KARNIVOOL, DEAD LETTER CIRCUS, SLEEP•MAKES•WAVES

UNSW ROUNDHOUSE - 17/01/14

“That’ll be ten dollars thanks” uttered the liberally tattooed, rooftop bartender of the Aurora Hotel. I walked away with an icy pint of deep amber lager in each hand and I was more puzzled than a dog looking for a ball that was never thrown. The short tempered Wolverine informed me that everything over the bar during happy hour was a measly five bucks and so, and so……and so we drank everything. Steins and goblets and chalices (Oh my!) piled up on our table like the halls of Valhalla as the pauper priced mead was rapidly depleted from them. We debated the uselessness of Superman and how the ridiculously turd “Arrow” was still on the air whilst our veins were continuously pumped full of any beverage that would have its way with us. The conversation turned to the amazing value of the majority of products available from K-Mart and then back again to Superman being shitter than a prune fuelled nappy puddle. Time soon got the better of us and Mr Cabman ensured that we made the inebriated journey into Coruscant faster than a bolt fired from a wookie bowcaster. It was time to marvel at three Australian bands at the top of their game under the roof of the infamous UNSW Roundhouse. 

The sun was still blanketing the sky when Sydney’s SLEEP•MAKES•WAVES hit the stage dressed in their matching black attire. The last time I saw them was at a pre-taco bar Excelsior Hotel (R.I.P.) playing to a total of around thirty people, so I was curious to see how far they’ve come and if their brand of instrumental/atmospheric post rock could hold the attention of a much larger room. The set opens with “To You They Are Birds, To Me They Are Voices In The Forest” from their debut album “…And So We Destroyed Everything” which filled up the vacant room quicker than Kanye West can offend someone after rousing from his self-obsessed slumber. From the opening note the sound was crisper than a post Vesuvius citizen of Pompeii and the boys were loving it. I immediately notice the incredible on-stage chemistry of the musicians, which for a band without a vocalist, is an absolute must. Viking overlord and bassist supreme Alex Wilson is the centre of attention in a love triangle between himself and the other two stringed musicians. As Guitarist Otto Wicks-Green surveyed the crowd his smile formed a perfect semi-circle reminiscent of Fozzy Bear. Percussionist Tim Adderley’s head was constantly gyrating as he threw every ounce of his being into punishing his kit. Guitarist Jonathan Khor rocked out like a quarry and although he didn’t play off the crowd as much as the other three did, he was still just as entertaining. Electronic drums and samples galore added to the pied musical canvas before me as every appendage on stage was flopping around like a nut sack in a sweltering Big Day Out mosh pit. At one point the Sydney based quartet were bobbing their heads to a different beat of the music; Wicks-Green to every forth, Khor to every third, Wilson to every second and Adderley to every beat. I’m not sure if it was planned or merely coincidence but it did amuse me while it was taking place. Guitar straps were the enemy of the band as both Wicks-Green and Wilson had to battle with guitars constantly trying to flee the stage, which had the roadies panicking more than the band seemed to put on. Sleep•Makes•Waves create lush musical landscapes which can be appreciated by people from all walks of life, ranging from pacifist hungry hippies to stubborn metal purists and it is little wonder they have gotten to where they are. Brilliant way to start the night.

