loader

October

Post Image
FeaturedNews
October 16, 2024
Megan Milner

KNOTFEST RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA IN 2025 & THE LINE-UP IS HERE!

KNOTFEST
RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA IN 2025
IN MELBOURNE, BRISBANE & SYDNEY

Slipknot
A Day To Remember
BABYMETAL, Slaughter To Prevail, Polaris
Within Temptation, Enter Shikari, Hatebreed
In Hearts Wake, HEALTH, Miss May I, Vended, Sunami

Early Bird Pre-Sale On-Sale: Monday 21st October
9am local: 2024 Ticket Purchasers
10am local: Knotfest Premium Members (Join https://knot1.co/Premium)
11am local time: Sign Up For Early Bird knotfest.com/australia

General On-Sale: 3pm local time, Wednesday 23rd October
From Knotfest.com/Australia

Exclusive VIP Packages Available
Packages Include A Backstage Tour And Side Stage Viewing

KNOTFEST, the destination festival brand curated by SLIPKNOT, returns to Australia in 2025.

The music and counterculture experience will hit the East coast of Australia starting on Friday, February 28th at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, then heads to Brisbane on Sunday, March 2nd at Brisbane Showground before wrapping up in Sydney on Saturday, March 8th at Centennial Park.

Headlined by SLIPKNOT, the 2025 festival line-up also includes A DAY TO REMEMBER, BABYMETAL, SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL, POLARIS, WITHIN TEMPTATION, ENTER SHIKARI, HATEBREED, IN HEARTS WAKE, HEALTH, MISS MAY I, VENDED and SUNAMI.

Following their monumental performances launching Australia’s first ever KNOTFEST in 2023, SLIPKNOT will return down under in 2025 to headline proceedings for this not-to-be-missed rock and heavy music festival.

As always, attendees can expect a performance unlike any other, from a band who only get more thrilling, exciting and cathartic as time goes on. Having released a new record in 2022, The End, So Far (crowned at #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart; their fourth consecutive album to do so), SLIPKNOT refuse to rest on past glories and continue to innovate, with fan favourites including as many new songs as older. Between enduring fan-revered singles like Duality, Psychosocial and Wait and Bleed, as well as deeper cuts and newer material over the years, SLIPKNOT’s drive and creativity bleeds through their jaw-dropping live performances.

In 2012, the journey to creating a platform of their own in KNOTFEST, was born out of SLIPKNOT’s dedication to creating a memorable live experience for audiences around the world. Headline slots at some of the world’s biggest festivals including Download, Wacken, Rock In Rio, Hellfest and more perfectly set SLIPKNOT up with the ambition to take things further; building their own festival that not only championed new waves of incredible talent, but enshrined their own status as one of the best bands to do it.”

No strangers to Australian shores, Florida-hailing quartet A DAY TO REMEMBER head to Australia for the first time since 2019. Wielding an irresistible melting pot of metalcore, pop-punk and post-hardcore, A DAY TO REMEMBER have remained one of the most versatile and vigorous acts to emerge from the early 2000s, with the group remaining an active force from the halcyon days of Myspace and physical media through to the modern era of TikTok and streaming. In command of hundreds of millions of Spotify streams and YouTube views, seven studio albums, including two certified Gold records, entirely sold out tours in their wake, and their own curated Self Help Festival.

Electrifying purveyors of kawaii metal, BABYMETAL, will bring their kaleidoscopic infusion of J-pop-meets-heavy-metal wizardry. BABYMETAL have taken the heavy world by storm since first forming in 2010. Between their exclusive global fanbase, THE ONE, ongoing chart success, including the rare feat as becoming the first Asian act to storm to the top of the Billboard Rock Albums chart, avant-garde creative aesthetics and direction, and a legion of celebrity fans, including Corey Taylor, Rob Zombie, Metallica, Deftones and Limp Bizkit, BABYMETAL unleashed their fourth studio album The Other One in 2023 and sold out their first Australian headline tour in 2023. The group also recently teamed up with German metal partystarters Electric Callboy on the hyper and heaving track RATATATA.

