Another year, another youthie. Except this year the annual free outdoor concert underwent a major revamp and became the Sounds Loud festival and boasted its biggest line up yet. These events are great for discovering new bands and for bands to open up to an audience that they might not otherwise be exposed to. And the best part that is all for free. I must admit that it is a very long day and that even after 6 years of attending, I’d never stayed for the whole day. But Queens Park is perfectly located so that if you did get a little bored you could wonder off and get coffee or go for a walk down to the shops. Having a stage of bands, a dance stage and an rnb stage meant that there was a little bit of everything for everyone.

Neon Love is a band that I’ve heard a lot about but have never been to a gig that they’ve played at or even really listened to them. Some people I’ve talked to love them, others not so much, so I was glad to finally be seeing them for myself. They burst on stage with a lot of energy and what seemed to be a lot going on. But really, I think they just had their singer playing an electronic drum kit. It was just the way they moved around on stage frantically that gave the impression that a lot was happening. Neon Love have a very fun, makes-you-want-to -dance-around indie rock sound and the crowd seemed to dig it. Honestly, their music isn’t really my thing, but I thought they were pretty good and would probably listen to them on the one-off occasion if in the right mood. I can definitely see how they’ve received so much exposure. What I was most impressed by though was the shuffling of instruments between the three members who weren’t the drummer or the bassist. It’s a clever way to show to your audience just how talented you are. The vocals were shared between these three guys, and each were very solid in the part that they played.

The Heartbreak Club were a lot of energy in a 2004-pop-punk kind of way. They reminded me a lot of Sum 41, but that’s probably not an accurate description of their music, they were more pop than punk. All I really remember from their performance is that the vocalist had a very strong voice and a pretty decent range. At one point he held a note for a very impressive amount of time (it was definitely more than 15seconds long)

Dream On, Dreamer were the first of the next slew of bands whom I actually listen to. Their set was explosive and they definitely shocked everyone in the first few moments of starting their set. The screamer did not stand still at all in the set, but I was particularly drawn to how the bass player moved about. And he’s a decent vocalist as well. [...]]]>

Another year, another youthie. Except this year the annual free outdoor concert underwent a major revamp and became the Sounds Loud festival and boasted its biggest line up yet. These events are great for discovering new bands and for bands to open up to an audience that they might not otherwise be exposed to. And the best part that is all for free. I must admit that it is a very long day and that even after 6 years of attending, I’d never stayed for the whole day. But Queens Park is perfectly located so that if you did get a little bored you could wonder off and get coffee or go for a walk down to the shops. Having a stage of bands, a dance stage and an rnb stage meant that there was a little bit of everything for everyone.

Neon Love is a band that I’ve heard a lot about but have never been to a gig that they’ve played at or even really listened to them. Some people I’ve talked to love them, others not so much, so I was glad to finally be seeing them for myself. They burst on stage with a lot of energy and what seemed to be a lot going on. But really, I think they just had their singer playing an electronic drum kit. It was just the way they moved around on stage frantically that gave the impression that a lot was happening. Neon Love have a very fun, makes-you-want-to -dance-around indie rock sound and the crowd seemed to dig it. Honestly, their music isn’t really my thing, but I thought they were pretty good and would probably listen to them on the one-off occasion if in the right mood. I can definitely see how they’ve received so much exposure. What I was most impressed by though was the shuffling of instruments between the three members who weren’t the drummer or the bassist. It’s a clever way to show to your audience just how talented you are. The vocals were shared between these three guys, and each were very solid in the part that they played.

The Heartbreak Club were a lot of energy in a 2004-pop-punk kind of way. They reminded me a lot of Sum 41, but that’s probably not an accurate description of their music, they were more pop than punk. All I really remember from their performance is that the vocalist had a very strong voice and a pretty decent range. At one point he held a note for a very impressive amount of time (it was definitely more than 15seconds long)

Dream On, Dreamer were the first of the next slew of bands whom I actually listen to. Their set was explosive and they definitely shocked everyone in the first few moments of starting their set. The screamer did not stand still at all in the set, but I was particularly drawn to how the bass player moved about. And he’s a decent vocalist as well. There were quite a number of kids in the crowd that seemed to be there for this band, and the screamer reacted to this pretty well, going down to the crowd a couple of times. Dream On, Dreamer gave a solid performance and all their songs were well performed. These guys continue to be one of the better live bands in the scene at the moment, and I’m excited to see them continue to get better and better.

The band I was most excited to see, Break Even, were up next and their performance blew my mind. It’s been so long since I’ve seen these guys that when I walked past the singer on my way to get my photo pass, I didn’t even recognise him! I probably would’ve freaked out on the inside while trying to play cool and talk to him if I’d known. Anyway, they had a fair share of fans in the crowd, just enough people that those fans probably felt like this was a show just for them. Break Even came on and opened with such great intensity, you could see the photographers scatter to try to not get in the way of the singer as he stomped his way into the stage. The songs flowed nicely and in between songs when speaking to the crowd, you couldn’t help but really like the singer. The set list was comprised mostly of songs from Break Even’s latest album The Bright Side and they translated very well live. Break Even’s set was a change from the first part of the morning, where everything was mostly fun and feel good. It’s not that their set was serious, but it was more intense and emotional, and you could see that in the passion of the fans getting into the performance. This was such a great show to get reacquainted with Break Even again and now I’m so stoked for their upcoming national tour.

The last of the bands playing today that I am familiar with was Behind Crimson Eyes. I saw them last month at Pushover and was extremely pleased with their set, and once again, it was a great set. The songs were mostly old songs, which kept most of the crowd very happy. Their performance was tight, but standing further back in the crowd this time, rather than right up near the stage in the photo pit, I felt like the songs were a little empty. I’d say that it’s mostly due to having only one guitarist. Behind Crimson Eyes aren’t bad as a four piece, I just think that their sound would be fuller as a five piece. Other than that, the performance was good. Everyone played well and their performance was tight.

I admit that when I went to Hungry Kids Of Hungary I was in a very judgmental mind frame. A friend of mine who has very similar musical taste to me had told me that they found this band horrible. But I don’t know what they were talking about because I thought they were amazing and I really enjoyed both their music and their performance, even though I’m not too big on the indie rock thing. I was very impressed and so too was the crowd. There was a huge change in sound, and kids, between the last few bands and the next few, including Hungry Kids of Hungary. The songs were solid and the band was tight, and they were very fun to watch. Even the photographers in the photo pit were dancing as they snapped away. I am definitely keeping my eyes peeled for when they come to Melbourne again.

I only caught a couple of songs from Last Dinosaurs and they were pretty average. They were heaps of fun and the crowd seemed to enjoy it, but I just think that they need to find their own sound. One of the songs sounded like The Strokes and the other like The Temper Trap, I just wanted to hear something that hadn’t been done already. But being billed this high on the lineup is a reflection that they’re on the right path and I just hope they can mesh the sounds of the bands that influence them with their own flare, to create their own sound.