After a rather lengthy visit to the world’s worst staffed bar, The Wolverine and I found ourselves back amongst the hot and sweaty crowd to welcome Brisbane’s DEAD LETTER CIRCUS to the arena. DLC are the epitome of bands exploding overnight; my first viewing of them was opening for Superb Lyrebird at the Annandale to twenty people and a mere month or two later, they had sold out the very same venue. The very fact that they were in the support slot showed just how epic the line-up was and when they opened the set with “The Space On The Wall”, the frenzied audience lapped it up. Anyone who has seen the band before knows about staccato friendly bassist Stewart Hill’s supernatural ability to nail his feet to the floor and bend around like the Roly Poly Man. The movement of his body effortlessly accents the position of every note he contributes to the melodies.  Vocalist Kim Benzie’s stage performance has come a long way since the release of DLC’s debut EP. He’s grown from an Ian Kenny impersonator into a whole new manifestation of commanding front-man that is entirely his own and he works the savage crowd like a seasoned conductor orchestrating the finale of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”. The instantly recognisable and altitude defying tones of his vocals are uniquely Dead Letter Circus and make their concoction of slightly prog inspired alternative rock easily accessible to any person who has ever proclaimed to have a love of music. Hits “The Mile” and “Cage” had the cattle singing along in droves as an orchard of branch-like arms lovingly reached out towards their idols on stage. I was half expecting Luke Williams on the drums to knee himself square in the jaw as his legs sprang off the pedals like a double-bounced cat off a trampoline. The battle continues as he absolutely punishes his snare after the break down of “One Step” which means it’s only a matter of time before one of them gets the better of the other. Six-string advocates Tom Skerlj and Clint Vincent guard the outer walls of the stage with an iron resolve, adding layer upon layer of echoed and delayed guitar work to the fold. Neither of the gargoyles let emotion betray their faces which causes them to look almost bored throughout the duration of the performance. Skerlj sporadically adds some extra stratums of percussion to the music, which visually takes the dynamic of the stage up an extra level to the excitement of a gentleman whipping me in the face with his dirty dreadlocks amid the mosh. DLC played a healthy mix of tracks from all of their releases which seemed to please every face in the room. Of particular note was when Benzie handed a camcorder to the centre security guard effectively making him a security camera (badoom ching). The sentries’ face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning at the chance of being involved in the show. As he handed back the device he proudly screamed out “Well that was a first for me” and resumed his post with a huge smile on his face. The Brisbane ambassadors close the lengthy set with the punchy single “Lodestar” which had Stew stomping around like a freshly angry Bruce Banner and gave the mob one more chance to unify with the band before they left the stage. Incredible set which put the anticipation for the headliner higher than what I had expected.  

Every eye in the room was focused upon the stage when the lights went dark. The tension in the room was denser than an adamantium coated bone claw and the drooling horde were waiting for their cue to start belting out their favourite prog rock anthems. Perth’s KARNIVOOL are welcomed to the platform with a cheer that would rival the decibel levels of the horn of Gondor and the boys waste no time by immediately busting out into the appropriately named monster that is “Goliath”. The sweeping guitars of Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking unify the bobbing heads of the room with a countdown for the advent of the bowel fisting rumbles of Jon Stockman’s beefy brown-noter. Steve Judd’s appendages were flailing around like paladin wielding a morning star as Ian Kenny’s head nodded like a curious cockatoo as he awaited his opening note. The atmosphere in the room was intense like the veins on the neck of a roided up body builder and as he opened his beer hole, the sweaty and overexcited chorus of punters insisted on adding their voices to his every word. EP track “Fade” made an unexpected appearance in the set and the entire room humorously belted out the first line of the song before mumbling the second one; even Kenny had a good laugh at our expense. The mosh was ready to cream their denim when C.O.T.E. had us frothing at the mouth at only three songs into the set. Hosking’s glorious barbarian beard couldn’t hide the child-like enjoyment he was experiencing as he brought the wrath of his twin hammers “Mjolnir” and “MC” down upon his unsuspecting xylophone. Kenny didn’t miss a note during the flawlessly executed “Umbra” as his expressive hands made you feel the raw emotion behind each song. The polyrhythm heavy tracks of “Asymmetry” were welcomed with open arms as Judd works the skins with a surgeon’s precision. “Sky Machine” and “We Are” had the masses swooning over Stockman’s delayed bass hooks and the angsty screams he used in “The Refusal” (which was my pick for the strongest song of the set); right down to the Lannister crimson lighting used to highlight the silhouettes of the prog-rockers. “Set Fire To The Hive” turned the audience into rage zombies by effectively injecting 20cc’s of adrenaline into the already savage punters. Kenny licked his lips as the ever increasing levels of excitement from the crowd became more obvious while Goddard maintained his cool demeanour throughout the set. Karnivool’s go to anthem “Themata” had us jumping like the boys from Kris Kross whilst the slow building “Alpha Omega” had me tingling with excitement of the arrival of Stockman’s thumping bass loop. As the band left the stage, the Karnivool brood voiced that they weren’t having a bar of it by being louder than an army of cats in heat. The Vool were heralded by a king’s welcome upon their return where they opened the encore with the fan favourite “Roquefort” much to the delight of the rabid audience. We jumped one last time and even the intrusive hair of Dreadlocks McSlappyface didn’t seem to bother me. Kenny thanks the crowd and announced the closing track “New Day” which had every security member on staff absolutely bewildered by the passionate crowd participation of the awe inspiring tune. Not  a single mouth in the octagon wasn't singing along to the perfectly chosen track to close this unbelievably ambitious show. The omission of songs such as “Simple Boy”, “Shutterspeed” and my personal favourite “Deadman” didn’t hinder the set one iota and I confidently walked away having witnessed the greatest performance I have ever seen Karnivool put on in my life; and I have seen a lot.