After obliterating Aussie crowds with their debut Australian performance as part of Good Things Festival in 2023, Russian deathcore behemoths SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL led by the formidable frontman, Alex Terrible, bring a ferocious blend of deathcore and blackened metal sonic onslaught that leaves no survivors. Their relentless pursuit of metal domination has led them to conquer stages across the globe, and their relentless dedication to their craft and their unwavering stance against violence, they have the ability to captivate audiences with their brutal yet melodic compositions.

Earning a reputation as one of the most formidable Australian heavy bands of their generation, Sydney’s POLARIS weld a gripping blend of melodic metalcore, electronica, lush post rock and heartfelt lyricism, with their most recent album, 2023’s Fatalism, earning the group their first ever #1 ARIA Albums Chart debut, winning AIR’s Best Independent Heavy Album award as well as securing their third ARIA Music Award nomination following nods for 2017’s The Mortal Coil and 2020’s The Death of Me. Along with their laundry list of accolades are sold-out headline tours of Australia and tours across the globe as well as appearing at multiple international festivals.

Pioneers of dark and anthemic music, WITHIN TEMPTATION, has captivated audiences for over 20 years and the Dutch powerhouse modern rockers will head to Australia for the very first time in 2025. Their career spans eight studio albums, over four million records sold and dominating the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts, WITHIN TEMPTATION are renowned for their powerful live performances.

British rockers ENTER SHIKARI exploded onto the scene in 2023 and their 2007 debut album Take to the Skies generated significant chart success and certified Gold status. A band who wield an exhilarating amalgamation of alt rock, and electronica along with drum and bass, dubstep and beyond, ENTER SHIKARI also delve into societal and personal themes, seen most recently on 2023’s A Kiss for the Whole World, which debuted #1 on the UK album charts. They have garnered multiple award wins and nominations over the years, including for their unforgettable onstage prowess.

American heavy metal hardcore icons HATEBREED are set to detonate their monstrous live show down under, celebrating 30 years as a band. Commemorating three decades in existence that has spanned eight studio albums, multiple Billboard 200 appearances and global fanbase, HATEBREED are also primed to salute their seminal sophomore album, 2002’s Perseverance, with Australian audiences. Perseverance paved the way for the fusion of hardcore and metal and received worldwide recognition hailing HATEBREED as forefronts of the genre.

Hailing from Byron Bay, Australian metalcore giants, IN HEARTS WAKE, are fresh off the release of their sixth studio album, Incarnation and national Australian headline tour. IN HEARTS WAKE fuse themes of social and environmental justice into their palpitating brand of metalcore, with millions of streams and a dedicated fanbase across the globe flourishing alongside the band’s environmental endeavours.

Adding to the brutality is Los Angeles industrial cult-faves HEALTH following their entirely sold out down under headline run earlier this year. An addictive and transcendent force to be reckoned with, HEALTH’s industrial-cum metal wiles lurch under your skin while balancing nihilism and mesmerising textures, witnessed most vividly on their 2023 full length album RAT WARS. All the way from Ohio, metal mavericks MISS MAY I will lend their trademark sonic fury to the KNOTFEST experience, following the recent unveiling of their entirely re-recorded 15th anniversary version of their beloved 2009 debut album Apologies Are for the Weak.

Hailing from Des Moines, Iowa, VENDED has been pushing the limits of combustible energy and raw aggression since their 2018 inception. Their bold, honest, passionate take on heavy music raises the flag for a new generation. Revolver heralded them as one of 10 Bands Leading the New Wave of Nü-Metal and they have shared stages supporting Bring Me The Horizon, Avenged Sevenfold, Korn, and Knocked Loose and headliners/festivals in North America, Europe and South America.

