Story Of The Year, TheAudition & The Mission InMotion @ Big Top, Luna Park,Sydney (31/5/08)

Tue 3rd Jun, 2008 in Gig Reviews

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM STORY OF THE YEAR’S BLISTERING SYDNEY SHOW HERE.

Story Of The Year are one of those rare bands that have to be seen live to be believed. Ask anyone who has ever been to one of their high-intensity, fast-paced shows and they will reiterate that sentiment entirely. Having played shows in Australia in previous years, the Missouri quintet have garnered quite a reputation, gained a mass of new fans along the way, and left people wanting more.

It was this hunger, this desire for the band to rekindle that energy that was immediately evident at the Big Top, Luna Park. Although not a capacity show, it seemed as if everyone who had indeed showed up wanted to be there. A mass of flannelette shirts and spiked hair, all waiting for the same band.

Sydney natives The Mission In Motion served as competent openers for the show. Whilst it was evident that they were a relatively young band, they put in a valiant effort to get the crowd warmed up. The crowd showed the band the respect they deserved, but seemed impatient and inattentive. Needless to say, The Mission In Motion should have no trouble building a local fanbase.

Travelling from the US with Story Of The Year were Chicago natives The Audition, who have a solid following in their own right. They played an energetic, highly entertaining set, and the crowd seemed to be thoroughly entertained. Lead singer Danny Greene was as charismatic as any headlining frontman, as the band tore their way through the finest songs off their debut and sophomore efforts. In a clever move, they closed with fan-favourite Don’t Be So Hard, and had the entire mosh eating out of their hand.

It wasn’t long before the lights went up, and Story of The Year roared into their opener, And The Hero Will Drown. The crowd was instantly caught up in the band’s frenetic energy – death circles were rife, and a constant onslaught of crowd-surfers gave the impression that half the crowd was levitating. The band gave their all for the entire set – which was laced with cuts from Page Avenue, In The Wake Of Determination and their newest work, The Black Swan. Frontman Dan Marsala worked the crowd like any seasoned professional, cracking jokes, flirting with the female demographic (via the brilliant Sidewalks ) and genuinely enjoying himself, as did the rest of the band.

Highlights were the improvised medley consisting of classics including Back In Black and Paradise City, as well as Rihanna’s Umbrella (which apparently whips Story Of The Year fans into a frenzy), as well as classics Anthem Of Our Dying Day, Take Me Back and Until The Day I Die and the hard-hitting Choose Your Fate off the latest album.

The only setback, at the end of one of the most energetic, refreshing sets this reviewer has ever had the joy of experiencing, was the band’s lack of encore. But as Marsala made clear, the band will be back later in the year for the Taste Of Chaos tour. If their Big Top show was any indication, Story Of The Year’s return to Australia is going to be one hell of an encore.