guys create a powerful sound that is locked in and lays down the perfect foundation for Briggs to do his thing. All up, the band pulled out a blistering 40-minute set, welcoming us all to the Big Noter Foundation club. Going off the crowd reaction by sets end, these guys have a big future in front of them if they continue their current trajectory. Keep an eye out for Big Noter, I can not recommend them highly enough.
With the usual set change allowing punters to top up their drinks and empty their bladders, the pit started to fill up again, and it was filled with two different parties. There were those with a twinkle in their eyes; they had seen this band before and were ready to let loose. And then there were those who seemingly had no idea what was coming, pushing up perhaps a little too close to the front, completely unaware of the carnage that was about to ensue. I’ve been attending heavy gigs since 1994 and still, to this day, rate a Suicidal mosh pit from back in the day as the most beautifully chaotic and intense I have ever experienced. The uninitiated were about to become initiated.
Miko and crew came onto the stage to a rapturous applause, building the tension before dropping straight into a staple opening song of the band over the years, You Can’t Bring Me Down. Once drummer Jay Weinberg hit that Hi-Hat to signal the commencement of the song, the pit opened up and those that fucked around found out. Just because the band has been around since 1983, doesn’t mean a Suicidal Tendencies show is not one of those legacy acts like Metallica, where people stand around bobbing their heads. Suicidal still gets the floor moving, which belies the age of those in attendance, and the pit erupted.
The band quickly ripped through Join The Army and I Shot The Devil and it was clear they were already having one hell of a time, with Jay standing hunched over his kit with a huge smile after each song and Dean just beaming that big smile of his at every opportunity he got between shreds. Freedumb was an excellent addition to the set before the first time attendees were welcomed to the church of Suicidal with a banging rendition of Send Me Your Money. This is a song, of course, where Tye Trujillo can really showcase his chops with not one, but two bass solos and at only 21 years old, the kid is a freak. I’ve been an unabashed fan of his father, Robert, since the 1990s, but dare I say, this kid is going to be even more talented than his old man.
As always, Mike took some time between songs to lay down some gospel and spoke to us about how he remembers listening to music when he was a kid, but then remembers the first time he actually felt music hit him. I feel this is something that any music lover can relate to and encapsulates the beauty and power of how music brings us together. Mike described the next song as not a sing-along but a feel-along kinda song as the band tore into War Inside My Head. And with that, guitarist Ben Weinman figured it was as good a time as any to climb up to the second story of the Tivoli balcony, climb over the rail and stage dive mid-song onto the pit, guitar still in hand, while still doing his best to lay down his rhythm as he was carried back to the front of the stage. Hell of an impressive effort if you ask me. The band continued to tear through crowd favourite Subliminal before Mike professed his genuine love for QLD and introduced Nisha Star to perform her guest vocals on killer new track Adrenaline Addict.
The set didn’t let up as they continued pulling out the classics; I Saw Your Mommy, Possessed To Skate and Cyco Vision. The band demanded the mosh pit be split in two as if Moses were parting the sea, and on two separate occasions during the song demanded a wall of death, to which the punters duly obliged. As I said earlier, something about this band makes even the most seasoned metal veteran, some in their 50s, lose their mind and bounce around like they’re still a teenager.
The penultimate song was How Will I Laugh Tomorrow, where Weinman decided he’d had enough of solid ground and once again entered the crowd. This time he had the audience hold him up as he no shit stood on their shoulders and played the closing two minutes of the song standing vertically on top of the audience. As is customary, the band closed with Pledge Your Allegiance as Weinman once again showed he is incapable of going a few minutes without climbing something, clambering up on top of Tye‘s bass rig, jumping off his stack, completing a 360 on the way down without skipping a beat, and thus concluded 90 minutes of absolute chaos and catharsis.
Reflecting on the gig, it truly is incredible and rare for a band that has been in existence for over 40 years to still be able to pour so much energy onto the stage and incite such chaos in their pits. Suicidal Tendencies have had a bit of a revolving band member list over the years, and maybe that’s part of the secret to their youthful exuberance. Mike Muir has always been an absolute bomb of energy on stage and somehow, inexplicably at the ripe age of 62, shows no signs of slowing down. Outside of himself and Dean Pleasants – 60 years old – the band is currently made up of the 35-year-old Jay Weinberg, Tye Trujillo – who has only just hit the US legal drinking age of 21 years old – and the elder statesman of the newcomers, Ben Weinman, at 50 years old, and maybe that’s their secret. Mix the band up with youthful exuberance and force yourself to keep up, coz man oh man, these guys still incite and display an energy most bands would kill to have.
The Suicidal Tendencies circus rolls on as part of the Metallica Australian tour with a few more sideshows of their own in Sydney and Auckland before Mike hangs around his old stomping ground, performing two solo shows with a different backing band on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. Get amongst it if you can.