San Fran bay area hardcore group SUNAMI formed in 2019. Originally intended as a short-lived joke band however after gaining notoriety for their violent debut live performance, the band continued past their planned time frame with the release of three EP’s and their self-titled debut album in 2023. Revolver credited them as “in the upper echelon of bands dominating the hardcore zeitgeist.”

KNOTFEST Australia 2025 will see the elevated return of the fan-favourite KNOTFEST MUSEUM. The enhanced museum will unveil iconic items throughout SLIPKNOT’s 25 year defining career including new activations, photo op, and more that immerse you into SLIPKNOT history/lore. This can’t miss event will bring the globally loved attraction back to Australia. As this event sold out last time, tickets are strictly limited in each city.

Early bird pre-sale tickets are on sale at 11am local time on Monday 21st October here and general public tickets go on sale at 3pm local time on Wednesday 23rd October here.

KNOTFEST AUSTRALIA 2025
DATES AND VENUES:

Friday 28 February 2025 – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne
Sunday 2 March 2025 – Brisbane Showground, Brisbane
Saturday 8 March 2025 – Centennial Park, Sydney

Stay up to date on all things KNOTFEST over at https://knotfest.com/australia/ and by following on socials.

 

Read More
Post Image
FeaturedNews
October 15, 2024
Megan Milner

Sir Cliff Richard Announces Australian and New Zealand Tour

British music icon Sir Cliff Richard announced his highly anticipated live tour for Australia and New Zealand 2025. These shows offer a rare chance to witness one of Britain’s most celebrated performers in a live setting.

Next year will mark 12 years since Australian and New Zealand audiences have seen Cliff Richard live in concert, with the tour beginning in Perth, before making it’s way to the East Coast, and then onto New Zealand. Fans will be treated to a setlist packed with timeless classics, including hits such as “Living Doll,” “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” “Devil Woman,” and many more. Known for his energy, charisma, and enduring stage presence, Sir Cliff continues to capture hearts and inspire audiences as he has done across the eight decades.

As one of the greatest hitmakers in British music history, Cliff Richard has sold in excess of 250 million records worldwide, securing his place among the best-selling artists of all time. He remains the only artist to achieve UK Top 5 albums across eight consecutive decades, a remarkable feat recognised by the Official Charts Company. Since his debut in 1958 with “Move It!”, Sir Cliff has delivered a string of chart-topping hits, including 14 number-one singles and seven No. 1 albums, cementing his legacy as a pop legend.

Beyond his musical achievements, Sir Cliff is widely admired for his charitable work, which earned him a knighthood in 1995—the first pop star ever to receive such an honour. His unwavering dedication to philanthropy and his lasting connection with fans worldwide has made him a beloved figure in British culture.

These 2025 performances offer fans a rare opportunity to see one of music’s all-time greats in concert at the age of 85. These shows are set to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

CLIFF RICHARD ‘CAN’T STOP ME NOW’ AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES 2025:

Saturday 1st November – Riverside Theatre – Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre, Perth WA

Tuesday 4th November – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide SA

Thursday 6th & Friday 7th November – Palais Theatre, Melbourne VIC

Sunday 9th & Monday 10th November – Sydney State Theatre, Sydney NSW

Wednesday 12th November – Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane QLD

Friday 14th & Saturday 15th November – Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Auckland

Monday 17th November – Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington

Wednesday 19th November – Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch

PRE-SALE: Mellen Events & Live Nation pre-sale commences 1pm Wednesday, October 16 until 9am Friday, October 18

GENERAL PUBLIC ONSALE: 10am Friday, October 18

Cliff Richard special tour announcement video available Here

Ticket details available at www.livenation.co.nz & www.mellenevents.com

For all international tour dates, please visit www.cliffrichard.org

Read More
Post Image
FeaturedNews
October 11, 2024
Megan Milner

Fatboy Slim Loves Australia | Summer’s Biggest Rave | March 2025

Australia’s summer just got hotter! Get ready to Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat when legendary dance music pioneer Fatboy Slim makes a triumphant return down under next March with his Fatboy Slim Loves Australiatour, proudly presented by MG Live, Frontier Touring and Roundhouse Entertainment.

