Originally posted on The Underground Australia (www.theundergroundaustralia.com.au)
Written by JC Apthorpe
2nd December
The Metal Gods have been kind, Melbourne has sunshine! It’s a sell out, with major acts like DEFTONES and BRING ME THE HORIZON headlining, why wouldn’t it be?
There’s a buzz in the air, I’m rocking my high sock, low shorts, got my note pad and my earplugs (safety first).
Let’s Go!
There are black t-shirts and dresses everywhere, with splashes of colour here and there, people are smiling, the Melbourne music scene feels truly alive and well again, after a few years hiatus due to very annoying little plague. Today’s line up is a perfect mix of New and Old. Or possibly more accurately, Nu Metal and Old school skater punk, hence my long socks and low shorts. There was plenty of variety in the age demographic here too, which is always nice to see.
My day kicked off with TO THE GRAVE igniting the muscle memory of pro festival goers who took this early in the day opportunity to remember how to mosh and crowd surf again. “Who brought the vegans to play at a f**king racetrack”. These boys came out swinging hard even lighting a flare on stage and yelling “circle pit!”. Followed by “wall of death!” throwing down plenty of tasty riffs, chunky break downs and blast beats, before leaving the stage with their parting words “stay hydrated”.
Thanks for the reminder TO THE GRAVE we will.
Do-Do’s and Whoa-Oh’s! The nostalgia started with locals KISSCHASY playing the entire United Party People album, setting the tone for a lot of back-in-the-day warped tour kids such as myself.
Heaps of catchy singalongs here, with twangy guitar sounds. A big change from the preceding band, but lovely all the same.
Speaking of long socks and long shorts, MILLENCOLIN sounded great… From the line at the merch tent I’d been standing at for over half an hour….
It was worth it though cause these GT2022 Basketball tops are sweet!
The happy Swedes opened their set with Kemp and proclaimed that “The guitarist playing that white (Gibson) SG (Guitar) is the son of Crocodile Dundee” which I can neither confirm nor deny. They finished the set with Penguins and Polar bears, and I’m suddenly struck with the urge to play Tony Hawks pro skater when I get home.
Avast ye maties! I know they are not pirates but SABATON to me sounds like the Swedish hell spawn of Fear Factory and Jack Sparrow. Devil horns in the air and crowd chants had started even before the band walked out on stage. Camo clad guitar solos, in fact camo clad everything was the order of the day. With the very happy armour-plated vest wearing front man Joakim Brodén announcing that it was a “Swedish invasion” as they followed straight after their Swedish punk rock brethren from the paragraph above. Flames ingulfed the front of the stage as choirs singing rang out. This Euro metal band knows how to entertain. They were brutal but having a blast and not taking themselves too seriously. All SABATON songs seem to be about historical events, so we are all being entertained, and learning! They even sung the song Cliffs of Gallipoli teaching us about our own history.
Oh, and their backdrop was a giant Tank being overran by Emu’s. Maybe a nod to the Emu wars? (it was a thing, look it up) So good!
LACUNA COIL with vocalist Cristina Scabbia and her band of face painted jumpsuit wearing merry men, entertained the daylights out of us. The operatic soaring female vocals of Cristina, coupled with the crushing male vocals of Andrea Ferro is quite a sight and sound. Throw in some headbanging tunes and it’s a good time all round.
Aussie heavyweights THE AMITY AFFLICTION gave us plenty to chew on. It’s hard to comprehend how ballad like chorus’s and piano fills can work in such brutal and powerful outfit. But they do, and they do it well.
GOJIRA, is not French for yogurt, but these French down tuned behemoths do
have some thick and creamy riffs going on. GOJIRA were my band of the day, not knowing to much about them before watching this epic performance.
A hard and fast set from start to finish. The drummer breaking many sticks during this show and tossing them to eager patrons as souvenirs. Everyone was getting into it, from a guy crowd surfing with his crutches to a 3-year-old on her dad’s shoulders for the entire set throwing up the horns and bopping along. There was even a drum solo which Mario Duplantier cut short to hold up a sign that read “I CANT HEAR YOU” the crowd went crazy as you’d expect so at the end of his solo, Mario held up another sign “F**K YEAH C**TS”. Great set and thank goodness that 3-year-old on dads shoulders probably can’t read yet.
