I personally listen to a rather large range of music, often depending on my mood, but I'm one who has had a long time love of punk music. I got introduced to the classic likes of The Ramones, The Clash and the Sex Pistols, along with their more hardcore cousins Black Flag, The Misfits and the Dead Kennedys, as a young teenager. The perfect time, really, to first hear these bands. They're all still on my playlist too, even if they aren't always in high rotation, along with several much newer bands of the genre.
This weekend, I went out to see some bands in this loved genre that I honestly knew almost nothing about, so you could say I had the most open mind possible. I had originally planned to get tickets but, like many things, I forgot. Luckily, I happened to enter the Hi-Fi's contest for a double pass and won, so I have them to thank for the chance to check out some local Australian talent and a great old school hardcore band from the States. So, without further adieu...the roll call and review.
Higher Power
First off the rank, and facing a still quiet and slightly undersized crowd, were this Melbourne based crew. My first impression about these guys were of the bass player and the guitarist. Both were really good, fingers flying like they had wings (pardon the cheesy metaphor) and they were both really into the music they were playing. The music itself didn't grab me off the bat. Hardcore is a great genre but it's sometimes hard to stand out from the crowd of hard-rocking, hard hitting hardcore bands. I couldn't help but feel that these guys hadn't yet found something to pull them up out of the pack, something to make them stand out from the rest of the background noise. Which made me a little sad for such obviously talented musicians. The main thing that stood out for me about the vocalist was that he was angry and having one hell of a fight with his microphone...which he was losing. In all, they were a good standard band and I didn't mind listening to them at the time, but they didn't with me.
Boneless
I feel bad for this band. Stuck in what was probably the hardest to remember spot, I am actually struggling to remember much, if anything, about them. I even briefly forgot their name! I know that there wasn't a single bad band that I listened to last night but some definitely stood out more than others, for various reasons. This was not that band. They are Sydney based, like several of the bands playing Hardcore this year, so I may have the chance to hear them again. I'm hoping that if/when I do, they leave me with something more memorable.
Vigilante
Another Sydney based band, these guys were one of the most cohesive and 'on' bands of the night. Good sound, good rhythm, I found myself enjoying them quite a bit. They seemed to really be enjoying their time on stage and the crowd was into them. I also really liked that they had a message, that the vocalist had a message he felt he needed to put forward against violence and also about being yourself. It made it feel like they were putting more feeling and more thought into the sounds they were making. I think this band just needs a little something more to bring them up to the next level, a little something more to their music and maybe something distinctive to their look to make them stand out. I'd see them again.
Warbrain
While Melbourne based Warbrain were not my favorite band of the night, they were defineitly one of the favorites with crowd. Guys and girls rushed up front, screaming and chanting the lyrics along with the band. The lead vocalist was also really into his music, running up and down the stage, probably doing as many laps as half the guys in the pit. There was something about the guitars, the music that I did like, that caught my attention. One or two songs kept dragging my memory back to The Crow soundtrack, certain riffs triggering a bit of an emotionally response. It wasn't anything directly from any song or band, more of just a feeling, a mash up of the soundtrack's specific mid-90's sound with a little bit of a Nine Inch Nails meets My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult vibe with hard hitting,screaming vocals. It's entirely possible no one else will ever hear it, but it was something that hit my while listening.
Toe To Toe
This first of the 'old school' hardcore bands to finish out the night, these guys have been rocking Sydney since their formation in the very early 90's and their full on, balls-to-the-wall sound showed it. Definitely a much earlier sound than some of the first bands which are almost all fairly newly formed. Good though and the crowd were into them so if you want classic hardcore punk sound, these guys had it.
Youth Of Today
The closers of the night, and the major draw card, this was the classic hardcore band's very FIRST visit to Australia and they were making the most of it. Vocalist Ray Cappo was owning the stage like it was 1985 not 2013, though his powerful mid-song affirmations to the crowd might have been a bit more breathless than back then. The short Conneticut born Italian (his words!) has done a lot of things in the years since the birth of this band, to the point where flyers for a day of yoga with him were being handed out between sets, but he still had the crowd jumping and revved up. Old school songs, old school sound, I really loved having the opportunity to see these guys in person. The only thing missing were classic punk clothes and 80's big hair. In all, a great sounding band that I had the pleasure to see perform before they call it quits forever.
It was a great event and a lot of fun, if you love the genre, and I think that there was only one thing that disappointed me the whole night. Not a mohawk in sight all night, though there were some impressive beards and one truly great mustache. The crowd was a lot more mixed than I expected, lots of girls truly into the music as well as a real mix of ages and looks...skaters and old school punks mixed with Sea Shepherd activists and metalheads. Next year, I might check out the second day of the event, which presents more bands than the 18+ night I attended and is also All Ages.
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