“Like the crazy drunk uncle who turns up every Xmas I’m coming back to my Aussie fam once again. Expect the usual inappropriate behaviour and interpretational dancing…” – Fatboy Slim

It’s no secret – Fatboy Slim really loves Australia! And now he’s back to prove it with an epic run of outdoor shows across the country – including a number of special winery dates in majestic locations under the sun – celebrating his long-standing connection with Aussie fans and delivering the ultimate summer rave experience! 

Joining Fatboy Slim on all dates is Swedish electronic music DJ, record producer DJ Seinfeld and Australia’s own, CC:DISCO! and Jennifer Loveless. ​ 

From coast to coast, across major cities and regional locations, the legend of British dance music will perform at some of the most breathtaking outdoor venues across the country including Langley Park, Perth, WA on Friday 14 March; Centennial Vineyards, Bowral, NSW on Saturday 15 March; Peter Lehmann Wines, Barossa Valley, SA on Friday 21 March; Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong, VIC on Saturday 22 March; and Sirromet Wines, Mount Cotton, QLD on Sunday 23 March. ​ 

Frontier Member and Roundhouse Entertainment member presales begin Tuesday 15 October 2.00pm local time before the general on sale starting Friday 18 October from 10.00am local time. ​ Ticket and tour information via frontiertouring.com/fatboyslim 

A strictly limited release of early bird tickets will go on sale today, Friday 11 October from 1.00pm AEDT via ticketmaster.com.au 

For venue, transport and accommodation options for all shows, check out: ​
​mg.live/fatboyslim 


​Langley Park, Perth, WA ​
​Perth CBD 

Centennial Vineyards, Bowral, NSW  ​
​Approx 1 hr drive from Sydney ​
​Return bus services available from Sydney, Canberra and Campbelltown ​
​Shuttle bus services available from Bowral and Mittagong 

 Peter Lehmann Wines, Barossa Valley, SA
​Approx 1 hr drive from Adelaide ​
​Return bus services available from Adelaide CBD ​ 

Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong, VIC
​Approx 1 hr drive from Melbourne ​
​Return bus transfers available from Melbourne CBD, Geelong, Laverton, Werribee, Colac and Surf Coast towns 

Sirromet Wines, Mount Cotton, QLD ​
​Approx 30 mins drive from Brisbane ​
​Return buses and shuttles available from Brisbane – various locations ​
​​ Return buses and shuttles available from Gold Coast, Ipswich and Springfield 

These March 2025 dates will be Norman’s first Australian tour since his April/May 2023 headline shows that left fans wanting him back Right Here, Right Now. ​ ​ 

With over 3.2million views, relive Fatboy Slim’s iconic ‘Live at Sidney Myer Music Bowl (Jan 2020)’, filmed by Mushroom Creative House. 

‘Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook, delivered an epic slab of electronic dance music in a DJ set that was either one two-hour track or 120-minute-long bops that careened into each other … We became thousands left standing in a field, heading off to eat, sleep or rave on. ​ It was a night I’d be happy to repeat’ – Sydney Morning Herald 
 
‘Despite his mega stardom and intense stage presence Fatboy Slim is quite endearing…he has a goofy persona evident as he delved into his delightful musical scrapbook during his two-hour set … He’s proved he’s still at the top of his game.’ – The West Australian 

About Fatboy Slim ​
​Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook, entered the UK acid house scene in the ‘90s. Early success came with the release of hit singles ‘Everybody Needs a 303’ and ‘Going Out of My Head’, taken from Better Living Through Chemistry. Soon after came ‘The Rockafeller Skank’, a precursor for hit album You’ve Come A Long Way Baby, which delivered his first UK #1 in ‘Praise You’, as well as club banger ‘Right Here Right Now’, which peaked at #2. Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars followed, featuring ‘Weapon of Choice’, with an unmissable video directed by Spike Jonze and starring Christopher Walken dancing in an empty hotel lobby. It’s widely regarded as one of the best music videos of all time, having won several awards, including a Grammy for Best Music Video. ​ 

