The Bridgeway Hotel has seen the rise and fall of countless musical genres throughout its illustrious existence. From the glorious heyday of Aussie pub rock, the spandex and big hair of the 80’s to the heavy metal and grunge bands from the 90’s. This stage was the mecca of the Adelaide music scene, bands such as Cold Chisel, Rose Tattoo, The Angels, The Screaming Jets and right up to internationally renowned metal acts as Uriah Heep, Anthrax and Motorhead have all graced the hallowed stage. The last time original heavy metal bands treaded these boards half of the musicians on tonight’s line up weren’t even born yet. Metalcore would make its loud and triumphant debut at this venue and there was an added air of excitement with the realisation that tonight’s bands would precede Amity Affliction who are set to play here in January.
For The Vultures, Fortune From Tragedy, Storm The Asylum, Iron Feather and Oceans Wake all played tonight as part of the Northern Exposure Thursday night showcases. The shows hosted by Focus Promotions are aimed at giving original bands an opportunity to play on the big stage, with concert sound and lighting production by Novatech. The showcases cover a range of different genres and tonight’s show featured an extreme metal roster.
Oceans Wake were set the task of launching tonight’s proceedings, they are young post hardcore band starting to find their feet in the music scene. At a guess, the average age of members would be 16 or 17 and to their credit they put on a performance that belied their years. With the benefit of it being an all-ages show they brought a sizeable crowd who were eager to get up the front and join in the high energy mayhem. The set consisted mainly of covers from the genre’s luminaries such as A Day To Remember, Of Mice And Men and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus rounded out with an original that sent those lined up at the front of the stage into a frenzy.
Like the openers, Storm The Asylum drew a huge number of punters out for their first official “pub” gig. The band consisted of two pint sized singers Kaethan and Jamesy who left everyone in the crowd reeling with intensity of their voices, the strength and delivery of their vocals defied their age and stature. Storm The Asylum thundered through a 25 min set to a rapturous applause from the huge gathering of supporters there to witness the show. They played a balanced mix of material including Amity Affliction and even mixed it up a bit with a Green Day cover to show their diversity. Once again they handled big stage like seasoned professionals and appeared undaunted by this big occasion. They put on a flawless performance well beyond their years. The band could really benefit with the addition of a bass player, it will be interesting to watch this band's development.
For The Vultures, Fortune From Tragedy, Storm The Asylum, Iron Feather and Oceans Wake all played tonight as part of the Northern Exposure Thursday night showcases. The shows hosted by Focus Promotions are aimed at giving original bands an opportunity to play on the big stage, with concert sound and lighting production by Novatech. The showcases cover a range of different genres and tonight’s show featured an extreme metal roster.
Oceans Wake were set the task of launching tonight’s proceedings, they are young post hardcore band starting to find their feet in the music scene. At a guess, the average age of members would be 16 or 17 and to their credit they put on a performance that belied their years. With the benefit of it being an all-ages show they brought a sizeable crowd who were eager to get up the front and join in the high energy mayhem. The set consisted mainly of covers from the genre’s luminaries such as A Day To Remember, Of Mice And Men and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus rounded out with an original that sent those lined up at the front of the stage into a frenzy.
Like the openers, Storm The Asylum drew a huge number of punters out for their first official “pub” gig. The band consisted of two pint sized singers Kaethan and Jamesy who left everyone in the crowd reeling with intensity of their voices, the strength and delivery of their vocals defied their age and stature. Storm The Asylum thundered through a 25 min set to a rapturous applause from the huge gathering of supporters there to witness the show. They played a balanced mix of material including Amity Affliction and even mixed it up a bit with a Green Day cover to show their diversity. Once again they handled big stage like seasoned professionals and appeared undaunted by this big occasion. They put on a flawless performance well beyond their years. The band could really benefit with the addition of a bass player, it will be interesting to watch this band's development.
Iron feather rounded out the trifecta of young bands tonight, less metalcore and more of a cross between black metal and doom. They are exponents of big, chugging riffs interspersed with flashy guitar work. Vocalist/rhythm Guitarist Jacob Gartlan’s vocal work would make Cronos from Venom proud. The ponderous, intense riffing was inciting some pretty serious headbanging at the front of the stage as they played a selection of tracks from their debut album “Set In Stone”. The last song of their set “Betrayed” was a new track to their arsenal and sees them heading in a more technical direction and for my mind was the highlight of their set.
Fortune From Tragedy, are a metalcore unit much in the vein of Parkway Drive or I Killed The Prom Queen. The lads made the long trip from down south to broaden their support base in the North and their reputation certainly preceded them. Lead singer Craig Sutton has an imposing stage presence as he commands the attention of the audience while his cohorts lay down the brutal foundation for his powerful vocals. The music is at times ponderous, deliberate and precise before erupting into high speed mayhem. Where the previous bands are fledgling bands starting to expand their wings, this is a Metalcore band at full flight, confident, powerful, and unrelenting.
For The Vultures continued the charge right where Fortune left off, with a no holds barred barrage of artillery fire. Brutal, pounding, intense, this is not for the faint of heart casual metal observer, this is Hardcore. Envision music to storm the trenches to, a full throttles gallop with batons raised and not a thought of self-preservation. They even managed to rip out the heaviest version of System Of A Down’s “Chop Suey” imaginable, with drummer Jarrad displaying his impressive skills on this track. They were minus one of their comrade in arms for tonight’s event but rather than miss a show they forged ahead minus the absent guitarist. This did very little to diminish the full-fledged assault and they closed out the first Bridgeway metalcore show in unrelenting fashion.
Review by Mike Trandafil
Photos by Tanya Louise Begg
Fortune From Tragedy, are a metalcore unit much in the vein of Parkway Drive or I Killed The Prom Queen. The lads made the long trip from down south to broaden their support base in the North and their reputation certainly preceded them. Lead singer Craig Sutton has an imposing stage presence as he commands the attention of the audience while his cohorts lay down the brutal foundation for his powerful vocals. The music is at times ponderous, deliberate and precise before erupting into high speed mayhem. Where the previous bands are fledgling bands starting to expand their wings, this is a Metalcore band at full flight, confident, powerful, and unrelenting.
For The Vultures continued the charge right where Fortune left off, with a no holds barred barrage of artillery fire. Brutal, pounding, intense, this is not for the faint of heart casual metal observer, this is Hardcore. Envision music to storm the trenches to, a full throttles gallop with batons raised and not a thought of self-preservation. They even managed to rip out the heaviest version of System Of A Down’s “Chop Suey” imaginable, with drummer Jarrad displaying his impressive skills on this track. They were minus one of their comrade in arms for tonight’s event but rather than miss a show they forged ahead minus the absent guitarist. This did very little to diminish the full-fledged assault and they closed out the first Bridgeway metalcore show in unrelenting fashion.
Review by Mike Trandafil
Photos by Tanya Louise Begg
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