It’s gigs like this that make me go out and watch as many local bands as possible. I am filled with a sense of pride having witnessed all three bands quite early on in their prospective careers and seeing them evolve into rock titans that that are adored by strangers the world over. This success starts in the dingy pubs and dives around the country and without support from the people who claim to love music, then nights like this are going to become less accessible. If you like a support act then add them into your music library and make sure you join them on their journey. One gig a month really isn’t that hard to slip into your calendars.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support the live music scene.

Joshua Towney

https://www.facebook.com/karnivool

https://www.facebook.com/deadlettercircus

https://www.facebook.com/sleepmakeswaves

The Butterfly Effect @ Mona Vale Hotel

BAND: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

VENUE: MONA VALE HOTEL

DATE: 29/12/13

SUPPORT: THE NERVE, TEAL

Anderson Silva screams like a banshee as he falls to the floor quicker than a businessman’s briefs in a whore house.  The zoo of blood hungry spectators spring out of their chairs faster than a greyhound on crack as a volley of high fives clash together harder than two opposing Iron Age armies. Tombledore elects to hold his position and immerse himself in the debate of the certainty of Floppy Foot's future MMA career. A lethargic Pikachu and I make our escape from the tavern amidst the swelling brouhaha and sneak in a quick siesta before our perilous journey into Mordor. Darkness shrouded our eyes as we rejuvenated our weary bodies and before we knew it, we were abruptly awoken by the screeching of an automated rooster. A quick glance at the social pokedex sent me into a panic as Sauron’s forces were set to march an hour earlier than expected. With a speed faster than Paris Hilton's acting career we found ourselves back at the tavern steps where the inebriated headmaster absconded from the inn with a wee four-pack of apple flavoured roadies. Our hire car hastily navigated the abandoned Christmas roads of Sydney Town and after a time crippling pit stop from Cider Bladder, we found ourselves descending into the ominous mists of Mona Vale.