Cook took things to another level again with the undeniably huge ‘Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat’, and more recently with massive singles like ‘Where U Iz’, ‘Boom F**king Boom’, ‘Praise You (Purple Disco Machine Extended Remix)’, Rita Ora ‘Praising You (feat. Fatboy Slim)’ and 2024’s ‘Role Model (feat.Dan Diamond and Luca Guerrieri)’, check out the official video here. ​ ​ 

In 2022, Fatboy Slim released‘Right Here, Right Then’, a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the infamous Big Beach Boutique (album out now via BMG Australia – here) and 2024’s Palookaville (Deluxe). 

With 10 MTV VMAs, two Brit Awards and a Grammy, numerous high-profile Ibiza residencies, a Beats 1 Radio Show, a record 20 consecutive years playing at Glastonbury, and even a show on The Great Wall of China, it’s no surprise Fatboy Slim has a reputation as one of the most consistently popular DJs and producers on the planet. A party lover through and through, Cook is fuelled by the joy of his audience, which becomes a feedback loop of energy at every show that sends the vibe through the roof. ​ 

20 years after those historic, era-defining gatherings, Norman continues to push the envelope and remain one of the most in demand DJ’s and purveyor of quality beats in the world. ​ ​ 

FATBOY SLIM
​FATBOY SLIM LOVES AUSTRALIA ​
​WITH SPECIAL GUESTS DJ SEINFELD (SWE), CC:DISCO! (AUS) & JENNIFER LOVELESS (AUS) ​
​MARCH 2025 ​
​Presented by MG Live, Frontier Touring and Roundhouse Entertainment 

EARLY BIRD LIMITED RELEASE ​
​via ticketmaster.com.au ​
​Runs from: Friday 11 October (1pm local time) ​ ​
​until allocation exhausted 

FRONTIER MEMBERS PRESALE  ​
​via frontiertouring.com/fatboyslim ​
​Runs 24 hours from: Tuesday 15 October (2pm local time) ​ ​
​or until pre-sale allocation exhausted 

GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE ​
​Begins: Friday 18 October (10am local time) 

Friday 14 March, 2025 ​
​Langley Park, Perth, WA ​
​18+ ​
​ticketmaster.com.au 

Saturday 15 March, 2025
​Centennial Vineyards, Bowral, NSW ​
​Lic. All Ages ​
​ticketmaster.com.au 

Friday 21 March, 2025 ​
​Peter Lehmann Wines, Barossa Valley, SA ​
​Lic. All Ages ​
​ticketmaster.com.au 

Saturday 22 March, 2025 ​
​Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong, VIC ​
​Lic. All Ages ​
​ticketmaster.com.au 

Sunday 23 March, 2025 ​
​Sirromet Wines, Mount Cotton, QLD ​
​Lic. All Ages ​
​ticketmaster.com.au 

 

Read More
Post Image
Gig ReviewsReviews
October 5, 2024
Cam Brown Visuals

[Review] Kip Moore @ Rod Laver Arena, 03/10/2024

With quite a few cowboy boots and trucker Caps entering the arena Sons of the East began warming up the crowd, just like Melbourne’s warm spring weather outside.

With their smooth indie rock, the Aussie trio consisting of Nic Johnston, Dan Wallage and Jack Rollins, along with their touring band, began the night. For their first time at Rod Laver, let alone on the stage, Sons Of The East brought the energy and performance to get the crowd up and moving along ready for a big night of Kip Moore.

