Deftones @ Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide 30/11/2022
Wednesday night saw Adelaide’s Thebarton Theatre packed to the rafters as the Deftones came to town. Fans lined up for hours prior to doors opening to get the much sought-after barrier position. In Australia for Good Things Festival, which starts in Melbourne tomorrow, Adelaide scored their only sideshow which was sold out impressively quickly.
Getting our night underway was Australian ‘Death-pop’ duo Vowws. Standing on opposite ends of the stage and shrouded in smoke Matt James (vocalist/guitarist) and Rizz (vocalist/keyboards) radiated an aura of mystery which was only amplified by their music. Chaotically beautiful comes to mind when trying to describe the performance that followed. Weighty guitar riffs, haunting synth notes and some extraordinary time signatures wrapped around us. Vowws live are a sonic experience to immerse yourself in and I am sure they scored some new followers from this set. The Season, Prague, One by One and Symbol System reverberated around the room as we watched in awe. If you get the chance, I highly recommend checking out a Vowws live show.
The anticipation in the air was palpable as we waited for the Deftones to grace the stage. Tightly wound bodies of all ages swayed then erupted as the band appeared. Frontman Chino Mareno made his way centre of the stage to the opening notes of Genesis from their 2020 album Ohms. Chino’s alluring vocals wash over us. “We’re climbing out of the ashes” sums up the feeling as live music and international acts return.
Moving swiftly into Diamond Eyes, the melodic beat of the drums instinctively sees the crowd pendulate. An impressive discography provides magical moments but the opening riff for My Own Summer (Shove It) sends the crowd into a frenzy. Airborne bodies floated across the crowd, horned hands raised into the air and the crowd became a choir.
Digital Bath allows us to take a moment to appreciate the musicianship Deftones have in spades and the punters turn the notch back up to eleven as bodies crash and bounce against each other.
Sextape grants a reprieve as we catch our breath albeit for a moment. Rosemary, Be Quiet and Drive (Far Awa) and Change, Chino and the boys didn’t let up with providing something for every fan. Closing with Headup the crowd took the lyrics ‘Fly high, So fly, Fly free’ literally and once again the air was filled with flailing bodies.
Complimenting the night’s performance, an intricate and perfectly orchestrated light show surrounded the band. Beams of light crisscrossed the stage in perfect time whilst shapes faded in and out around the band as the stage backdrop continually changed.
Two hours of music heaven draw to a close as the fans make it known that we do want the night to end. Silhouettes returned to the stage to cheers, as guitars grind the opening riff to Ohms. The words ‘This is our time’ ring true as we forget the world and let ourselves get lost to the moment. Fittingly, for a school night, the band take us home with Back To School. A wall of grinning people, moving to the sounds of one of the best bands around, was a sight to see and an amazing way to end the evening. This was not just a gig but a Deftones experience
The Plot In You @ Lions Art Factory, Adelaide 22/09/2022
It’s not often I go out on a school night these days but when The Plot In You, Erra and Deadlights come to town, Thursday night somehow becomes the beginning of the weekend! It had been far too long since I had last seen any of these bands play live, so with much excitement, I headed into the city.
With the crowd starting to build, the sound of Brisbane’s Deadlights echoed through Lion Art’s Factory. Having not had the opportunity to see this band live since the release of their latest album The Uncanny Valley the opening notes of Schedule 1 are literally, excuse the pun, music to my ears. This band holds a special place in my heart, stumbling across their amazing album Mesma back in 2017 was a major factor in starting my love for metalcore. The set list included a selection of songs from the new album like The King of Nowhere, Contact and Echo Chamber along with favourites Invisible Hands and Bathed In Venom. Vocalist Dylan Davidson addressed the crowd pointing out that we all had one job – to feed off each other and create some energy. Punters took this advice on board and ensured that energy was high for the remainder of the evening.
There are no two ways about it, ERRA are a class act and after a five year wait Adelaide was more than ready for them. The hammering intro of drums kicked us into Gungrave and set the scene for what was a wild ride. ERRA have a magical way of pulling you in and holding you there until they are ready to release you. While JT Cavey’s powerful vocal range took us on a frenetic journey, Jesse Cash’s melodic vocals gathered us in for brief moments of respite before we were catapulted back into the vortex. Gifting us with a varied selection of their catalogue, with songs like Scorpion Hymn, Eye of God, Drift, Snowblood, Breach and my personal favourite Skyline – Erra could do no wrong.