It was cool to be seeing Calling All Cars again, and I enjoyed these guys a lot more than the last time I saw them (supporting The Getaway Plan on “The Shadows Tour” in 2008). Calling All Cars have just finished opening for ACDC on their recent national tour, and I’ve got to admit that I was pretty surprised that they were playing a free concert after an experience like that. But it’s good to know the fame hasn’t gotten to their heads. These guys play pretty much straight up rock songs. I’m not usually a fan of trios, I feel like there isn’t enough support with just three musicians especially in the rock genre, but this band is one of the few who pull it off. They’re a lot tighter than the last time I saw them and the songs are sounding really good. The singer interacts well with the crowd, but I don’t think they were having it. They didn’t seem to be overly stoked but there were your handful of people who were loving it.

The large crowd over at the Dance Stage caught my attention and I ventured over there to see Scientists of Modern Music playing. It was different to everything that I’d seen all day, and it was pure fun. Their tunes were of the over-synthesized electro pop and the synchronised dance moves and feel good lyrics just added to the party. I’m definitely glad I ventured over to the Dance Stage. I also noticed, and appreciated, that one guy was dressed from head to toe in white and the other in black. Pretty cool. The crowd was absolutely enjoying themselves and everybody was dancing and smiling and having a good time. I think everyone should listen to this band just because they’re so much fun and will make you happy.

Philadelphia Grand Jury drew a pretty large crowd and no wonder! They were absolutely brilliant! Another trio that I actually enjoyed, two in one day! What are the chances? Their performance gave a sense that they had a lot of experience as musicians. They were really tight, the songs were solid and for a band I’ve never heard before, I enjoyed them quite a lot. The really trippy thing that they did in their set was that instead of speaking between songs, everything had been pre-recorded and was just played back to the audience, so the first time it happened everyone was tripping out and trying to figure out who was speaking. I thought it was a pretty clever idea to keep the crowd on their toes. The singer had a very unique tonality to his voice, that suited the genre of music that they were playing, “indie punk soul” as described on their myspace, perfectly. They closed their set with a rendition of Jay Z’s “99 Problems” and the singer went into the middle of the crowd for a little vocal help. The cover was a great way to end the set and fit perfectly into the atmosphere of the night. This is a band that you should definitely see if you get the chance, I cannot wait to see them again.

The last, and arguable the biggest, act for the night was Bluejuice. After Big Day Out, everyone I know has been gushing non-stop about this band so I was pretty keen to see them. And they did not disappoint! These guys are extremely energetic on stage and they are also extremely entertaining, during and between songs. And despite the typically cold Melbourne weather, more and more layers of clothing kept coming off during their set. Their performance was very tight and everything sounded just right. They managed to move, jump, dance around and have a good time without sacrificing the quality of their performance. I was particularly impressed with the two vocalists and their use of harmonies as well as singing in unison to add to the texture. The crowd that was left were, without a doubt, psyched on these guys, and the band interacted well with the crowd which resulted in a good response when crowd participation was required on some songs. Everyone involved had an epic time and it was a great way to end a great day.

Another year gone, another successful day. The weather even managed to play nice, with very little rain and only getting cold near the end of the night. There was a little bit of something for everyone today, and I would love to see that diversity grow over the next few years. All the bands who played today did a great job and everyone probably went home with a new band they could start listening to. The exposure from these events is tremendously wonderful and my favourite thing about it is that some kid may have discovered their new favourite band, the next band to change their life today, and it could all be pinned on chance and luck. Congratulations must go the team that organised Sounds Loud, and I look forward to an even bigger and better festival next year.

FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM SOUNDS LOUD CLICK HERE

My overall verdict of Kevin was that he was unbelievable adorable, and even when he was swearing he still seemed sweet. He had a very tight band (that included Vinnie Accardi of Brand New on guitar) but the lighting clearly indicated that it was “the Kevin Devine show.” My only regret is that I wasn’t more acquainted with Kevin’s music and could have appreciated his set more if I was more familiar with the material. He seemed very grateful to be playing to such a large audience, and very humbled for this opportunity. I’m very stoked to have had the chance to see Kevin Devine live and I would jump at the chance to see him again.

The room buzzed with excitement as we waited for Brand New to grace the stage. There were a few false starts when the lights were dimmed and the crowd cheered, only to be greeted with another song being played over the PA. This happened about three times, so I wonder if the lighting guys were just toying with the crowd because they knew they could. But the moment finally arrived when the show had to start, and Brand New exploded into their set with “Sink.” Jesse’s scream was spine tingling and [...]]]> Firstly, I’d like to say that I should not be allowed to review my favourite band. I grew up listening to Brand New, so all of their songs are attached to specific memories and moments in my life. I’ve been told that I can gush about this as much as I want, but I’ll try to be as objective as possible. So with that aside, this show was AH-MA-ZING! Everything about the night was perfect; the venue, the crowd, the support band, the headliner. I think Brand New sold out (or came close to selling out) every show on this tour, something that neither of their last two headlining tours managed.

Kevin Devine opened the night and I was very impressed with his performance. He opened with some solid songs that captivated the audience. What I noticed was that he had great articulation, and I could actually make out what he was singing. However, as the night went on and people anticipated Brand New hitting the stage more and more, I think some people lost their interest in Kevin’s performance. Some spark was added into Kevin’s set when he decided to do a Nirvana cover and Jesse Lacey of Brand New joined him on stage, and that kind of reengaged people in Kevin’s performance. During the louder moments of his songs, Kevin thrashed around stage like a madman; I honestly can’t tell how he’s able to keep time while moving like that.  However, I found that the quieter moments of songs where it was just Kevin and his guitar with no or little support from the band, were his stronger moments. He definitely mellowed out the crowd and got the vibe of the night going. He interacted well with the crowd and people received him well.

My overall verdict of Kevin was that he was unbelievable adorable, and even when he was swearing he still seemed sweet. He had a very tight band (that included Vinnie Accardi of Brand New on guitar) but the lighting clearly indicated that it was “the Kevin Devine show.” My only regret is that I wasn’t more acquainted with Kevin’s music and could have appreciated his set more if I was more familiar with the material. He seemed very grateful to be playing to such a large audience, and very humbled for this opportunity. I’m very stoked to have had the chance to see Kevin Devine live and I would jump at the chance to see him again.

The room buzzed with excitement as we waited for Brand New to grace the stage. There were a few false starts when the lights were dimmed and the crowd cheered, only to be greeted with another song being played over the PA. This happened about three times, so I wonder if the lighting guys were just toying with the crowd because they knew they could. But the moment finally arrived when the show had to start, and Brand New exploded into their set with “Sink.” Jesse’s scream was spine tingling and I could feel shivers going through me. I was surprised that they didn’t open with “Vices” using the opera-esque introduction and all, but that was right up next (minus the intro though) and then was followed by “Gasoline” and “In A Jar.” It’s a well known fact that when writing Daisy, Brand New concentrated on writing songs to be played live, and these songs did not disappoint. There was an additional percussionist playing floor toms with Brian on “Sink” and that added a great depth to the song. Watching the synchronicity of the two drummers was amazing.

I never realised how much screaming there was on the songs from Daisy and after the first four songs, I just wanted to hear Jesse sing, rather than scream. My prayers were answered as Brand New launched in “Sowing Season.” Jesse plays with the vocal melody beautifully, which keeps the audience on their toes.
After six songs from their last two albums, it was time for a few classics. As the opening chords of “Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don’t” were played, the crowd went nuts, and the sing along was HUGE. As mentioned before, this tour on the back of Daisy sold out in almost every city, a feat none of their previous tours had managed, so I was expecting most of the crowd to be mostly there for Daisy songs and was very surprised with the crowd reaction to songs off Deja Entendu and Your Favourite Weapon.

