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Metropolis Touring

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InterviewsTour Interview
October 13, 2023
Casper

Interview with Richard Patrick (Filter)

Platinum-selling alternative-industrial rockers FILTER announces their first headline shows in Australia and New Zealand since 2000 as part of The Algorithm World Tour.

“Australia and New Zealand are two of the most beautiful and welcoming countries I’ve ever been to. Every time we tour, I push our reps to try and get us back there. Unfortunately, due to circumstance beyond our control like a global pandemic, it’s been way too long,” Filter main man Richard Patrick said. “Rock fans there are a very loyal and devoted bunch, and I know we will bring it when get Down Under. I really cannot wait.”

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the band’s birth. In 1993, founder and lead vocalist Patrick placed an ad in Scene Magazine in Cleveland, OH, shortly after leaving Nine Inch Nails as their touring guitarist, looking to form a band that would eventually evolve into Filter.

Patrick has spent three decades pushing the boundaries of musical expression. Filter’s debut album, Short Bus, achieved platinum status, propelled by ‘Hey Man Nice Shot.’ The success continued with Title of Record, also going platinum thanks to crossover hit ‘Take A Picture.’

This year Patrick unleashed the new Filter album The Algorithm, which has delivered a sonic revolution for fans worldwide and has been called the band’s “best record in 20 years.”

Live Patrick hasn’t lost one iota of his in-your-face, punk-meets-rock persona. He still “belts out the lyrics with pure energy and aggression” and his band always deliver an intense, in-your-face performance.

“Richard Patrick had some mega energy and was right in the middle of the crowd…I mean literally. He was crowd-surfing while singing” (Media Mikes)

 “Filter, the great industrial rock that we come to expect is back” (Rock Revolt Magazine)

 “The live energy of Filter cannot be denied” (Rock N Load Magazine)

 “Hell of a show! Great set list, and Richard's voice still burns!”

FILTER April 2024 Australian Tour Dates

Friday 5th April – MELBOURNE, Croxton Bandroom
Saturday 6th April – SYDNEY, Metro Theatre
Sunday 7th April – BRISBANE, The Triffid
Tuesday 9th April – ADELAIDE, The Gov
Wednesday 10th April – PERTH, Magnet House

Tickets:

Pre-sale: Wednesday 13th September, 9am Local

On Sale: Friday 15th September, 9am Local

From: https://metropolistouring.com/filter-2024/

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Gig ReviewsReviews
April 8, 2023
Josh Mak

[Review] Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening @ Palais Theatre, Melbourne 7/04/2023

Review By Josh Mak

There are influential giants in the world of Classical music that have shaped what we have come to know as western civilisation. Mozart, Chopin, Bach etc…

Seldom do we think of Rock n’ Roll in the same regard as Classical, but it is no less relevant in its contribution to our society and culture.

Among the pioneers of the genre it would be unanimously agreed that Led Zeppelin would surely have a seat at that table of legends and Jason Bonham might very well be the last custodian of these sacred works of art.

The show began with the unmistakable charging rhythms, accompanied by the banshee howls of Immigrant Song and the hits kept coming as the band followed this with Good Times Bad Times and Over The Hills and Faraway.

Having been born too late to have seen the original line up perform live I’ve always had to be content with watching videos of Led Zeppelin’s concerts. For the first time in my life I got to see and hear The Song Remains The Same, Rain Song and No Quarter played live and that was a really magical experience .

I would like to spend some time talking about Led Zeppelin’s music and Jason Bonham’s role in carrying the torch not just as a fan but also as a son of what many would consider, Rock n’ Roll’s greatest drummer – John “Bonzo” Bonham.

Led Zeppelin’s music is akin to a mighty river; sometimes a raging rapid; sometimes a gentle brook. Always flowing forward and unstoppable.

Jason Bonham, together with singer James Dylan, guitarist Jimmy Sakurai, and bassist Dorian Heartsong deliver a very faithful and respectful performance of Led Zeppelin’s material. Meticulous care has been taken to not only play the songs right but also in the authenticity in the tone of their individual instruments.

Jason promised to take us on a journey back to the old ways and for awhile we would forget where we were and simply enjoy being in the moment.

I witnessed a band not just playing in sync with each other and being in the pocket but constantly communicating through their instruments with one another and with the audience. Truly a rare thing to behold in our modern era where almost no aspect of art has been corrupted in someway by the digital.

Between each song, we were enchanted as Jason Bonham told us stories of times he had spent with John Bonham and Led Zeppelin. From the grandeur of playing in stadiums to the personal memories they shared at home as a family. We were given a little peek into his world and what it was like growing up around such influential musicians.