Releasing Swan Song since visiting our shores last you can feel the crowd’s anticipation to witness live some of the songs off this superb album. A lone Landon Towers appears on stage, the crowd erupts as Landon emotionally gives us the first lines of Face Me while being joined on stage by the rest of the band. Prowling the stage while delivering Fall Again, Enemy and Paradigm, Landon encourages the sea of fans to “show me some shit”. Adelaide obliged as the band broke into past hits including NOT JUST BREATHING, THE ONE YOU LOVED, RIGGED, Time Changes Everything and Take Me Away with the crowd helping vocally. Bodies were lifted above the crowd of swirling moshers who couldn’t seem to get enough. For a heavy band Plot deliver every song with such raw emotion that sometimes it’s hard to decide whether you need to mosh or cry. And then just like that the night was over. Fans slowly made their way from the venue emotionally and physically spent, but with the biggest smiles. Damn it's good to have not only live music back but to see international acts touring again.
H.E.A.T. @ Jive, Adelaide 11/09/2022
This is one gig I was quite excited to get to. Initially a double bill of Swedish melodic rockers H.E.A.T and Crazy Lixx, these were two bands I wasn’t sure I would ever get to see live in Australia. Thankfully we have promotors in this country who have survived the last couple of years and are still willing and able to take some risks and bring out some bands that don’t necessarily have a large commercial following here in Australia. Thank you, Silverback Touring, for this one!
Unfortunately Crazy Lixx dropped out of the tour quite late in the game but after initially being disappointed, my excitement grew quickly again as I continued to read so many glowing reviews of H.E.A.T’s live performances leading up to this night.
There was a lot of buzz about the band coming from social media, particularly once the tour progressed through the other states, before they finished their run here in Adelaide.
The gig in Adelaide was held at Jive, which is a great but somewhat intimate rock venue. There was most certainly a great vibe in the venue as everyone here seemed to be very keen to see out the weekend with a rock gig, before heading back to reality on the Monday. There was a lot of talk amongst the crowd about the great show they were expecting from H.E.A.T.
The beauty of getting to catch some of these tours in Adelaide, rather than a larger city, is that as a punter, you get to see the band in a more intimate setting, up nice and close. I would recommend more people from Melbourne and Sydney get tickets to Adelaide gigs! Who knows which bands you may never get to see in these smaller settings again! Despite this being a more intimate gig, it wasn’t lacking in enthusiasm from the crowd or in atmosphere at all.
Opening the show was Melbourne’s Wicked Smile, fronted by ex-Pegasus vocalist Danny Cecati. With big powerful vocals, riffing guitars, and a super melodic rock style, they sure suited opening for H.E.A.T and went down very well with the crowd.
The second support act was Cassidy Paris. As soon as Wicked Smile finished their set, half the band left the stage while the other half stayed on as Cassidy’s backing band (including her dad Steve on guitar), without a break between sets. Cassidy’s set showed her give a great high-energy youthful rock performance which showcased her songs nicely and further amped the crowd up for the main event. It’s great to see younger rock artists still coming through the music scene.
H.E.A.T kicked off their set at full speed with One by One from their 2020 album H.E.A.T II. Almost right away singer Kenny Leckremo had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he was a ball of energy from start to finish. Despite H.E.A.T being a melodic rock band, often known for the odd power ballad, their set did not contain one mellow tune or a single moment to catch your breath, they just ripped through a great set of big anthems with huge choruses and tons of energy. The next couple of songs also came from their 2020 album with Rock your Body and Dangerous Ground. The first song from new album Force Majeure was Hollywood which seemed to go down just as well as the material from their earlier albums. A definite highlight from the set for me was 1000 Miles from their self-titled 2008 debut album, although the set as a whole, which contained a good mix of songs from their career so far, didn’t have a low point to contrast this with.