As “Mix Tape”, “Shower Scene” and “Jude Law and a Semester Abroad” were played, I felt the 14-year old-girl in me freaking out and memories of being angry in a very fast-punk-music kind of way came swarming back to me. It was great to experience these songs live, but there was also a sense of hilarity to see Brand New play such fast and angry songs. In a sense, it seemed like they were too old and mature to play songs with lines such as “…I hope the next boy that you kiss has something terribly contagious on his lips…” Just when you would think that the sing along couldn’t get any louder, Brand New burst into “Seventy Times 7” and the room went insane, everyone trying to sing louder than the person next to them while dancing around with their friends. The lights were also used well to add to the show, especially during these faster songs. The flashing lights were synched with the music and it added an extra layer to the performance.

Following this interlude of older songs, Brand New reverted back to tracks off The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me and Daisy, a more familiar Brand New sound. By this stage of the night, where I’d been past the stages of excitement and downright hysteria,  I found myself taking more notice of each musician on stage. Each had their own separate elements that captured my unwavering attention, until I had to snap myself out of the haze-like stare to take in the whole picture, rather than just one particular performer. Jesse thrashed around like a madman, similar to Kevin Devine, and the same thing can be said about Jesse that was said about Kevin, I have no idea how they manage to keep time. At least with Vinnie there’s a sense of timing and rhythm. It also seemed like Jesse was losing his voice, so he reverted to doing more screaming/shouting rather than singing, and I would have liked it better if he’d actually spent more time singing rather than shouting at every chance he got.

Speaking of Vinnie, he falls into the category of “guitarists who can actually nail their guitar lines live.” He doesn’t play around with his guitar lines and change them up, he just plays the already perfect lines that are on the recordings. Brian Lane’s drumming sounds HUGE in a live setting, it is much more dominant. The additional percussionist playing a range of percussion instruments including floor toms and hand percussion, added more detail and flair to the songs. I remember the last time I saw Brand New in 2007, I was up against the barrier right in front of bassist Garrett Tierney, and I remember thinking how amazing he was. Three years later and he’s still one of the best bass player’s I’ve seen live. Not only does he have great lines that are played perfectly live, you can also hear him. I guess that’s partially kudos to whoever is mixing the sound. And he seems to play his bass lines so effortlessly as well. I especially like that the bass lines are creative and have an actual melodic structure and form to them, and not just the dominant or tonic to support the chord.

Jesse closed the night by playing two songs by himself – “Limousine” and “Play Crack The Sky.” I hadn’t looked up the setlist before the show, but some of my friends had, so I’d asked them if the two songs I really wanted to see (“Jude Law” and “Limousine”) were on the setlist and they’d told me that the latter wasn’t, so I was not expecting them to play it. All Jesse had done was sing the first word (“K, …”) and I lost it. I was so psyched, I think I might have scared the people around me. The stripped down version of the traditionally full band song was beautiful and even without the support of the band, Jesse built and maintained the intensity of the song superbly. The night ended with crowd pleaser “Play Crack The Sky” and included a special appearance from Kevin Devine singing the harmonies. While coming onstage, there was some sort of technical difficulty or Kevin tripped over a lead or something, but the sound cut out for a couple of minutes, and Jesse joked with the crowd that Kevin had just killed the mood that Brand New had spent the last two hours building up. It was nice to see Jesse joking around with both the crowd and Kevin, and you can tell from the interaction that they were good friends. The 19 song long, almost two hour show couldn’t have ended in a better way.

It’s been a while since I have been to show that was straight up rock music (everyone I see these days seem to have tons of breakdowns and synths in their music, not that there’s anything wrong with that) and there could not have been a better band to see to get reacquainted with the genre. My only criticism is why wasn’t “The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows” or “Millstone” in the set?! But other than that, no major criticism, the show was mind blowing. I left The Palace on a high, and from the buzz in the lobby, it seemed like everyone else did too.

SETLIST:
Sink
Vices
Gasoline
In A Jar
Sowing Season (Yeah)
Archers
Tommy Gun
Sic Transit
Mix Tape
Shower Scene
Jude Law
Seventy Times 7
Jesus
You Won’t Know
Degausser
You Stole
At The Bottom
———–
Limousine
Play Crack The Sky

I have no idea how it happened, but we made our way to Push Over under the impression that doors didn’t open until 1 pm, when in actual fact they opened at 12 pm. So we took our sweet time and that meant that we missed the first few bands.

Sydney band, Heroes For Hire, was someone I wanted to see that we missed out on. There’s been a lot of hype surrounding them and I have heard a few tracks here and there, but I’m not too keen on them. It’s just too pop-punk for me. However, they did manage to score the local support slot for Soundwave Sydney, so I’m willing to keep an open mind until I see them live. Oh well, I guess they’ll play at some gig that I’m going to sooner or later.

So, the first band we saw for the day was Wherewolves. These guys used to be called A Year To Remember, but changed their name due to continuous confusion with A Day To Remember, and I’ve seen them three or four times before. They’ve opened for bands such as Anberlin, MC Lars and The Getaway Plan. The last time I saw them, I didn’t walk away too impressed by their live show and there was a long list of things that I criticised. We only watched them for a couple of songs, but they were definitely better than last time. Some of the more technical things, such as harmonies and rhythm, were tighter and that contributed to the overall product of their live show. I wouldn’t say that I was too keen on their music, but they are a band whose music is enjoyable live and they are very good with the crowd.

After this, we managed to get to the Red Stage in time to catch the last couple of songs of I Explode Like’s set. I’m pretty big on synths and breakdowns, and this band had both going for them, so I did enjoy their songs. This band definitely has a lot of potential, but I think that they need to find themselves and refine their own sound because right now they just sound like all their favourite bands mashed together. Also, in a scene where everyone is becoming increasingly fond of using synths and breakdowns, these guys will have to offer some sort of originality to differ from the rest of the pack. As for their live show, the guys were running around and jumping up and down throughout all their songs, which made for a good show and I was definitely getting Enter Shikari vibes from the front man. However, there was one song [...]]]> Push Over is an annual festival that displays an array of amazing local talent every year, and this year was no exception. There are your few bigger bands to draw in the crowd of course, but the majority of bands on the bill are lower profile who always acquire a huge benefit from the audience that Push Over draws.

I have no idea how it happened, but we made our way to Push Over under the impression that doors didn’t open until 1 pm, when in actual fact they opened at 12 pm. So we took our sweet time and that meant that we missed the first few bands.

Sydney band, Heroes For Hire, was someone I wanted to see that we missed out on. There’s been a lot of hype surrounding them and I have heard a few tracks here and there, but I’m not too keen on them. It’s just too pop-punk for me. However, they did manage to score the local support slot for Soundwave Sydney, so I’m willing to keep an open mind until I see them live. Oh well, I guess they’ll play at some gig that I’m going to sooner or later.