Jason Bonham is evidently inspired by the drumming of John Bonham and has miraculously managed to capture his essence in his playing. This is no simple task and many great drummers have failed or simply refused to try to touch such sacred material.

The pacing of the set was expertly crafted and with the final four songs the band reached a level higher than a crescendo. It is genuinely hard to put into words how amazing it was so I will simply list the songs and let you the reader experience the magic as you read each title.

Kashmir, Stairway To Heaven, Whole Lotta Love and Rock and Roll.

Jason Bonham is a formidable drummer but I think the reason that he is able to do what no other can, is because of the deep connection he has with his dad. To him, before John Bonham is a great drummer he is first and foremost his father and he can take pride in knowing that he is preserving a legacy for all musicians in the present and for those that have yet to come.

You can still catch this amazing show

April 9 – The Tivoli, Brisbane

April 11 – Hindley St Music Hall, Adelaide

Tickets available here: https://metropolistouring.com/jblze-2023/

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Gig ReviewsReviews
February 20, 2023
Josh Mak

[Review] Arch Enemy @ Forum Theatre, Melbourne 18/02/2023

In Thrash Metal there are the Big 4. Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax. Of the Big 4 in Melodic Death, Arch Enemy is clearly the Megadeth of their genre.

Heavy Metal is not merely a passion to its fans, it’s a religion, and in a religion – you do not turn up late to church. This was evident by how full The Forum was even before the opening act, Valhalore took to the stage.

Valhalore are described as an Epic Folk Metal band and Epic is the perfect adjective to describe how their set began. Sweeping orchestral arrangements gave way to thunderous drums that built to a crescendo of harmonized guitar melodies, complimented by the Celtic overtones courtesy of flutist, Sophie Grace.

Their music transcended the usual musical boundaries and managed to smoothly navigate its way between the violence of Black Metal and the earthy warmth of European Folk music. From the response of the crowd, you could see that they already have a strong presence and following in the local scene and frontman, Lachlan Neate had their full attention throughout the set. The rhythm section, comprised of Joseph Dipisa-Fiorenza (Bass) and Morgan Cox (Drums), was crushingly heavy and consistent.

A special (maybe slightly biased) mention has to be made to the guitar duo of Anthony Willis and Lucas Fisher. Both of whom I proudly recognise as brothers in the Ormsby guitar family. The guitars looked and sounded damn good and the finesse in which they played their instruments was the greatest endorsement one can give.

Europe might be the birthplace of Folk Metal but Valhalore showed that the Aussies are definitely on par with the big boys.

A massive banner covered the entire back of the stage and flags with Arch Enemy’s logo flanked the sides along with two Marshall stacks on each end. They began their set with Deceiver Deceiver off their latest album and man were they loud – very loud!

Alissa White-Gluz has such a presence about her that just oozes charisma and attitude as her voice tore its way through the songs and the audience. They followed this up with The World is Yours and the iconic, Ravenous from the legendary Wages of Sin album.

If there is a more sophisticated guitar duo than Michael Amott and Jeff Loomis in the metal scene today, I’m honestly hard-pressed to think of one. They play their guitars with a fiendish level of technicality that makes them appear more than mere mortals. There is no distinction between rhythm and lead roles, and absolutely no egos between them either. Riffs and solos cascaded flawlessly with a preternatural fluidity and together with bassist, Sharlee D’Angelo and drummer Daniel Erlandsson, they gave us a masterclass in showmanship and proficiency.

These days, any time a band shows up to a live gig with amps I always sit up and pay extra attention. Technology has now made it possible and much more cost-efficient for a band to omit amplifiers from their live shows. Therefore, those who choose to go the extra mile and use them, hold a special place in my heart. To the non-musicians this might seem like an insignificant detail but often it’s the sum of the most minute details that add up to make the largest impact.

The first time I heard Arch Enemy was 22 years ago when the album Wages of Sin (which has now gone on to be regarded as one of the cornerstones of melodic death metal) was released in 2001. The song Enemy Within captivated me and finally, after all this time, I got to see it performed live together in a mammoth 5-song encore that included, Burning Angel, Snowbound, Nemesis and Fields.

Sometimes we can hype things up in our mind and get disappointed by the result. However, on very rare occasions reality supersedes our imagination. Arch Enemy is one of those rare bands that has gone through various evolutions and has always come out the other side at the top of their game. This is just another beginning for them and I, along with legions of fans can’t wait to see what happens next.

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InterviewsTour Interview
February 7, 2023
Kynan Arden

Interview with Michael Amott (Arch Enemy)

ARCH ENEMY are bigger and better than ever.

Delivering a maelstrom of diamond-hard riffing wrapped around cinematic melodies, thunderous drumming and towering vocals, ARCH ENEMY are unstoppable and sound incredibly energized and they are headed back to Australia and New Zealand in February 2023.