James Johnston hit the stage with a bang. Just like his hit from 2021, his opening number Raised like That raised the energy in Rod Laver another notch and the temperature continued to rise. Cranking out the tunes including Same Songs and Small Town and even throwing in a bit of Post Malone and Morgan Wallens I Had Some Help, James had the crowd signing along and transferring his infectious energy all throughout the arena. Finishing up with My People the people of Melbourne were primed and ready for Kip Moore. It was a perfect warm up.

Eighteen months after Kip last took to the stage in Melbourne at the smaller Margaret Court, he was back at but this time at one of his bucket list venues in Rod Laver Arena. As usual Kip was joined by his band The Slowhearts and they supported him throughout the night, providing him with not just the musical backing of a well-oiled machine, but also the energy, enthusiasm and that extra synergy between the audience and the music.

The concert moved at a steady pace, and you could feel the hits being played including Plead the Fifth, Wild Ones, Tennessee Boy, More Girls Like You and Beer Money were continuing the crescendo rising to something big. Just when you thought it was going to go higher Kip brought back to earth with a stripped back version of Hey Pretty Girl which he had recently reconnected with and began playing again. With a moment to relax and appreciate the tones of Kips voice, he quickly brought the band back as well as the support artists in James Jothnson & Sons of the East and played a really fun version of the The Weight by The Band with everybody sharing the vocals. And with that the concert was up and running again. More hits followed. The Bull, Hearts Desire and Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck until you reached what we thought was to the final song of the night, and was performed accordingly Come and Get it, with keyboard & guitar solos galore.  You wouldn’t have been disappointed if the concert ended there.

However instead of leaving the stage, Kip and the band played on. Yelling out to everyone to get their lights out, something Kip doesn’t normally do. A fine rendition of Last Shot was played. With a brief exit, Kip returned for one more song. Thanking the crowd for all the support over the years from small side stages at CMC to the Forum and Margaret Court to Finally Rod Laver, he said he would be back again. With so many of his hits been played already you wondered what he was going to finish with and instead of apologising for playing a new song which I have seen many artists do lately, Kip Moore & the Slowhearts smashed a concert worthy ending song in Live Here to Work, his latest single which he only released two weeks ago.

It was an amazing way to finish a very entertaining and enjoyable night. I can’t wait for the new album and for Kip to return to our Australian shores again with the opportunity to appreciate his music live, which I think is the best way to enjoy it.

Read More
Post Image
Gig ReviewsReviews
October 1, 2024
Midnite Mitch

[Review] Cradle of Filth @Northcote Theatre 27/09/2024

It’s been 5 years since Cradle of Filth have haunted these shores, playing their Cruelty and the Beast album in its entirety. The Australian Invasion 2024 tour has nearly sold out across Australia showing how much we love the Filth! Cradle of Filth have sold out 170 Russell the last couple of times and on this tour they are playing at Northcote Theatre, which is a 500 person increase in capacity and it still sold out! This would be my 4th time to the venue, and I decided to change it up and stand upstairs this time around to see if the sound is better or worse, I was not disappointed.

Northcote Theatre fills up quickly, it is already half full at 7:20 when locals Hybrid Nightmares take to the stage. This is the bands 3rd time in supporting Cradle of Filth, having had the chance to tour with them previously, I’ve seen these guys around the scene since they first started and it’s unreal seeing bands hard work pay off. Bringing in their A game tonight for a sold-out show, Hybrid Nightmare’s melodic black metal sound gets the crowd moving and headbanging within their 25-minute time slot, they play phenomenally, and the outfits tonight are on the simplistic approach, as opposed to previous years that I have seen them. It is quite clear that Cradle of Filth are an influence on these guys when it comes to stage performance. It’s always good seeing bands that put effort into their stage craft as well as their music, even if it as simple as wearing uniform colours.