So, the first band we saw for the day was Wherewolves. These guys used to be called A Year To Remember, but changed their name due to continuous confusion with A Day To Remember, and I’ve seen them three or four times before. They’ve opened for bands such as Anberlin, MC Lars and The Getaway Plan. The last time I saw them, I didn’t walk away too impressed by their live show and there was a long list of things that I criticised. We only watched them for a couple of songs, but they were definitely better than last time. Some of the more technical things, such as harmonies and rhythm, were tighter and that contributed to the overall product of their live show. I wouldn’t say that I was too keen on their music, but they are a band whose music is enjoyable live and they are very good with the crowd.

After this, we managed to get to the Red Stage in time to catch the last couple of songs of I Explode Like’s set. I’m pretty big on synths and breakdowns, and this band had both going for them, so I did enjoy their songs. This band definitely has a lot of potential, but I think that they need to find themselves and refine their own sound because right now they just sound like all their favourite bands mashed together. Also, in a scene where everyone is becoming increasingly fond of using synths and breakdowns, these guys will have to offer some sort of originality to differ from the rest of the pack. As for their live show, the guys were running around and jumping up and down throughout all their songs, which made for a good show and I was definitely getting Enter Shikari vibes from the front man. However, there was one song that sounded quite pitchy and off key to me, but hey who knows, it could be “experimental”, and this makes it acceptable.

Next band to take to the Red Stage was City Escape, who once again proved themselves a solid live band. This is the third time I’ve seen them in about four weeks and I still continue to be impressed every time. The room should definitely be more packed for a band this solid, hopefully more people catch on soon. There was nothing really surprising about their set list, it was the usual EP and demo tracks. Personally, I’ve still got my fingers crossed that one day the song that they play off their demo is “Dying In Your Own Arms” rather than “The Wake Up Call” (not that I don’t like that song). So if anyone knows anyone who can make that happen, that’d be great, thanks. The drummer/screamer has such a quality timbre to his screams, it sounds just as good live as on their recordings. Whenever a song gets to his screaming part, he definitely draws all the attention in the room. The bass player is seriously one of my favourite performers, stage presence wise. I love his energy when performing live and that he’s not just legs-outstretched-head-banging all the time. He’s leaping back and forth and getting into it in a unique kind of way. The singer has a great voice, and as always, is solid live. The only thing I’d like to see more from him is interaction with the crowd between songs, but I guess when you only have a 30 minute set you want to play as many songs as possible. This was actually the first time I’d ever really paid attention to the guitarist, other than listening to his vocal harmonies. I think it’s because I’m usually on the bass player side of the stage, but since I was taking photos I was moving back and forth. With a lot of guitarists, they write these beautiful running guitar lines that sound amazing on record, but when it comes to playing them live, they’re too sloppy and can’t pull it off. For the guitarist of City Escape, this is not the case. He is very accurate and he nails all of his lines. He seems confident and relaxed, aware that he is technical enough to pull them off. The harmonies, once again, are amazing. The guitarist really holds his own up against the main singer. Overall, City Escape deliver yet another solid live show and I hope more people discover this band and go see them live.

We headed outside to the Blue Stage after this to catch The Mission In Motion. I’ve seen these guys once before about a year ago at the Evelyn and was very impressed, but the environment of playing at Evelyn, which is a small venue, compared to playing outdoors on the Blue Stage is significantly different. Maybe I just built it up too much in my mind, but I wasn’t as blown away as I was the first time. That’s not to say that they weren’t good though, because they were. The Mission In Motion played a handful of new songs, which were very fun and feel good, the crowd were definitely digging it. I didn’t get any overwhelming impression from any of the guys as individuals, but as a whole, they clicked together very well. I look forward to getting their album, which is due to drop sometime this year.

Heading back inside I caught a little bit of In Trenches’ set. In Trenches is that band who has played at a ridiculous number of shows that you have been to, but you have never actually seen. I’ve heard different opinions on these guys, but the most common comment being that on record they sound generic, but as a live band they are pretty good. They do have an impressive list of bands that they have toured with, including Misery Signals and Between The Buried and Me. I have to admit that I didn’t stay long enough, because the room was packed and it was hot and I couldn’t see anything, to form a definite opinion on them but they sounded promising. Their music was full of breakdowns and to an extent, was predictable, but they didn’t sound bad doing what they did, so give it a few years and see what they progress to.

The Green Stage is where the FReeZA Push Start competition (like a battle of the bands final) was held.  The only band we saw in this competition was 8 Bit Love and I was very impressed with them. They offered an electronica/indie rock kind of thing and it was very fun and feel good. Musically, they were pretty average but their sound as a whole clicked well. I wasn’t too big on the tonality of the singer’s voice, but it worked with the sound 8 Bit Love were trying to achieve. I don’t see why there was a need for TWO Macbooks, but hey, whatever, they made good sounds. You could feel the synth going through you in a couple of songs and that was great. By the time they reached their last song, everyone in the room was on their feet and dancing, and there was even a guy running around with a cow bell which was insane, yet awesome. I never found out who ended up winning the FReeZA Push Start competition, but 8 Bit Love definitely have my vote.

The next band to play, Built On Secrets, I was pretty psyched to see. These guys have quickly built up a very good reputation for themselves, but I have never heard any of their music or seen them live. They’ve supported the likes of All Time Low, Set Your Goals, Haste The Day and 3OH!3, which is a very notable list. As soon as they burst into their first song though, I was mesmerised. No wonder they had scored the local support slot for all those gigs. The five guys were very energetic and animated in their performances. I was particularly drawn to the bass player and I was definitely getting Craig Mabbit vibes from him. He looked way too young to be that tattooed, but he was an impressive musician and I especially loved his stage presence. The singer had a great quality to his voice and you wouldn’t have guessed a voice like that would come out of guy like that. It was very clean and he had a good range, and since they’re often compared to Saosin, my thoughts were that he sounded more Anthony Green than Cove Reber. The guitarist/vocalist was very accurate with his playing, and he had some incredible guitar lines. His vocals weren’t bad either. Collectively, Built On Secrets, is a very impressive band, with solid songs that translate extremely well into a live show. Their songs manage to be tinged with the flavour of bands who have influenced them, but still have their own unique twist too. Their EP also happened to be released on this same day (which I didn’t actually get it) but I’ll be seeing them this Friday at their EP launch, so I’ll probably pick up a copy then. A fun part of their set was when they decided to do a short cover of Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok”. I had the biggest urge to dance like an idiot, because despite what you may think of the song, it’s a lot of fun. Definitely jealous of all the kids in the crowd who could dance around like idiots because they were surrounded by other people. Built On Secrets should definitely play this cover at all their shows and play the entire song next time!