The venue was emptier than the void left by a post Death Star Alderaan due to the show being pulled forward an hour early at the last minute. Unfortunately Sydney’s alternative rock quintet TEAL copped the brunt of this bullshit decision. It was evident when I walked in halfway through their set that they were less than happy about it as the performance was deflated like a week old balloon. The few of us in the audience who knew the potential of the band, gave the boys an aural cuddle with a thunderous cheer that should have come from a crowd three times its size. Vocalist Joe Surgey’s eyes lit up like those of a possum who had been caught stealing a mango and he humbly thanked us for the warm reception. With that little push, Teal were back in form; knocking the room dead with their solid brand of Mars Volta/Radiohead/Jeff Buckley flavoured rock. Bassist “Quiz” comes to life with a stage persona very similar to Scott Pilgrim; constantly bending his knees and leaning forward whilst standing on his tippy toes. Tombledore was quick to point out that the angry, militant Russian looking Shane “Bane” Benson on the skins brought down his sticks like the thunder of Zeus as he interlaced the songs with some gorgeous jungle-like tom work. Brothers Mitch and Andy Clews work their guitar legerdemain on opposite ends of the stage; Andy electing the role of the token shoe-gazer whilst Mitch bites his tongue whenever he is loses himself in the music. Surgey nailed his Buckley rivalling vocals, hitting notes higher than a stoner at the apex of Mount Everest. I only managed to watch two tunes from Teal’s performance before Walder Frey signalled his brethren to slit the band by the throat, effectively causing their set to end without warning. It was a really heartbreaking way to start the night as Teal in my opinion are the most promising band in Australia at the moment and they deserved a much better reception than what the Mona Vale Hotel had provided.

As Teal left the stage the punters started to filter through the door and people were heard complaining about missing them due to the rescheduling of the timetable. Everyone clung to the walls as Melbourne/Sydney based four piece rock outfit THE NERVE exploded out of the woodwork like a John McEnroe temper tantrum. The music is influenced by the likes of Drowning Pool, Head Filled Attraction, Kid Rock, Motorhead and Godsmack and has a blunt, in your face Australian feel to it that is impossible to overlook. My first introduction to veteran front man Ezekiel Ox (other than a quick glimpse of Full Scale opening for Sevendust) was at an empty Annandale hotel at the start of Mammal’s climb to fame. There were lucky to be ten people in the venue and the man performed as if there were five hundred in the room. He jumped up on the table in the middle of the room that I was standing behind and grinded into my face to the delight of my offsiders on the night. Anyone that knows me at all is well aware that I had a very deep seeded and passionate dislike of Mammal as a band but I was always captivated by Zeke’s dominating charisma and stage presence. Cut back to the present and it’s incredible to see that he has lost none of the oomf that have made every band he has been a part of a huge success. Sporting a purple shorts and rainbow socks combo, Mr Ox worked the void at the front of the room like a pro; targeting the people who looked like they were enjoying it the least and bringing the show to them. Modified moonwalking, corroboree-like dancing, nipple rubbing, model poses and jumping on top of the speakers to turn the spotlight out onto the crowd where he was performing, were but a few of the flamboyant and comedic rock moves he used in his arsenal to cause the room to salivate. After the deafening applause at the end of the opening track, Ox announced that he just proved that the front of the room wasn’t a barren waste land and it was a fucking rock show. Every person in the room meekly made their way to the front of the stage where we got a closer look at the rest of the band. On the skins was ex Cog legend Lucius Borich who literally had a smile on his face every second of the set. The kit he used was about half the size of what I’m used to watching him use but he still effortlessly makes every drum and cymbal in the rig his bitch. Bassist Davarj Thomas chewed his gum to the beat of the music whilst spooning out generous dollops of distortion heavy rumbles. Hammer-on abusing guitarist Glen Proudfoot’s jeans had more holes in them than an orgy on a golf course and his fingers danced across the strings like a budding coal walker on their first successful crossing. Even the roadie had his hands full the majority of the set; de-shirting Proudfoot mid performance and constantly untangling Zeke’s microphone lead throughout the set. The Nerve ensured to cram as much rock into their half hour set as possible which is guaranteed to put the hair back on alopecia riddled nugs across the country. The horde hung off every raspy word Ox uttered as the grunge/punk/metal inspired music added a delicious underlying canvas to lure the crowd deeper down the rabbit hole.  Tracks “Poser”, “Respect” and the gospel flavoured “Witness” were crowd favourites whilst the lads finished the set strong with the heaviest song of the night “14 again”. Zeke left the stage with a classy bow and left the three remaining musicians with a few minutes to lap up the affections of the crowd. Brilliantly entertaining set from a very young band who will be headlining sold out shows at major venues before you know it.

