Soundwave
February 24, 2007
Riverstage, Brisbane
Australia
Bands I saw:
As Tall as Lions, Something With
Numbers, Doctor Octopus, Flyleaf, Juliette and the Licks, The Bronx, MxPx,
Houston Calls, Unwritten Law, Parkway Drive, Trial Kennedy, Thrice, Drive By,
+44, Suicidal Tendencies, Behind Crimson Eyes, Deftones
Posse:
Elliott, Tamantha, Phil
Randoms:
Andy
Camera used:
My Nokia 6280 camera phone,
but I really didn't get a chance to use it. At
all. Too much rockin'.
The first schedule saw a lot of bands I wanted to see playing at the same time. But by some miracle, the schedule got shuffled, and I was able to fit in nearly every band I wanted to see.
I got there later then the rest of my posse, partly the fault of Brisbane public transport, and partly because of my laziness. But when I arrived I couldn't find them. So I jumped in the end of the line. At the time, I thought it was small, but after 10 minutes and not much movement, Phil messaged me. Apparently he was at the front of the line and about to go in. So I took off running. A few minutes later I was still running down the line! Entry would have been horrible. And to make it worse I couldn't find Phil and company. But, when I stopped running it turned out I was in a line about 5 metres away from the entry. I managed to cut straight through!
The Riverstage was set up with a temporary stage for stage 2, right next to the mainstage (stage 1). It was a pretty good setup. The Riverstage itself is a grass coliseum, so for most of the day people could sit down and still watch the action. Which is what we did. We caught the last two songs of As Tall As Lions. In all honesty, I don't really remember them. I do remember the keyboardist jumping away from the keyboard and just bashing the cymbals and the drums though.
Doctor Octopus then started on stage 2. They were a nice little surprise. All members of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music (according to the program). There was the standard rock assortment, and then a horn section, and an attractive female lead singer. And they could all play really well. I only stuck around for a few songs, I wanted to explore, but I will be looking into them in the future.
So exploring I went. Not much there. A few food stores, ample portapotties, and another stage buried at the back in the botanic gardens. On the way I passed the signing tent. Where all of the under 18's were already lining up with their "I LOVE YOU TRAVIS" and "I'M PREGNANT WITH TRAVIS' BABY" signs. And a lot of Blink shirts. It seemed a lot of people were here for +44. I laughed and passed them by. The hardcore stage was interesting. Set on the side of a hill, it overlooked the city as well.
This picture was of Parkway Drive later in the early twilight, but I think it shows the setting quite well. Being in the botanic gardens, the whole thing was quite gorgeous. I did feel sorry for the flora, it did get attacked a bit.
I walked back, and sat down on the hill to watch central coast boys, Something With Numbers. They played a rather short set, and it seemed to be all of the songs I didn't like off their new album. Which to me, was a pretty big disappointment. The lead singer looks like a cross between the singer from Wolfmother and Cedric from Mars Volta. And he had the same dance moves as both of them. And the same big hair. They closed with their radio hit, Apple of the Eye, which got the crowd up and dancing.
<video: Apple of the Eye>
At the end of their set we walked across to the hardcore stage to catch a band we had heard were good: Flyleaf. We stuck around for a few songs, enough to form a general impression that they were in a similar vein to Evanescence. Although their female lead singer was definitely a much better screamer, and based off her lyrics and talking, had a really fucked up childhood. The whole band seemed a bit mismatched. One guitarist looked like the bassist from No Doubt, while the other one looked like he could be in Trivium.
Sitting down on the grass again (the fact that I could do this and still be close to the action and see everything still amazes me), I caught a few songs of Juliette and the Licks. For those not in the know, the lead singer is Juliette Lewis. Better known as an actress, appearing in movies such as From Dusk Till Dawn and Natural Born Killers. I think she should stick to movies. The music was 80's rock style, with her seemingly talking over the top, occasionally singing.
I left to catch the whole set of the Bronx. One of my picks for the day.
On my way though, I got a phone call. It turns out one of the Veronicas was milling around the crowd. I passed her on my way through to the hardcore stage. She's a lot shorter and less attractive then what appears on television. I saw her a few times around during the day.
More importantly, the Bronx were starting to play. Their new album had failed to impress me, but my opinion changed the second they came out on stage. The lead singer emerged with a bottle of wine (it appeared to be a Penfold's Rawson Retreat Chardonnay from a distance). Then the music started. A lot harder and faster than their album. With a lot more screaming in the lyrics. The whole crowd seemed to get into it.
At one stage towards the end, the singer walked out into the crowd as far as his microphone cable would let him go. He started singing as a circle pit formed around him. I joined in, and spent the song moshing and dancing around him, running into him and everyone else, and then trying to jump up over the top of him. It was pretty kickass, something you don't see a lot in anything that isn't harder punk.