Behind Crimson Eyes was a last minute addition to the line up due to Break Even pulling out of the festival, and these Push Over veterans were more than comfortable and happy to fill in. Behind Crimson Eyes was my “8^th-grade-band,” as I like to call it, and I used to listen to them religiously and love their music. But after their first album came out, it was just different to what I was into at the moment and I gradually listened to them less and less. I was very happy with their set list, because the fact that I recognised every song except one meant that it was made up of songs from their demo/EP/debut album. And it wasn’t just me that was appreciating this, the kids were going nuts! Everyone seemed to be really stoked on the set list and there were some epic sing alongs and moshing. I couldn’t help but smile and sing along also. Josh was a charming and entertaining front man as usual, but guitarist Aaron stole the show in my opinion. He nailed all the guitar parts and his technique is just so accurate and tight. The experience he has from performing on a large scale for so many years really showed compared to any other guitarist I saw during the day. When it was his turn to do something that sounded ridiculous or looked insane, he wouldn’t hide where he stood, he’d stand up front and centre and made sure that people were watching him. Showmanship like that only comes with years of experience and the confidence that is built up from playing so many shows. Garth, the bassist, was laid back and cool and just getting into his bass lines. The drummer didn’t leave an impression on me. I’m not sure whether he’s a permanent member or just a touring member, but this was the first time I had seen BCE with their new drummer and he just didn’t win me over. There were a few moments during their set where Josh went down to the crowd for some mic garbs and people were very keen on this idea and near the end of their set, Josh went and crowd surfed over everyone in a very God-like fashion. Thank god for big security dudes who were able to rescue him back from the hands of his adoring fans. I definitely walked away from this BCE set a lot happier than the last few times I had seen them, and am definitely looking forward to seeing them at Sounds Loud in April.

Unfortunately, after Behind Crimson Eyes we had to leave so I missed out on 50 Lions and Carpathian which I was pretty shattered about. I guess the plus side is that we didn’t get caught in the massive downpour. Another year, another Push Over, another Sunday well spent. Push Over continues to cement itself as a rock solid all ages festival that is a great opportunity for kids to be exposed to the local music scene, as well as a great opportunity for local bands to bring their music to a wider and more diverse audience. I’ll definitely be back next year.

CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM PUSHOVER HERE.

Getting to this show, and not getting lost and being stranded in the middle of nowhere, was our first concern. I always hear of people in America travelling 5hrs to get to shows, but here, travelling for over an hour is a big effort (unless you’re going interstate). So we got the train to the other side of town and thankfully, found our way quite easily. Once the stress of having to find the venue was erased, we grabbed some food before the show at the local Subway.

While sitting in Subway, who other than the one and only Aaron Gillespie should stroll on past. There’s a moment of “OH MY GOD! IT’S AARON GILLESPIE” before we wave, and he “peaces” us back, a look of confusion on his face. The people walking with him, assumingly the event organisers, chuckle to themselves at our reaction, but we don’t care because it’s the second time in two days that we’ve had close encounters with Aaron.

It turns out that Lilydale Showgrounds is a bunch of sheds in the middle of a massive reserve, and is nothing like what we expected. This is as local and low key as it gets. We walk into the shed and A Sleepless Melody are playing. My first thought was “Wow, Aaron looks about 10yrs younger in real life. Who’s this random he’s playing with? Lucky guy”. Turns out, it’s not Aaron at all. It’s actually the guitarist of A Sleepless Melody, who could actually be Aaron’s twin. I enjoy what I hear from these guys though, and they definitely have a lot of potential. The singer seems to be careful and held back with his manner whilst performing, and I assumed it’s because of the acoustic nature, and I wonder what his stage antics would be like when he’s in front of a full band. Upon looking them up on myspace, I discover that they’re actually an acoustic duo, so I guess we’ll never know. I’d be interested to see what A Sleepless Melody could progress to if they were to assemble a full band though. As we walked in a tad late, we only caught a couple of songs from these guys though, but I look forward to seeing them sometime in the future.

Up next we have Lucas Williams with a few special guests. There’s a violinist amongst the guests and I’m itching to yell out “PLAY A YELLOWCARD COVER!” but I restrain myself out of better judgement. (Coincidently, whoever’s in charge of music between bands plays Yellowcard later in the night, which provides a chuckle). Lucas seems to be an experienced musician and plays with a sense of familiarity and ease. He then opens the stage up to the audience and I really commend the two guys who had the guts to get up there and play to a room occupied by strangers. Their song choice makes me cringe slightly, but they’re not bad and receive a deserving round of applause when they are done.

The next [...]]]>

Getting to this show, and not getting lost and being stranded in the middle of nowhere, was our first concern. I always hear of people in America travelling 5hrs to get to shows, but here, travelling for over an hour is a big effort (unless you’re going interstate). So we got the train to the other side of town and thankfully, found our way quite easily. Once the stress of having to find the venue was erased, we grabbed some food before the show at the local Subway.

While sitting in Subway, who other than the one and only Aaron Gillespie should stroll on past. There’s a moment of “OH MY GOD! IT’S AARON GILLESPIE” before we wave, and he “peaces” us back, a look of confusion on his face. The people walking with him, assumingly the event organisers, chuckle to themselves at our reaction, but we don’t care because it’s the second time in two days that we’ve had close encounters with Aaron.

It turns out that Lilydale Showgrounds is a bunch of sheds in the middle of a massive reserve, and is nothing like what we expected. This is as local and low key as it gets. We walk into the shed and A Sleepless Melody are playing. My first thought was “Wow, Aaron looks about 10yrs younger in real life. Who’s this random he’s playing with? Lucky guy”. Turns out, it’s not Aaron at all. It’s actually the guitarist of A Sleepless Melody, who could actually be Aaron’s twin. I enjoy what I hear from these guys though, and they definitely have a lot of potential. The singer seems to be careful and held back with his manner whilst performing, and I assumed it’s because of the acoustic nature, and I wonder what his stage antics would be like when he’s in front of a full band. Upon looking them up on myspace, I discover that they’re actually an acoustic duo, so I guess we’ll never know. I’d be interested to see what A Sleepless Melody could progress to if they were to assemble a full band though. As we walked in a tad late, we only caught a couple of songs from these guys though, but I look forward to seeing them sometime in the future.

Up next we have Lucas Williams with a few special guests. There’s a violinist amongst the guests and I’m itching to yell out “PLAY A YELLOWCARD COVER!” but I restrain myself out of better judgement. (Coincidently, whoever’s in charge of music between bands plays Yellowcard later in the night, which provides a chuckle). Lucas seems to be an experienced musician and plays with a sense of familiarity and ease. He then opens the stage up to the audience and I really commend the two guys who had the guts to get up there and play to a room occupied by strangers. Their song choice makes me cringe slightly, but they’re not bad and receive a deserving round of applause when they are done.

The next band to grace the stage is The Former Love Pirates from Sydney. I looked them up on myspace and they are in actual fact a full band, who played a stripped down acoustic set. They get on stage and my first thought is that they’re the type of guys who have had proper musical training (I’ll be very surprised if anyone tells me otherwise). Their sound is different from the other bands on tonight’s bill, they’re more indie rock than alternative rock, but it’s the type of environment where people are just enjoying the moment, so the crowd’s cool with it. Two of the three members present alternate between instruments, and at one point there’s even a banjo present, how’s that for diversity. I’m big on the bass lines and the songs are solid, really keen on getting their EP actually. I also dig that one of the guys isn’t wearing shoes.

After The Former Love Pirates are done, Lucas Williams returns to the stage once more for a couple of songs, including a cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall”. With some encouragement, there are more volunteers from the crowd to participate and this time we get two girls helping out with singing duties on the cover. They’re good singers and even attempt a harmony or two that don’t go completely wrong. Lucas finishes with a cover of “Hallelujah” and I can hear the person next to me praying that he won’t massacre it. Thankfully, his cover is actually the opposite of that, and he ends his set with everyone mellowed out and in a good mood.