Here’s how Kerrang hailed the band’s new album Deceiver s– “Deceivers slays from start to finish and is essential listening for metalheads yearning for a soundtrack to wring their necks to.”

With Alissa White-Gluz out front for nearly ten years now, the guitar wizardry of Michael Amott and Jeff Loomis, and the thundering rhythm section of Daniel Erlandsson (drums) and Sharlee D’Angelo (bass), Arch Enemy sound fresh and hungry, continually proving they are masters of their craft.

“Arch Enemy were spectacular. Alissa is a ball of energy who never stops moving, jumping here and there, and headbanging her blue hair.” Metal Wani

“… the pure force that is Arch Enemy.” Heavy Mag

“Arch Enemy do PURE FU*KING METAL and they do it to the highest standard possible” Wall of Sound

ARCH ENEMY February 2023 Tour Dates

Sunday February 12th – AUCKLAND – Powerstation

Tuesday February 14th – Adelaide – Governor Hindmarsh

Wednesday February 15th – BRISBANE – Tivoli Theatre

Friday February 17th – SYDNEY – Metro Theatre

Saturday February 18th – MELBOURNE – Forum Theatre

Sundy February 19th – FREMANTLE – Metropolis

Presale: Wednesday 12 October at 9:30 AM AEDT

General public on sale: Thursday 12 October at 11:00AM AEDT

Tickets from: https://davidroywilliams.com/tours/arch-enemy-2023/ or https://metropolistouring.com/arch-enemy-2023/

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Gig ReviewsReviews
February 1, 2023
Elizabeth Sharpe

[Review] Switchfoot @ The Triffid, Brisbane 31/01/2023

Multi-Platinum, Grammy Award Winning rock outfit Switchfoot made their long awaited return to Australian shores and played their first show of their tour on Tuesday night at Brisbane’s Triffid. Their global fan base as strong as ever, not deterred at all by the midweek show and looming heatwave, sold out the event and showed up early and excited with the line stretching down the street outside the venue.  I myself have been a fan since the 2000 release of ‘Learning To Breathe’, which now has a special place in my heart, however this will be my first time seeing them live and I couldn’t be more excited.

Local heavy hitters Nervous Light opened the night with a sampled intro from modern day spiritual philosopher Alan Watts. This spiked interest from the start, implying an indication of the depth of the music about to saturate the Triffid. From opening track Rope, the band didn’t disappoint delivering an emo vibe any Mayday Parade fan would love. Their tracks bridge emo, pop punk and metalcore with an extremely natural flow. The depth and disparity in each track, given strength by the combined talents of Jordan Olive (guitar/vocals), Antony Borrmann (guitar/vocals) and Rich Brown (bass/vocals) all contributing their unique vocal styles through all songs. Latest single, Coffee Stains & Picture Frames, hit the crowd full on, projecting a melancholic feel across the room, the crowd mesmerised by Brown’s emotional guttural intensity. 

They lifted the tone with pop-punk drenched Outsider bringing out the crowd and continued through their set closing with a haunting intro to their popular track Haunt. All three guitarists on vocals providing an intense ending to an incredible set. Nervous Light may have seemed like an interesting choice to open for the popular Christian rock act but the response from the crowd indicated it was a chance well taken. You gotta love it when the support band for the night becomes a new favourite local act – I’m looking forward to seeing these guys again live and immersing myself in their recorded work.

Switchfoot – Jon Foreman (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drums, percussion), and Jerome Fontamillas (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals) – walk up onto the stage with touring guitarist Boaz Roberts, to the cheers of an enthusiastic crowd. The gentle guitar riff to Beloved begins and Jon’s comforting vocals with wise words join in soon after.  The band forms an immediate connection with the audience and sets the intentions for the rest of the show.

Taking us back a bit further into their impressive discography spanning almost a quarter of a century, they lift the energy in the room with Stars and Oh Gravity. Then called on the crowd to help them in the opening chant for Hello Hurricane, the title track for the album that won them a Grammy Award for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album in 2011. Jon jumps up onto the crowd barrier, scaling along, touching as many hands as he can, using some for support, before jumping back up onto the stage to finish the song.

Bull in a China Shop kicks off and fittingly, Jon steps off the stage once again, this time crossing the barrier and launching into the crowd, moving towards the back of the venue – not missing a single word. “I wanna rock this block like a bull in a china shop!”  His vivacity and enthusiasm is contagious. The room is jam packed and it’s hard to make out where he’s gotten to, but before long I realise that he hasn’t just gone to the back of the room… he’s made his way upstairs and is now up with the crowd on the mezzanine!  This is fantastic!  The venue security have an easy job with the respectful crowd but are having an absolute field day trying to keep up with Jon! The song ends with the frontman still up on the mezzanine, exclaiming how grateful he is for having this opportunity to be back in Australia. He shared a tale of his time in this country as an exchange student at university. 