Phil and I went to stage 1, to see MxPx and stake out a key spot for Unwritten Law. MxPx...well, their sound live is almost the same as their sound on the albums. Happy Christian punk. Nothing beyond my expectations, until they started throwing their guitars across stage to each other, which was pretty damn cool. I must say though, their drummer appears a bit out of place. He looks like an old Drew Carey, and while drumming had an expression on his face which I can only liken to constipation.
The singer/bassist also called for a circle pit. Which to MxPx, was laughable. But it happened. When I stopped laughing (only during the last song), I managed to take a quick video of it.
<video: Punk Rock Show>
The crowd dispersed, and Phil and I moved to the front as Houston Calls played on the stage to the side of us. I couldn't see much of them, but from their sound I feel that they are a bit like Yellowcard, minus the violin. It doesn't help that last time they toured they came with Yellowcard. I was more excited for the upcoming Unwritten Law.
Of all the bands I saw during Soundwave, the crowd got into Unwritten Law the most. And why wouldn't they? With a long and illustrious career, they've built up quite the fan base here. In their hour they got through all of their big hits. In fact, they pretty much played their new album, which happens to be a re-recorded best of album. Phil, Tamantha and I had a good mosh. Unfortunately, a lot of the drunks emerged from the fenced in drinking area for Unwritten Law. So there was also a lot of assholes trying to pick fights. In fact, one fight happened right next to us. Not just a slam dancing/moshing fight dance, but an actual "I'm-choking-the-shit-out-of-you-while-swinging-punches" fight. Still, a great set.
We walked out covered in sweat, and just stumbled around looking for water. Unlike the Big Day Out (at least this year), Soundwave had free water. Which was a godsend. After re-hydrating, we managed to stumble to the hardcore tent, to check out Parkway Drive. I've said it once, I'll say it again, they are just generic hardcore. A lot of screaming "COME ON!" or "LET'S GO" or just screaming. I left after a song.
Sitting back down on the hill, I could hear Trial Kennedy, but didn't take any notice of it. I was exhausted, and waiting for Thrice. It turns out that after a summer of two jobs, constant concerts and festivals, I just didn't have the energy I used to. So I kind of just stood on the edge of the hill for the whole Thrice set.
Thrice are an interesting band. Quite random. For the four members on stage, I could count three keyboards. At times they did their hardcore, at times they did their prog rock exploring guitars, at times they did punk rock. It was quite interesting. Being a punk festival, the biggest response came to their older harder stuff, while the newer prog rock stuff seemed to leave the crowd stunned. I like Thrice, and they sound great live.
I sat down and listened to Drive By. I couldn't put my finger on it, but their post-punk styling reminded me a lot of another band. And after closing my eyes and thinking hard about it for half an hour, I realized they sounded a bit like the Music.
After their short set, +44 came on. And everyone ran down to the stage. They had a good drum kit... That's about it. I've never had much musical respect for the guys from Blink. Which is why I loved Blink! You could never take them seriously. But their latest offerings have tried to be serious, and I just do not like it. After three songs in that annoying voice, I had to leave.
That, and Suicidal Tendencies were starting. The legends of skate punk. These guys are fairly up themselves. But I guess they are allowed to be. They are all skilled musicians (the bass player is too good for punk, he should be in a Primus cover band) and they are one of the originals. Still, when the band comes out wearing their own band merch, it makes you wonder. But they are legends, and for a good reason. They rock. Hard, fast and simple: the punk philosophy. This was the Suicidal's first show in almost two years, with the singer recovering from back surgery. And I think during that time he may have found god. He preached a lot to the crowd. In fact, the preaching between the songs went longer than the songs themselves.
I tried to take a picture, but they really just had a lot of flashing lights to their fast rhythm. I left early to score a very good spot for the Deftones.
While I sat on the edge of the concrete and the hill in front of stage 1, I had an uninterrupted view of Behind Crimson Eyes. Having seen them a few times already in the last few months, I wasn't overly excited enough to fight my way in. But as always, they rocked hard. And when they finished, I hoped all the underage kids, who were there for +44 and Behind Crimson Eyes, would leave, not knowing who the Deftones were.
And then. The moment I had been waiting for. After a lengthy sound check, the lights dimmed, the techno kicked in and Chino appeared. And I had a religious experience that lasted an hour and a half. Adrenalin is one of my all time favourite albums, and they played about two thirds of it. Finishing on 7 Words. Unbelievable.
I don't know if it was because it was a punk festival, but they really avoided a lot of the electronic stuff they have been writing lately. They stuck to their classics, and a lot of material off of White Pony and Adrenalin. They even did the Passenger, with Chino imitating Maynard from Tool quite well. Words can't explain it. They put on such a great show.
That's really the only picture I took of the Deftones, and it was crap. I was up the front, a few people back, dancing around to every song.
Phil thought they acted very stuck up, like the knew they were gods of rock. But to me they are, so it didn't really matter. The did manage to cut the last lyric out of every song, replacing it with "Thank You" instead.
But a great day overall. The best festival so far of this summer, probably as it catered to one style of music. I hope they do it again next year.