Everyone then piles outside to witness the special event of the evening, Aaron Gillespie cooking off against a local (who’s name I have forgotten!). The jist of it is that each contender picks an ingredient from a pile of ingredients until they are all gone, and each must make a burger out of the selected ingredients. Two audience members are then chosen to taste the burgers and give a score out of 10. It’s a friendly competition with jokes flying back and forth and everyone has a good time watching the cook off unfold. The local contender is unfortunate to have been stuck with the anchovies and he attempts to find a way to incorporate them into his burger in a way where their taste will be masked bets, which ends up being the middle of his patty. We all know that Aaron has a food blog, but I think everyone is actually impressed by his ability to cook. He’s careful and patient, and the presentation of his final product is noteworthy. In the end, Aaron wins the cook off, but only with an average slightly higher than his competition.

Last local band to play for the night is City Escape. These guys already have an impressive list of bands that they have supported, including Thrice and Craig Owens, and now Aaron Gillespie can also be added to that list. They open with “Give My Remains To Broadway” from their debut EP, and its different hearing these songs acoustically. There’s a song from the demo thrown into the mix, as well as a couple of other songs from the EP and some covers. For a set that’s only six songs long, three covers seem like a bit much, but they are a rock/hardcore band playing an acoustic set, I see how that could prove difficult. They adapt well though, and carefully chose songs that don’t rely heavily on the screamed vocals, since screams are provided by the drummer. Like every other time I have seen City Escape, the pitch of their harmonies are perfect, and the guitarist holds his own firmly when against the singer. Their cover of “Coffee” by Copeland causes me to squeal with excitement embarrassingly loud and they pull it off well. Perhaps the only thing I was a little disappointed by was that they covered it exactly as it’s performed by Copeland, I would’ve liked to see the singer put his own flair on the vocals. A song from their demo, a Thrice cover and another song from their EP brings us to the end of their set, and they part with an Acceptance cover, which received a few excited “WOO!”s from older members in the audience. The only thing that could have made this moment more awesome was if they had covered “So Contagious”, but my prayers were quickly answered when said song was the first song to be played between City Escape and Aaron Gillespie. City Escape, once again, put on a commendable performance and continue to be one of my favourite local bands to see perform live.

And the moment we have all been waiting for all night has finally arrived. Everyone at the shed has crowded around the stage and is watching the show. Aaron Gillespie opens with “No, I Don’t”, which I must say is a strange choice, but it suites the mood of the night. This is quickly followed by “Southern Weather” which oozes with passion and emotion. Things slow down as the first slow song of the night “Monster” is premiered. This is such a beautiful song and I feel privileged to have experienced it not only live, but acoustically and in this intimate environment. A quick Google search of the next song informs me that it is a cover of U2’s “Where The Streets Have No Name”, and I’m about 90% sure Google is actually right. The next couple of songs are fast ones (“Say This Sooner”, “Hands” and “Lonely Wheel”) which get some great crowd participation. “Hands” is definitely a stand out track on Monster Monster for me and whether it was intentional or not when the song was penned, it’s definitely a perfect song for the crowd to get involved in. As per usual, any show that Aaron Gillespie plays, there is always a message about his faith, and the next song was a religious song that he learnt from church. This was perfectly followed by the chillingly honest “Dirty and Left Out”. “Hand Grenade” follows and then inevitably, we reach the last song of the night. There is no doubt that Aaron will close his set with “Amazing, Because It Is” and you can feel the shift of mood in the room. This is one of my favourite songs and I’ve always suspected that it would be amazing to one day be able to see it performed live, but the moment where you actually experience it, it’s on a completely different level compared to what you expected. Aaron even works Darrell Evans’s “Your Love Is Extravagant” into the outro, which is found on the No Gift To Bring Christmas EP.

Throughout his entire set, Aaron interacts frequently and is quite friendly with the crowd. He laughs at one guy who suggests that he plays “Drive There Now” acoustically, apologises to a girl who requested a song for her birthday, saying he doesn’t cover songs that someone else at the show has already covered and instead dedicates a different song to her, tells his “If you went to see your favourite band and all they played was this one chord, how long would you stay?” story and says we’re all lying when we shout out answers like forever and 26 hours, and even pokes fun at the guy he beat in the cook off in one song. It’s nice for the 50 people or so who have attended to see Aaron in a more relaxed and personal environment and it’s a good time for everyone. Aaron’s performance, even though acoustic, ooze with passion, enthusiasm and energy. He really does give his all no matter what nature he is performing in. This acoustic show blows my mind away, and I feel so grateful and privileged to have been there that night.

These smaller and more intimate shows are always something great to be involved in, and it feels like for that hour or so, all that matters is the room you are in, the people you are sharing this moment with and music that you are surrounded by. Everything else in your life that plagues you is left at the door, and for a while, you can just forget about it all and be engulfed by the music. This is how music is meant to be, an escape from realism, and tonight felt like that for me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a show that’s had this effect on me, and it’ll be a long time until I experience something like this again.

click here to see more photos!

Owl City, the musical brain child of Adam Young is a tribute to the power of the internet. From uploading tracks recorded in his parent’s basement late at night when he was suffering from insomnia on his Myspace page in 2007, to scoring a #1 single on both the Billboard 100 and UK charts, his uber catchy songs have led to a viral success which most musicians only dream of. The first time I came across his Myspace page, sometime in 2008, the only live photos of him seemed to be at small parties with teenagers. Tonight, it’s a different story. The O2 Academy in Oxford is packed with a variety of people, ages ranging from 12 to 50, all excitedly awaiting the night’s music. Due to a variety of inconveniences, from traffic to ticket issues, I show up just before the support act, Lights hits the stage, and battle my way to the front, which I can assure you is no easy task!

Canadian native Lights is the perfect opener to Owl City. Unlike some concerts where support acts’ genres clash horrendously with the headliners, her fun synthpop music really gets the crowd going and is a brilliant lead up. She is pretty and charismatic, rocking a keytar while smiling excitedly and talking about her first UK radio interview earlier in the day. The crowd seem to love her, some members calling out things like ‘Don’t go home!’ ‘You can stay at my house!’ ‘You can stay in my bed!’ to which she laughs bashfully. The mood is happy and buzzing, and when she asks who’s looking forward to Owl City the cheer is deafening. Her set is relatively short, but her music is uplifting and her voice sounds great. You can tell she is really enjoying herself, and her enthusiasm bounces through the audience.

After Lights leaves the stage, the crowd gets denser as people surge forward. A few flushed young girls are lifted over the barrier and taken backstage, clearly unused to the stifling heat and closely packed people. Before long someone comes out on stage to take a photo of the crowd, and within seconds a hundred pairs of arms are in the air, waving franticly as if trying to attract attention from a plane flying over the desert island they are stranded on.

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Soon enough the lights go up and two girls take the stage, a violinist and a cellist, who later double up as dancers. They begin to play, introducing the entrance of the rest of the band members. When Adam Young makes his appearance, clad in skinny jeans and a black shirt, and not looking particularly sober, the crowd noise reaches a deafening level, and frenzied hands reach hopelessly towards him. He is a quirky performer, incredibly active. His arms are constantly in motion, and he sings and dances around the mic, at one point, rather adorably using the wire as a moustache. He is less interactive with the [...]]]>

Click to see more!