By the time the band had worked their way through their set of 17 or so songs, they must have been exhausted. Not only had Kenny managed to keep his energy at 110% for the full set but Jimmy Jay on bass and guitarist Dave Dalone kept up the pace with him at the front of the stage. Rounding out the line-up was keyboardist Jona Tee, whose big synth chords were certainly a major part of the signature melodic H.E.A.T sound and Don Crash on the drums, who looked to be a sweaty mess by the time A Shot at Redemption closed out the set.
From the look of the big smiles on the faces of the band members and also on the faces of the crowd, I think it’s safe to say everybody in attendance had a great night at this gig and it would not surprise me at all if H.E.A.T returned to Australia for a second time within the next few years and played to even bigger audiences here.
To the rock fans who considered catching H.E.A.T but ultimately decided not to go, I hope you do get another chance because this is one band that really puts on a killer show that you don’t want to miss twice.
[Review] KISS @ Adelaide Entertainment Center, Adelaide 30/8/2022
Without a doubt, KISS was THE band that started it all for me. My obsession with rock music, the way that I dress, even the majority of my friends today…pretty much everything in my life can be traced back to KISS.
As a very young kid when KISS were at their peak of popularity in Australia, they were impossible to miss. They were everywhere! Everyone seemed to be listening to KISS as they were all over the TV, radio, and on the covers of so many magazines! At school, we were all trading KISS cards, eating Kiss ice-blocks and had their posters on our walls at home.
When KISS first toured here in 1980, I still recall being devastated that I was too young to go see them and nobody would take me.
Despite Kiss-mania being a relatively short-lived phenomenon in Australia (they were pretty uncool to most people about a year after their first visit here), I remained a fan for life.
Even though I’ve since seen KISS many times over the years, since missing that first visit here, I was very excited to see that they would be returning to the country for their End of The Road Tour. Initially, Australia wasn’t included on the band’s farewell tour schedule, but thanks to that pesky virus you may have heard about, the whole tour was postponed and then rescheduled with Aussie tour dates added! Thanks Covid 19!
Arriving at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on the night, it was impossible not to feel the sense of occasion! Of course, there were fans dressed up as their favourite member of Kiss, complete with make-up and elaborate costumes, and plenty of fans just sporting the make-up with their casual jeans and rock T-shirts on.
As is often the case, a KISS concert evokes a vibe that’s like a cross between a rock show and a visit to the circus. It’s fantastic!
By the time the doors to the venue were opened, the gig was completely sold out! There were even quite a few people outside the box office holding up signs to let people know they were after tickets. It was good to see KISS were getting a proper send-off in Adelaide.
Inside the lobby everyone seemed to be buzzing with excitement. By the time I got down to the front of the stage with beer in hand, I was really feeling it myself.
Opening the show was Adelaide’s own The SuperJesus. I was very excited for them (and maybe slightly jealous) as I’ve known these guys for years and know how thrilled they were to be playing on the same stage as KISS. Obviously playing to a room full of KISS fans waiting to see their larger-than-life idols on stage could potentially be a tough gig, the band were up for the challenge for sure. They sounded tight and had a big enough sound to win over the crowd early on in their set. They blitzed their way through some of their best-known songs including Down Again, Secret Agent Man, and ending their set with Gravity, with frontwoman Sarah Mc Leod doing a great job of encouraging audience participation and making the most of the large stage. They did a great job of warming up the crowd for KISS.
Not long after this support set, the giant KISS banner was erected in front of the stage, adding to the anticipation in the room. Anyone who’s been to a KISS gig knows that when that curtain drops…a whole new world is revealed.
As time ticked down to the appearance of KISS, classic rock anthems blasted out from the P.A. getting the full room pumped up for the main event. Through AC/DCs Thunderstruck and Led Zeppelin’s Rock and Roll…the anticipation grew, until…those famous words echoed out loudly across the Entertainment Centre…’You wanted the best…you GOT the best…the hottest band in the world…KISS!!!!!!’
The curtain dropped right on queue and BANG!!! It was on! Lights, smoke, giant flames, fireworks…the larger-than-life band members dropping from the ceiling on giant robotic platforms…THIS is why KISS is synonymous with over-the-top rock n roll theatrics! Within the first thirty seconds of the show, you’re bombarded with everything you could expect from a big rock concert and more.
