The hugely anticipated Say Goodbye Tour, the last I Killed The Prom Queen show, was met with much anticipation on 27 May. It was a chilly Tuesday night down at the UCU Refectory with a large crowd lined up two hours prior to the open doors. The atmosphere was intense. Chanting, singing, music from mobile phones, nothing could dampen their spirits. The giant mass of black and the odd white shirt was filled with much shivering as they battled the cold for two long hours, before huddling slowly inside.
The night kicked off with Dead Kings playing to the lucky few who squeezed inside. With some harsh vocals and blazing drum beats, all who entered were mesmerised by the band. The mood was set. Kids, dads, mums, college kids, everyone was excited for the night. Slowly more of the crowd tunnelled their way onto the floor while the sound check played the Mario Brothers theme.
Soon the stage was set for the second act. The Ghost Inside were strangers to Canberra, but the crowd was loose and ready for some music. They played their breakdowns, starting a huge pit in the centre. Body touched body as everyone avoided the massive circle filled with gnawing, biting and loss of clothing. The vocalist had a few short words, then back to blasting the crowd with ear splitting breakdowns, sending the crowd wild.
When The Red Shore took up the stage, the crowd were restless from sound check and eager for some movement. A melodic instrumental preceded The Red Shore as they took the stage, leading the crowd into a set of intricate screaming, unique intros, mad solos and plenty of spit, combining the smell of sweaty teenagers and created a moving blob of stinking people moving in unison. They dedicated their set to their lost friends and it finished with the vocalist walking off stage, leaving the guitarist, bassist and the topless drummer to lead the crowd in an intense breakdown.
Screaming deafened the crowd’s ears as foreigners Bring Me The Horizon took the stage. The screaming girls and the pumped crowd were nothing compared to what came out the speakers. The band was just a blur – non-stop movement is the best way to describe the way the band moved on stage. Oliver Sykes was on his knees screaming until his face was red, while the guitarists and bassist head banged behind him.
The crowd went spastic as Bring Me The Horizon led them through an onslaught of songs such as They Have No Reflections and Pray For Plagues. New songs from their new album were played such as Football Season Is Over and featured everyone’s favorite Wall Of Death. The crowd was asked to join in and sing along, learning the line, “We will never sleep. Sleep is for the weak. We will never rest, till we’re fucking dead.” The set was filled with more spit, black eyes, groping, photos and tears, before it ended in a giant circle pit with a few blokes in the middle having a drink.
The moment of truth had arrived. Two massive banners featuring the famous dual snakes were situated on either side of a custom drum kit also bearing the logo. The lights went black as the crowd started up a chant, naming each individual member. Our successful home grown talent, I Killed The Prom Queen appeared on stage for their last show in Canberra, and no one in the room was going to miss this chance. The build up of the night loosened up the crowd for this one moment as I Killed The Prom Queen broke into their first song.
The crowd was filled with plenty of crowd surfing, head banging, loose clothing, blood, lost glasses, sweat. They played a predetermined set-list full of their best tunes: old and new. The crowd was keen for some sing along during Say Goodbye and when they walked off stage, instantly another chant begun for “One More Song”. As the intro music for Sharks In Your Mouth was played the crowd cheered while the band made their way back on stage for one last song. Three and a half minutes of pure ecstasy. The crowd was thrown into a mad frenzy of moshing and screaming. Girls and boys both moved flawlessly as Michael Crafter gave opportunities for the crowd to sing and the crowd bounced in time to the rhythm of the guitars.
After the song had finished and I Killed The Prom Queen departed, cheered by loyal fans, the floor had emptied and the aftermath was clear. The floor was filled with dirt, discarded clothing, blood and flyers. After seven years of success and hard work, this was truly a fitting end to I Killed The Prom Queen.