Owl City, the musical brain child of Adam Young is a tribute to the power of the internet. From uploading tracks recorded in his parent’s basement late at night when he was suffering from insomnia on his Myspace page in 2007, to scoring a #1 single on both the Billboard 100 and UK charts, his uber catchy songs have led to a viral success which most musicians only dream of. The first time I came across his Myspace page, sometime in 2008, the only live photos of him seemed to be at small parties with teenagers. Tonight, it’s a different story. The O2 Academy in Oxford is packed with a variety of people, ages ranging from 12 to 50, all excitedly awaiting the night’s music. Due to a variety of inconveniences, from traffic to ticket issues, I show up just before the support act, Lights hits the stage, and battle my way to the front, which I can assure you is no easy task!

Canadian native Lights is the perfect opener to Owl City. Unlike some concerts where support acts’ genres clash horrendously with the headliners, her fun synthpop music really gets the crowd going and is a brilliant lead up. She is pretty and charismatic, rocking a keytar while smiling excitedly and talking about her first UK radio interview earlier in the day. The crowd seem to love her, some members calling out things like ‘Don’t go home!’ ‘You can stay at my house!’ ‘You can stay in my bed!’ to which she laughs bashfully. The mood is happy and buzzing, and when she asks who’s looking forward to Owl City the cheer is deafening. Her set is relatively short, but her music is uplifting and her voice sounds great. You can tell she is really enjoying herself, and her enthusiasm bounces through the audience.

After Lights leaves the stage, the crowd gets denser as people surge forward. A few flushed young girls are lifted over the barrier and taken backstage, clearly unused to the stifling heat and closely packed people. Before long someone comes out on stage to take a photo of the crowd, and within seconds a hundred pairs of arms are in the air, waving franticly as if trying to attract attention from a plane flying over the desert island they are stranded on.

Click to see more!

Soon enough the lights go up and two girls take the stage, a violinist and a cellist, who later double up as dancers. They begin to play, introducing the entrance of the rest of the band members. When Adam Young makes his appearance, clad in skinny jeans and a black shirt, and not looking particularly sober, the crowd noise reaches a deafening level, and frenzied hands reach hopelessly towards him. He is a quirky performer, incredibly active. His arms are constantly in motion, and he sings and dances around the mic, at one point, rather adorably using the wire as a moustache. He is less interactive with the crowd than Lights, but at one point responds to a fangirl scream of ‘I LOVE YOUUU!’ by dedicating the song to them. His hit single, ‘Fireflies’ creates one of the most impressive sing-a-longs I’ve ever witnessed, with what feels like the entire venue joining in. Other musical highlights include ‘The Saltwater Room’, a duet with keyboardist Breanne Düren, ‘The Bird and the Worm’ and ‘On the Wing’. Owl City’s incredibly catchy songs and original lyrics are what he is known for, and they definitely involve the audience who are enraptured. Throughout his performance he switches from synth to guitar seamlessly, and his set flows brilliantly. The cellist and violinist sway around the stage during some of the songs when they are not needed, dancing in sync. He leaves the stage to tremendous cheers and screams from the audience, only to return shortly and play an encore.

The show is definitely a success, with songs really engaging with and exciting the audience. It seems that for Adam Young, the only way is up. His creativity, borne from and nurtured by long sleepless nights and his ability to turn what could easily have spawned depression into positivity and fantastic music is astounding and inspirational.

After a year in the US, Closure In Moscow returned to Australia and this show at Bang was their first show back home, how fitting that it would be in their hometown of Melbourne. Taking place at a venue that is better known as an alternative club than a venue, many younger fans were begrudged at Closure’s only Melbourne show being an overage show.

Arriving late, I missed opening band Gatherer and half of Secrets In Scale’s set. But what I did see of Secrets In Scale’s set, I liked. They’re a band worth checking out, and you can find their EP for free on myspace. Secrets In Scale’s myspace informs me that they’re currently working on their debut album with Kris Crummett, who worked with Closure In Moscow on both their EP and debut album. Keep your eyes on these guys. Up next was Madonna, who were a little too metal for me. Every song in their set just sounded like the previous one, and I just didn’t enjoy them. The creepy masks that they donned didn’t help either. But hey, if that’s your thing, then good for you.

Closure’s set was a good mix of songs off their album (“Vanguard,” “Kissing Cousins,” “Sweet#Hart”) as well as a few crowd favourites off the EP (“We Want Guarantees, Not Hunger Pains”). The new songs translated very well into a live setting and the band were very tight, proof that they’d spent all year in America touring. Chris’ stage antics were just as strange and captivating as always. I was skeptical as to whether Manny and Michael would be able to pull off the guitar parts live, but they surprised me and sounded just as good as they do on the album. Drummer, Beau, was as solid as ever and Brad played his bass with ease. The crowd in the front and the middle were going nuts, but everyone else… well, they either didn’t know who Closure were (but some still having fun) or just not impressed. I hate that the crowd is what always makes the gig for me, and this crowd didn’t really impress. There was a heated moment when Chris’ head collided with a bottle or something, and he decided to lash out, saying that the next song was dedicated to everyone but the asshole who threw a bottle at him. This incident seemed to spoil his mood, and he seemed a little irritated for the rest of the set. Perhaps the most exciting part of the night was when Matthew Wright (The Getaway Plan/Young Heretics) joined Closure on stage to sing the female part in “Breathing Underwater.”

Closure finished their set leaving the audience who were there to see them wanting more. A less than 10 song set (I think it was 9 songs) felt a little short. Given the club setting, it made sense why their set was so short, but it makes me wonder why they didn’t consider doing a venue show, which they would have easily sold [...]]]>

After a year in the US, Closure In Moscow returned to Australia and this show at Bang was their first show back home, how fitting that it would be in their hometown of Melbourne. Taking place at a venue that is better known as an alternative club than a venue, many younger fans were begrudged at Closure’s only Melbourne show being an overage show.

Arriving late, I missed opening band Gatherer and half of Secrets In Scale’s set. But what I did see of Secrets In Scale’s set, I liked. They’re a band worth checking out, and you can find their EP for free on myspace. Secrets In Scale’s myspace informs me that they’re currently working on their debut album with Kris Crummett, who worked with Closure In Moscow on both their EP and debut album. Keep your eyes on these guys. Up next was Madonna, who were a little too metal for me. Every song in their set just sounded like the previous one, and I just didn’t enjoy them. The creepy masks that they donned didn’t help either. But hey, if that’s your thing, then good for you.

Closure’s set was a good mix of songs off their album (“Vanguard,” “Kissing Cousins,” “Sweet#Hart”) as well as a few crowd favourites off the EP (“We Want Guarantees, Not Hunger Pains”). The new songs translated very well into a live setting and the band were very tight, proof that they’d spent all year in America touring. Chris’ stage antics were just as strange and captivating as always. I was skeptical as to whether Manny and Michael would be able to pull off the guitar parts live, but they surprised me and sounded just as good as they do on the album. Drummer, Beau, was as solid as ever and Brad played his bass with ease. The crowd in the front and the middle were going nuts, but everyone else… well, they either didn’t know who Closure were (but some still having fun) or just not impressed. I hate that the crowd is what always makes the gig for me, and this crowd didn’t really impress. There was a heated moment when Chris’ head collided with a bottle or something, and he decided to lash out, saying that the next song was dedicated to everyone but the asshole who threw a bottle at him. This incident seemed to spoil his mood, and he seemed a little irritated for the rest of the set. Perhaps the most exciting part of the night was when Matthew Wright (The Getaway Plan/Young Heretics) joined Closure on stage to sing the female part in “Breathing Underwater.”