This is Infected Rain’s first time in Australia, playing on a near sold out tour, where you would want to make sure you come in hot and make a great first impression, WELL GODDAMN! Did they ever!? Straight off the bat, they sound great, with heavy groove laden guitars and some electro backing tracks. Lena takes the stage, and everyone stops to watch and listen to her first scream, what a wicked voice! After the first song, a guy yells “WILL YOU MARRY ME PLEASE!?” the crowd laugh and Lena just smiles, laughs, and kicks on, showing that she can take the heckling and then also have the ability to carry the stage talk when tech issues happen after the second or third song, “There’s a problem in the kitchen!”. It is an important skill when being a front person for a band, you need to be able to make chat and you also need to be able to keep it from getting weird and awkward, Lena clearly has no issues in that area. Once they get over the tech issue and the songs are rolling, Infected Rain have the room at their control, bodies are moving, heads are banging, Lena commands and Melbourne responds. The band have an amazing energy, the guitarist is constantly throwing himself about and putting his whole body into his performance, the bassist plays incredibly well, just sitting in the pocket of the songs and creates the perfect heaviness, she then takes center stage at one point and has a little bass melody, as a fellow bassist, I appreciate this moment!  At the end of their set, a massive circle pit opens, it’s a great view from above, and it’s probably the biggest one I’ve seen in this venue, taking up nearly the entire floor. For a first time in Australia, I think they were convinced to come back, I have definitely been convinced to catch them again!

I don’t think I have missed a Cradle of Filth tour for the last decade, since turning the Godspeed on the Devils Thunder tour, they are one band that I have consistently made an effort to see live each time they come to Australia, I think I have even done Silver Tiger Media’s live review the last 3 times! I really enjoy Cradle of Filth! The intro to Existence is Futile begins and the crowd go nuts, Zoe Federoff, the latest female vocalist/piano player comes in with her intro note held beautifully and the band kick into Existential Terror. From the upstairs section, the sound is coming through reasonably clear but from the looks of things Dani, is not overly happy with what is coming through his inner ear monitors, there is a quick word with the stage sound tech before kicking into Saffron’s Curse and She is Fire but I don’t know what it is for Him, but he seemed bothered by something. The band are playing tight as always, the leads and twin melodies are cutting through mix as expected but we hit Dusk and her Embrace and something jumps, whether a guitar paused too soon or not soon enough, but something was amiss, but the band recovered so quickly, it was impressive, which is why I wanted to mention it. Yes, bands can play flawlessly and it’s always a good time but for me, after seeing them so many times and probably never seeing a mistake, not that I’m calling this instance a mistake, but seeing how a band you idolize handles a slight on stage and then recover so quickly is remarkable. Cradle of Filth write amazing music, they play incredibly well, and they handle situations with ease. It happened, they recovered, to anyone else, probably not even noticed, but to me, someone who has seen them play a fair bit now, and literally taking dot points on their performance, I thought THAT fact was incredible.

Dani’s stage banter is always a good laugh, he always has some Aussie joke, this time it was a comment about illicit crimes, something that we (Aussie’s) would know all about. He then also made the comment while introducing Necromantic Fantasies “This is a newer one, all you old school fans can go to the bar now, I saw you walking”. The encore kicks in with A Bruise Upon The Silent Moon, which is the intro to probably one of my favourite Cradle of Filth albums, Damnation and a Day, I get super excited to finally hear something off this album and the band kick into Promise of Fever! It was unreal! Finishing up their set with Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids, Her Ghost in the Fog and of course, From the Cradle to Enslave, the crowd are relentless, you can’t help but move around and bang your head to theses songs! When those keys kick in for …Cradle to Enslave, you just get this energy!

Even after years of seeing Cradle of Filth live, they still don’t disappoint, I notice something a little different each time I see them, but I have never left disappointed! I left the show, thinking I will be heading back upstairs for gigs at the Northcote Theatre, it’s a good view and great sound. Also I will go and find another Hybrid Nightmare show, go check out Infected Rain’s back catalog, whilst also remembering how Cradle of Filth have lasted this long in the business. They are damn good at what they do!

Read More