To be honest, despite being a big KISS fan, before the gig I wasn’t 100% excited knowing what their set list would likely look like. KISS tend to stick to a fairly similar set of their best known hits, songs which I often skip when listening to Kiss as I’ve heard them all a million times over the years.
However, as soon as that curtain dropped and the opening to Detroit Rock City kicked off the show, all thoughts of issues with the set were instantly forgotten. Right after the big opening it was full steam ahead with the massive KISS anthem Shout it Out Loud. This one seemed to have everyone singing along at the top of their voice. From here it was early KISS with Deuce from their first album. During this song, the big screens were showing vintage footage of the band from the early 70s which got me thinking about the beauty of KISS being in full make-up and costumes again. Even though the core band members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are in their 70s now, being in character, they still look exactly the same as they did when I worshipped them as a kid! With the face paint on, they are still the star child and the demon, the rock gods they were to me back then! War Machine from the Creatures of the Night album was next, which has become a KISS live staple and fan favourite, despite this coming from a turbulent period in the band’s early 80s history. After this was the first song from the band’s non-make up days, Heaven’s on Fire which has always slotted perfectly into the set as though it was an early year’s classic.
Another song from the Creatures of the Night album that has become a KISS classic was next. I Love it Loud is one of the best rock crowd singalongs ever and did not disappoint, this one had the whole arena joining the call-and-response war-cry in unison, even those who weren’t familiar with this era of KISS seemed to be singing along loudly.
The one song that I was surprised was in the set was next. From the 2009 album Sonic Boom, came Say Yeah. This would have easily been the least known song from the KISS catalogue on the night but once again, being a typical Kiss anthem, it had everyone singing along by the end of the song. After this, it was back to classic KISS with Cold Gin, followed by an impressive guitar solo by guitarist Tommy Thayer, complete with fireworks shooting from his guitar!
The set continued on with popular songs from the band’s history, featuring all the KISS trademark moves, including bassist Gene Simmons breathing fire and then spitting blood while rising up on a platform to sing God of Thunder while looking down from the top of the arena, a drum solo from Eric Singer while his drum riser lifted him up above the stage with smoke billowing from below, and then front-man Paul Stanley being carried from the front of the stage on a zip-line where he performed Love Gun up close and personal to those in the back of the room. From here, the band then launched into I was Made for Lovin’ You while Paul flew back over everyone’s heads to the main stage again.
The last song of the main set was Black Diamond, featuring drummer Eric Singer on vocals, with the band then vacating the stage behind a huge display of smoke and fireworks.
Within just a few minutes, the encore began with Eric once again on vocals, this time sitting behind a glittery grand piano for a rendition of Beth, the ballad originally sang by KISS’ original drummer. Peter Criss
As the show drew to a close, it was time for a song that was a huge hit in Australia for KISS but nowhere else in the world, Shandi, from the Unmasked album. As the opening chords rang out, dozens of huge KISS balloons dropped from the ceiling and it became a fun spectacle to watch as they were thrown around the Entertainment Centre, seemingly in time with the music.
Finally, it was time for the show-closing anthem that has ended many KISS shows over the years, and would likely be the last song the band would ever play in Adelaide…Rock and Roll All Nite. With this, the band certainly went out with a bang! As soon as the band said their goodbyes and launched into the opening chords of the song, they threw everything they had at the crowd. There was confetti pumped out into the air, smoke, fireworks, flames…all of the theatrics they had left in the bank were pumped out onto the stage for their final farewell and it was a spectacular finale for sure!
I seriously doubt that anybody who was in attendance for this gig had a bad time. KISS had lived up to the hype that they put on the best rock n’ roll show in the world and this seemed like a very fitting way to say goodbye to Adelaide on this final tour. To me, this gig more than reminded me of what got me into rock music in the first place, and I suspect it may have even inspired some younger audience members to discover it for the first time!
[Gallery] Karnivool @ Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide 11/8/2022
KARNIVOOL
SLEEPMAKESWAVES
COG
ALT.
