Big night tonight with The Bronx and Fucked Up sidewave (seriously cutting back clashes I was expecting the next day at Soundwave) with partly-local lads Coerce in support.
So after work I swing by a friend's going away gathering in North Melbourne, my ninja-like public transporting skillz got me to the Corner just in time (after a smoke and spotting The Bronx stalker/groupie @emkeezy) to catch the opening song of Coerce.
Coerce are playing to a pretty paralysed crowd (taking easy for a big day at Soundwave I assume) but their set is amazing. They don't pull any punches, they slap a wall of sound at you, juggle call and response vocals between members and are just plain awesome.
Bulmers cider stubbies (yeah the big ones) are going down a treat tonight and after finding some friends on the rooftop we spot Tim Rogers and discuss whether he's here for The Bronx or Fucked Up. For the record I was for Fucked Up, as much as he'd look at home in LA I reckon he'd go more for some crazy canucks.
Another drink and I find a leaning pole beside the sound desk. I hear some droning guitars and the curtains are pulled back to reveal Fucked Up kicking off Twice Born. Singer Pink Eye is shirtless by the end of the song and has barely been seen on stage (which doesn't change for much of the set).
Magic Word is next and crowd surfers are already scooting over an audience split by Pink Eye's trail. He even made it as far as the door to the male toilets before finding the lighting guy beside the sound desk and jumping on his back (eek!). By the time he returns to stage he's managed to wrap the entire length of his mic cord around his head.
The rest of the band are fun to watch (since Pink Eye is lost in the crowd). 10,000 Marbles and Gulag hold the wings strutting guitars, Mustard Gas the hot bassist swaying wildly center stage with Mr. Jo pounding skins up the back.
They play some new tracks which they claim to be still working on (they sound just the right amount of chaotic and destructive to me). Apparently Trash Talk and Kylesa are in the crowd so they get a shout out before breaking into Crooked Head.
Pink Eyes at some stage yells “Shut up I'm trying to think” before mentioning that he now has a child so that proves he's had sex.
The set comes to an unfortunate end but it's been a great night so far, with the crowd now totally hyped up THE BRONX should be set for a corker.
There is a crowd lining the bar (not ordering drinks) which sucks as I have to squeeze past to grab another drink and head upstairs for another smoke break.
I slide my way up to the right of stage to get into the action for The Bronx and intermission music includes NWA which at least fits geographically.
Singer Matt Caughthran come on grinning ear to ear, he remembers last time, as do many in the crowd, and everyone knows a fun night's in store. Opening with Knifeman followed by Inveigh the crow goes ballistic and already sees Matt throw himself to the chaos.
The full lineup is here with Joby J Ford and Ken Horne on guitar, Brad Magers on bass and Jorma Vik on drums. All seasoned vets now they know Matt loves to hold the attention so they give him a relentless blast of sound which gives him all the energy he needs to work with.
There's some new material on display as well as a healthy dose from previous releases, especially III. Matt tells the crowd the festival and sidewaves so far have all been practice for here tonight and how Melbourne is The Bronx's home away from home. He asks to see bodies and he gets them in spades as people come from everywhere to jump off stage, off the barriers, off Matt himself even.
I'm worn out as the final sounds are pulled by the sound guy and as lights flicker on the sweat drenched crowd head home for some sleep before a big day at Soundwave the next day.
-jon
Published on Sludge Factory
So after work I swing by a friend's going away gathering in North Melbourne, my ninja-like public transporting skillz got me to the Corner just in time (after a smoke and spotting The Bronx stalker/groupie @emkeezy) to catch the opening song of Coerce.
Coerce are playing to a pretty paralysed crowd (taking easy for a big day at Soundwave I assume) but their set is amazing. They don't pull any punches, they slap a wall of sound at you, juggle call and response vocals between members and are just plain awesome.
Bulmers cider stubbies (yeah the big ones) are going down a treat tonight and after finding some friends on the rooftop we spot Tim Rogers and discuss whether he's here for The Bronx or Fucked Up. For the record I was for Fucked Up, as much as he'd look at home in LA I reckon he'd go more for some crazy canucks.
Another drink and I find a leaning pole beside the sound desk. I hear some droning guitars and the curtains are pulled back to reveal Fucked Up kicking off Twice Born. Singer Pink Eye is shirtless by the end of the song and has barely been seen on stage (which doesn't change for much of the set).
Magic Word is next and crowd surfers are already scooting over an audience split by Pink Eye's trail. He even made it as far as the door to the male toilets before finding the lighting guy beside the sound desk and jumping on his back (eek!). By the time he returns to stage he's managed to wrap the entire length of his mic cord around his head.
The rest of the band are fun to watch (since Pink Eye is lost in the crowd). 10,000 Marbles and Gulag hold the wings strutting guitars, Mustard Gas the hot bassist swaying wildly center stage with Mr. Jo pounding skins up the back.
They play some new tracks which they claim to be still working on (they sound just the right amount of chaotic and destructive to me). Apparently Trash Talk and Kylesa are in the crowd so they get a shout out before breaking into Crooked Head.
Pink Eyes at some stage yells “Shut up I'm trying to think” before mentioning that he now has a child so that proves he's had sex.
The set comes to an unfortunate end but it's been a great night so far, with the crowd now totally hyped up THE BRONX should be set for a corker.
There is a crowd lining the bar (not ordering drinks) which sucks as I have to squeeze past to grab another drink and head upstairs for another smoke break.
I slide my way up to the right of stage to get into the action for The Bronx and intermission music includes NWA which at least fits geographically.
Singer Matt Caughthran come on grinning ear to ear, he remembers last time, as do many in the crowd, and everyone knows a fun night's in store. Opening with Knifeman followed by Inveigh the crow goes ballistic and already sees Matt throw himself to the chaos.
The full lineup is here with Joby J Ford and Ken Horne on guitar, Brad Magers on bass and Jorma Vik on drums. All seasoned vets now they know Matt loves to hold the attention so they give him a relentless blast of sound which gives him all the energy he needs to work with.
There's some new material on display as well as a healthy dose from previous releases, especially III. Matt tells the crowd the festival and sidewaves so far have all been practice for here tonight and how Melbourne is The Bronx's home away from home. He asks to see bodies and he gets them in spades as people come from everywhere to jump off stage, off the barriers, off Matt himself even.
I'm worn out as the final sounds are pulled by the sound guy and as lights flicker on the sweat drenched crowd head home for some sleep before a big day at Soundwave the next day.
-jon
Published on Sludge Factory
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