It takes him almost the entirety of If I Were You to get back to the stage with the rest of the band then is passed his acoustic and begins to play I Won’t Let You Go.  The ENTIRE crowd sings along with him from the very first breath and word.  A special kind of harmony is created and has its own life when a venue of fans erupts in unison and form a union with the band like this. Jon sings in falsetto and the audience has its own register – this song is given a whole new meaning when it’s played live and exactly like this.

Jon introduced Boaz Roberts on electric guitar and tells of how he convinced Boaz to go for a surf when they were just in New Zealand… and Boaz injured his foot, slicing his heel on a rock – this explains it looking a little like a balancing act for someone who’s use to moving freely wielding the guitar and stomping on pedals – he’s doing a brilliant job up there keeping up with the energy on stage and hiding the fact though!

A tom drum gets placed in front of Tim and he begins to pound it for what becomes the very heartbeat of their 2018 single Native Tongue, the words also boldly and proudly painted on Jon’s electric guitar. Fluorescent follows, and then that unmistakable and catchy groove of Tim’s bassline for Float – if Switchfoot were to have a dance track, this could very well be it!  Jon has removed his jacket for this one and heads across to Tim, arm around him – the wholesome, heart-warming brotherly love is in the air! And yes, once again, Jon makes his way back out into the audience!  

Dark Horses is probably my highlight song of the night.  It’s a track that’s always felt like an anthem to me, one for the underdogs – now, together in a sea of fans singing every word together as one, it shines a new light on those anthemic qualities.  Switchfoot have that power – the ability to bond emotive, passionate, and meaningful lyricism with a driving force of rock beats and infectious melodies to connect to and soothe the soul of the listener and earn them such loyal fans.  I wasn’t expecting this song to be the standout for me, but it was for this very reason.

Meant To Live is followed by Where I Belong, and the band get a short respite offstage before returning for a two song encore of Only Hope and Dare You To Move, which is one of the first Switchfoot songs I ever heard and is the perfect end to this crazy amazing show for me. 

You can catch Switchfoot at the remaining dates around the country:

Feb 3 – Melbourne, Max Watts

Feb 4 – Adelaide, Lion Arts Factory

Feb 6 – Perth, Freo Social – ALL AGES

Tickets available here

𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐒

https://switchfoot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/switchfoot

https://instagram.com/switchfoot/

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Gig ReviewsReviews
December 21, 2022
Noah Redfern

[Review] The Crystal Method @ 170 Russell, Melbourne 16/12/2022

Returning to 170 Russell was like a rush of nostalgia for me. Memories of old gigs and dirty club nights on a Saturday. Nostalgia was certainly the key for this evening’s entertainment, as both The Crystal Method and his support act Black Cab dealt in it as their main theme.

Opening the show was Melbourne’s own Black Cab, a three-piece electronica group with classic roots. With clear inspiration from New Order, the band dealt a constant vibe for their entire set. The drummer played almost entirely 16th notes for the whole show, an incredibly bold move for a live band. That kind of rhythmic consistency is generally limited to raves and prog shows. In this case, it held a strong backbeat and pace for a crowd of mostly 50-somethings to bop along to. Layering on synth pads, arpeggios and effects, the band built a danceable sound with a bright palette. About 10 minutes into the set, the singer began to add a layer of ambient vocals, adding to an already solid sound.

With every song gradually evolving into the next, it was a surprise when their set ended, as it felt like one fantastic long dance hit drawing me further and further in.

Once the main act began, there was almost no stopping him. What was once a duo, is now one man (Scott Kirkland), and The Crystal Method lives on through him. Taking us back to the 90s, to the height of the Big Beat movement, the show was a non-stop rave-ride through the soundscape that defined the genre and the era. The sound featured sampled guitars, huge drums, massive basslines and all contrasted fantastically with insane visuals. These featured spacey sci-fi worlds, cityscapes and even concert footage from stadium shows of yesteryear. It felt like a journey to another time, and I was invited along for the ride.

Half-way through the set, Kirkland took to the microphone to pay tribute to fellow big beat icon, Keith Flint, of The Prodigy fame, who unfortunately passed away in early 2019. He played their mega hit Firestarter, which then blew the lid off an already insane crowd.

Finishing off the show with the hits of Busy Child, Name of the Game and more was the obvious choice, but still sunk in deep with the audience of diehard fans. The real skill was in creating an almost two-hour set of constant big beat bangers, remixes and classics to bring the house down on a night of nostalgia, rave and pure ecstasy.

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