Aussie party band Deez Nuts were up to bat first and as per usual, they didn’t disappoint. Their unifying lyrics delivered by the charismatic vocalist JJ and their heavy riffs make for a unique post-hardcore experience. Closing song ‘Band of Brothers’ invoking a riotous crowd screaming the words back at the band and a feel good atmosphere which set the tone for the night.
A wailing siren set the scene for the brutality that was next to come. Hailing from New York, Stray From The Path commanded the audience and initiated circle points frequently throughout their metal-core set. Lead singer Thomas stressed the importance of following your dreams before launching into ‘Bad Girl’ and before one knew it the pit descended into an orgy of flailing limbs. They did not disappoint after the bar was set high by Deez Nutz.
American outfit Issues followed, and delivered their odd mixture of metal-core with intermittent pop punk and DJ mixing. Younger members of the audience enjoyed themselves but the assault on the sense was a bit much for other punters.
Then shit got real. Immediately The Amity Affliction ripped into the lead single off their latest album ‘Pittsburgh’, barely pausing for breath in between songs. The set was intense, laden with Amity’s perfect balance of melodic hard-core riffs with powerful lyrics. Rarely do you see a crowd so passionately scream the lyrics, or feel such comradery amongst the crowd. Smoke effects and LED screens with The Amity Affliction splashed across them in red added to the intensity of the set rather than distracting from the music.
The only qualm long term fans of Amity had was the utter lack of old material on the set list, which predominantly featured hits from ‘Chasing Ghosts’ and their latest album ‘Let The Ocean Take Me’. The night concluded with ‘Give It All’ to which vocalist Joel Birch left the audience to finish, and left punters sweaty, exhausted and satisfied.
Review by Isabella Carbone
Photos by Melissa Donato