Closure finished their set leaving the audience who were there to see them wanting more. A less than 10 song set (I think it was 9 songs) felt a little short. Given the club setting, it made sense why their set was so short, but it makes me wonder why they didn’t consider doing a venue show, which they would have easily sold out.

Up next for Closure In Moscow is a slot on the Soundwave Festival, where fans can also expect a short 30ish minute set. Hopefully these guys decided to do a short headlining tour before they head back to America, which will see them being a part of the Warped Tour in 2010. If you’re going to Warped Tour, I strongly recommend that you go see these guys because they are a great band with great music, a very solid live band, and are always entertaining.

Closure In Moscow’s First Temple out now.

Secrets In Scale’s EP can be downloaded from www.myspace.com/secretsinscale

9:55pm, October 9th. In the Oxford O2 Academy, the atmosphere is electric, as excited fans surge towards the stage. It’s almost time for the headlining act of the Eastpak Antidote Tour, which is travelling across the UK this month featuring Ghost of a Thousand, Four Year Strong, Anti-Flag and, the real reason I’m there: Alexisonfire. After the fast paced, politically charged set of Pennsylvanian punk-rockers Anti-Flag, (which included helping audience members on-stage to sing and dance, bringing the drummer, Pat Theic and his kit down into the pit, and a circle pit which consumed most of the floor) everyone is definitely in the mood. Chants of ‘Alexis! Alexis! Alexis!’ echo around the venue, which, with a capacity of just over 1000, is packed from wall to wall. The stage becomes dark, and the crowd is turbulent as pink and green lights start to flash and music begins to play, marking the imminence of the band’s entrance.

This is the fourth time I am seeing Alexisonfire; the first being almost three years ago, and the latest at the end of August where they played on the main stage at Reading, an 80,000 capacity festival. Though their popularity has climaxed, they continue to play smaller shows, also performing at Reading on a much smaller stage. As a fan, I feel this is incredibly important- the band respect their roots and their fans- playing for them rather than for themselves. Over the last few years their sound has been perfected; George Pettit’s wrenching screams are refined and precise, and Dallas Green’s voice is melodic and fine-tuned. Together they create a beautiful contrast, a cocktail of rough and smooth, light and dark. Alexisonfire have created a unique sound, the balancing of their vocals means their music appeals to more than just post-hardcore fans. Their latest album, ‘Old Crows/Young Cardinals’ is proof of that, peaking at number 2 on the Canadian charts.

Tonight, they step up to the stage and launch into ‘Heading For The Sun’ with confidence and energy. I am pressed against the barrier to the left of the stage, with Green the nearest to me, followed by Pettit and guitarist/back up vocalist Wade McNeil. Bassist Chris Steele doesn’t seem to be able to stay in one place for more than ten seconds, bouncing around the entire stage constantly in a state of wide eyed, frenzied excitement (which, Pettit later jokes is due to him walking past a window earlier and seeing five topless women!). Playing not only songs from ‘Young Cardinals,’ the band stay faithful to old fans by playing material from 2006’s ‘Crisis’ and 2004’s ‘Watch Out!’. Songs from ‘Crisis’ in particular are the high points of the night; they are met with great enthusiasm, prompting roaring sing-alongs.

The band’s energy does not diminish as the minutes wear on, it builds. The heavy bass and layers of intricate guitar, the pounding drums and the angst ridden vocals blast from the speakers, so loud I can feel the sound inside of me, causing my body [...]]]>

9:55pm, October 9th. In the Oxford O2 Academy, the atmosphere is electric, as excited fans surge towards the stage. It’s almost time for the headlining act of the Eastpak Antidote Tour, which is travelling across the UK this month featuring Ghost of a Thousand, Four Year Strong, Anti-Flag and, the real reason I’m there: Alexisonfire. After the fast paced, politically charged set of Pennsylvanian punk-rockers Anti-Flag, (which included helping audience members on-stage to sing and dance, bringing the drummer, Pat Theic and his kit down into the pit, and a circle pit which consumed most of the floor) everyone is definitely in the mood. Chants of ‘Alexis! Alexis! Alexis!’ echo around the venue, which, with a capacity of just over 1000, is packed from wall to wall. The stage becomes dark, and the crowd is turbulent as pink and green lights start to flash and music begins to play, marking the imminence of the band’s entrance.

This is the fourth time I am seeing Alexisonfire; the first being almost three years ago, and the latest at the end of August where they played on the main stage at Reading, an 80,000 capacity festival. Though their popularity has climaxed, they continue to play smaller shows, also performing at Reading on a much smaller stage. As a fan, I feel this is incredibly important- the band respect their roots and their fans- playing for them rather than for themselves. Over the last few years their sound has been perfected; George Pettit’s wrenching screams are refined and precise, and Dallas Green’s voice is melodic and fine-tuned. Together they create a beautiful contrast, a cocktail of rough and smooth, light and dark. Alexisonfire have created a unique sound, the balancing of their vocals means their music appeals to more than just post-hardcore fans. Their latest album, ‘Old Crows/Young Cardinals’ is proof of that, peaking at number 2 on the Canadian charts.

Tonight, they step up to the stage and launch into ‘Heading For The Sun’ with confidence and energy. I am pressed against the barrier to the left of the stage, with Green the nearest to me, followed by Pettit and guitarist/back up vocalist Wade McNeil. Bassist Chris Steele doesn’t seem to be able to stay in one place for more than ten seconds, bouncing around the entire stage constantly in a state of wide eyed, frenzied excitement (which, Pettit later jokes is due to him walking past a window earlier and seeing five topless women!). Playing not only songs from ‘Young Cardinals,’ the band stay faithful to old fans by playing material from 2006’s ‘Crisis’ and 2004’s ‘Watch Out!’. Songs from ‘Crisis’ in particular are the high points of the night; they are met with great enthusiasm, prompting roaring sing-alongs.

The band’s energy does not diminish as the minutes wear on, it builds. The heavy bass and layers of intricate guitar, the pounding drums and the angst ridden vocals blast from the speakers, so loud I can feel the sound inside of me, causing my body to vibrate. The music penetrates the audience, it becomes a sensation- and as the band plays the anthemic ‘We Are the Sound’ I feel like I can interpret the lyrics now- ‘We are the sound/ We have no voice/ We are the sound/ We don’t belong/ So raise up your hands/ And sing along.’ Green has apparently said that this song is a rally call to the youth of today, those who feel they are voiceless and place-less in society. As we raise our hands to the ceiling, the audience becomes one with the band and the music, our individual voices bond together and in these moments, we are the sound.

‘Happiness by the Kilowatt’ (from ‘Watch out!’) is their final song of the night, and the audience goes so wild with cheering the sound is deafening. Pettit performs his infamous ‘bending the microphone stand around neck’ trick, and Steele continues to go rather hilariously crazy. The band has a dynamic that clearly works brilliantly; they interact with each other and the audience, throwing their all into the performances and putting on a show which is nothing short of amazing.

It feels like there are miniature car alarms inside of my ears, but you know what? It was so far beyond worth it.