Max Cavalera’s (co-founder of heavy metal band Sepultura) band SOULFLY
reminded us that not all people born in the 60’s were about flower power. With their mega riffs and a brutal vocal performance. Yelling JUMP, JUMP, JUMP, JUMP through the first song Back to the Primitive getting everyone going. Surrounded by walls of guitar amps, his mate Dino from Fear Factory helping on second guitar (even throwing in a FF cover) and his son Zyon Cavalera playing drums. It was a real family vibe at the SOULFLY household today.
TISM. They’re wearing 10m tall, inflated garbage bag balloons, shaped like crinkle cut chips…. In the sun… I was hot enough, not wearing 10m tall, inflated garbage bag balloons, shaped like crinkle cut chips….
What did you expect? … It’s TISM.
Anyway.
The NOFX chants started the moment TISM finished up. The punk rock veterans, who like to remind us that they have been killing punk rock since 1990, or at least that’s what their t-shirts at the merch store would have you believe. Kept the nostalgia going playing their seminal ’94 album Punk in Drublic album. They walked on to stage to the song Time Warp you know the one “Let’s do the time warp againnnnnnnnnnnn” Even doing the moves. But when the guitar started playing Linoleum, that’s when the fun really began. “Who the f**k are these other bands?” Fat Mike asked the crowd “We’re the best band here” he said. At one stage pulling up his dress to cover his exposed nipples, like your favourite drunken blue haired aunty at this year’s family Christmas lunch.
Don’t call me white and other songs from Punk in Drublic killed, and the crowd were loving it. “Why do we have to play these songs, why don’t you play them” Fat Mike questioned. About halfway through Fat Mike got hit with a shoe, now it’s a real NOFX show! They seem to be none too pleased about having to play this album live but did a great job nevertheless. At the end of there set, the Californians announced that they will be back for one last tour, but not for another year. Before leaving the stage, Mike’s final words were, “Take it away Chino”
And take it away Chino did.
Deep droning flooded the area in front of the main stage. A roar went up across the park. By now 90% of festival goers were at the main stage waiting for DEFTONES to start. This is the first time today that I could feel the bass drum actually hitting me in the chest from the back of the pit. A very animated Chino Moreno (lead vocalist) rushed the stage with his signature high pitched scream. Hugh riffs rang out from the 8-string guitar Stephen Carpenter was slinging for the first few songs. 2 songs in Chino finally spoke “What the f**k is up” before the band broke into another hit. Luckily there was a screen nearby because this crowd was massive, and loud. At times the vocals were drowned out from this far back by the sub bass, which was probably contributed to by the songs were the guitarist strapped on a bass, 2 bass players at once! Very Rare to see, but very cool. Even Chino got out his guitar for some classics from “Around the Fur”.
Real talk… I love Nu Metal, I grew up on the stuff, and seeing DEFTONES live after all these years, made me more fanboy than journalist. They played the hits, I just can’t recall which ones because Chino and the gang have a way of serenading you. While some of us were nodding our heads, arms up to every song, others seemed to be making out. However DEFTONES make you feel, they do make you feel something. After all these years, they did not disappoint.
A giant eruption of pink confetti flew up into the air and the final act of the night BRING ME THE HORIZON were off and running. With LCD screens littering the stage and fully digital backdrop of every colour, the UK lads were here to entertain, and entertain they did.
Playing hits like Can you feel my heart hurt and Thrones, this was my first real taste of BRING ME THE HORIZON and I gotta say, from their power ballad pop punk hooks to, at times almost speed metal chugs. They were full of surprises and this crowd was lapping it up. It was finally dark enough for a decent light show too and these boys took full advantage of that. A great way to finish off a great day.
It’s over for another year, we head home with hearts full (of heavy riffs) and although now over. Good Things 2022 reminded me of something I have thought for a long time. The heavier the music. The cooler the people. Great vibes, a great day and it’s nice to have festivals back in Melbourne town. Punk and Metal people make the best people.
Bring me the Horizon closing the event in amazing fashion!
Four Spins 