After an incredibly entertaining conversation with the gentlemen from Teal we were lured back inside by a sample of “Imago” from the album of the same name. Newly reformed THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT were here as a part of their first outing with new vocalist Paul Galagher who had massive shoes to fill following the departure of Clint Boge. I witnessed their Annandale performance on the first leg of the tour where everyone but the critics seemed to enjoy the show. It was awe inspiring to witness the sold out venue chanting “Paul! Paul! Paul!” three songs into the set. The problem that a good chunk of The Butterfly Effect’s fans have is that everyone goes in expecting Galagher to be an exact carbon copy of Boge. People need to accept that this is a new chapter in the band's career and that they wouldn't have elected any old slouch to front their well respected brand of highly influential, Australian prog rock. TBE smartly chose to open the set with “Filling Silence” from debut album “Begins Here” which immediately throws Galagher into the deep end and tests his skill set against Boge’s entire range. While the mix for the first half of the song caused the band as a whole to sound muddy, it didn’t take long for jaws to start dropping across the room. Galagher doesn't possess the theatrics that Boge brought to the band but he nails every note with military precision and in many instances surpasses his predecessor. Of particular note is when he reaches the higher/ballsier moments of songs where his vocals adopt a tasty grunge tone very similar to Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy. He is at his strongest when he has the microphone stand in his hands as he seems to dance with it, whilst his casual stage persona oddly enough reminds me of Lexxi Foxx from Steel Panther (without the lip gloss and pouting). The breakdown from “One Second Of Insanity” was slowed right down which although I didn't enjoy it at the Annandale show, seemed to work a treat this time around. The amount of faces guitarist Kurt Goedhart can make with his eyes closed is ridiculous as his dome bounces around like a bobble head toy. His unique flair is the heart and soul of the music as he throws traditional chords out the window in favour of his signature flurrying style. “Phoenix” sounded richer than a chocolate mud cake and was the first song of the set where Galagher’s grungy tones were a noticeable improvement over the last vocalist. Ben Hall’s glorious Spartan beard was lit up by the strobes at the back of the stage as he hammered away at his kit. Fan favourite “Window And The Watcher” had the crowd singing along in droves. It was always a song which I thought fell apart during the chorus but Galagher brought some much needed gusto to the performance where Boge wasn’t able to. Goedhart humorously screwed up the intro to “Aisles Of White” where Tombledore took it as an opportunity to whisper in my ear that Galagher “definitely wasn’t a substitute teacher”. There were some great harmonies with bassist Glen Esmond in some of the new tracks as Paul started to swig red wine from the bottle like the classy gentleman that he is. Esmond was the quiet achiever on stage; providing the crucial concrete foundation of voluptuous bass licks that brought the music to life. A slower paced “Perception Twin” and “Reach” had the mob eating out of their hands and before we knew it, Esmond announced the last song which led to universal groans of disapproval from the room. Galagher’s first single as front man “Eyes Down” which took me a few listens to wrap my head around, was chosen to close the show and was a more than worthy contender to do so. Killer set from the Brisbanosaurus Rex’s.

Even with the faux pas caused by the stubborn iron fist regime of The Mona Vale Hotel and the disappointing turnout, all three bands played as if the room was sold out like the professionals that they are. My crew hired a car for the day just so we could make it out to the gig which was well beyond my jurisdiction and it was worth every cent. With a bill consisting of a certified independent chart topper and two future groups of superstars, this show should have sold out the week it went on sale. The future of our great cities live music is in great peril if we don’t all get out to support the bands that deserve our attention. In the words of Captain Planet “The power is yours”.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support the live music scene.

Joshua Towney

https://www.facebook.com/thebutterflyeffectau

https://www.facebook.com/thenerveaustralia

https://www.facebook.com/TealBand