Annandale Hotel, Sydney
Sunday June 2, 2013 :
The Singularity tour hits The Annandale Hotel for the third time in two days, boasting one of the most vicious and diverse lineups this sundrenched country has seen in quite some time. Opening proceedings are Statues from Perth, who are clearly the result of a healthy diet of old-school sludge like neurosis and new school punk and hardcore like Norma Jean and Gallows. Singer Jayme is a man possessed, spending more time passionately barking on the dance floor than he does on the stage. Discordant, sometimes jarring hardcore tones are a little too much for the punters who have arrived early enough to see these thrashing madmen, with the sleepy crowd show little enthusiasm towards the barrage of frenetic riffs and blasting drums. It is refreshing to see a hardcore band doing exactly what they want as opposed to “Choreographed Mosh parts” that seem to be all the rage these days. Standout track ‘Affliction Prescription’ see the band delve far into the Dillinger Escape Plan nuttiness of their repertoire. At one point, guitarist Scott hands his guitar over to a crowd member and proceeds to scream at the top of his lungs as I process one of the most cathartic performances I’ve seen in recent history. Rounding out their set with ‘The Wanderer’ which rolls in with a more laid back Mastadon-esque riff followed by a barrage of frenzied blasts and rocking beatdowns.
Next up are New York’s, Stray From The Path, pummelling the crowd for a 30 minute set of passion driven hardcore. Drew York is an animated and charismatic frontman, spitting venomous lines of spite and protest. With the band hammering through fan favourites like ‘Damian’, ‘Mad Girl’ and ‘Landmines’, SFTP are proving to be a relevant and uncompromising band. The track ‘Bring it Back to the Streets’ sees the band kick the show into a higher gear, with mic grabs and mosh calls a plenty. Guitarist Tom Williams has obviously worshiped at the church of Tom Morello, with heavily distorted tones smashed through monstrous riffs and crushing drums. An absolutely outstanding showcase of brutality without pumping out breakdown after breakdown. Kids, take note… THIS. IS. HARDCORE.
Structures are by far the heaviest band on the bill. Hailing from Canada these djentleman certainly know their way around their instruments. Vocalist Nick Xourafas was unable to get into the country due to Visa issues, with their tour manager Alex Lidstone stepping up to the mic. Structures do their best to warm the crowd up on such a cold, wet Sydney evening, launching into their set with all the bluster of 100 elephants on crack. This relatively young band manages intricately balancing melody, groove and spine crushingly heavy riffs whilst maintaining the stage presence of a band that has been in the game for years. Considering how vicious and heavy this band is, all five members maintain a smile from ear to ear. Hammering through fan favourite ‘Hydroplaning’, they showcase their musical dexterity and appreciation to be playing to a crowd on the other side of the world. Ending their set with ‘Encounter’, Structures proves to be an absolutely devastating live presence.
As some of our readers will know, I am a complete fanboy of Northlane. With this being the third time seeing them, I was extremely excited and anxious at the same time. Vocalist Adrian graced the stage before the rest of the band to inform the crowd that he had the flu and that he felt that he may be lacking vocally. Fortunately, Adrian and Northlane have friends who are willing to help, with vocalists from Hearts Like Wolves, Sienna Skies and Stray From The Path all made appearances. Northlane have certainly shown their worth, carving a path across Canada recently and countless Australian tours, performing to thousands of punters. The one thing that has united the crowds is their ability to pull off their material in a live setting. Northlane not only meet expectations, they knocked it out of the park, with the crowd clearly here to see their hometown heroes, lapping up every riff, beatdown and vocal blast. At some points in the show, a certain sense of euphoria washed over me, absolutely stunned by the passion of this young band. There were no single stand out tracks due to the fact that EVERY song was outstanding. Punishing the crowd with tracks like ‘Worldeater’, ‘Quantum Flux’, ‘Masquerade’ (which featured an absolutely demolishing guest vocal from Drew York) and closing the set out with ‘Dispossession’ featuring Daniel Soria (Hearts Like Wolves) and Steve Faull (Sienna Skies). Northlane have proven their hype, proven their worth and proven why they are the next big band in our scene.
Reviewer: Luke Cowan
Photographer: Ashlee Kellehear
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