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It is a bit cliche to wear a band tee to that specific band’s concert, unless purchased at the merch stand. This rule does not apply however, if the bands in question are Slayer and Megadeth. A sea of black shirts is seen making its way through Queen Street Mall towards the Riverstage for tonight’s double headliner.

With the bill boasting two of the Big Four Of Thrash, the punters are gearing (and drinking) up for a big night of world class metal on a Wednesday night. Despite a very small line to enter the Riverstage, the venue is close to empty when opener Double Dragon begin, save for the 18+ drinking area, which is getting a workout. Double Dragon keep it short and sweet, busting out as many headbangers as 20 minutes will allow them, knowing all too well that a Slayer crowd wouldn’t be terribly easy to win over. In the end they don’t escape the inevitable “Slayer” cries between songs.

Megadeth kick off their set at 7pm with Set The World Afire and people are still slowly filing through the gates. Crowd reaction is poor giving little more than a nod to their first songs. The stage holds 36 Marshall cabinets, no doubt only 1 or 2 of them plugged in with main man Dave Mustaine sporting a very metal Flying V axe. After a slight adjustment to the mix, early highlight Hangar 18 gets punters moving and running down the hill with devilhorns in the air. Most Megadeth fans tonight would have been in the pram when Mustaine and co. were first playing these songs, but that doesn’t stop them air-guitaring their little hearts out. We are treated with a few more – œdeth songs with a no bullshit approach to filler in-between. The band keep their heads down and hair over their eyes and let the music do the talking – and it speaks louder than any of them could.

Mustaine briefly plugs new album Endgame before launching into Headcrusher. By this time the paved front of the Riverstage is full and a small moshpit has formed up in the nosebleeds. New guitarist Chris Broderick brings big wailing solos which are well received through the venue’s PA, but there are no twenty minute guitar-shredding affairs and it is obvious that the guys are trying to get through as many hits from their back catalogue as possible. Mustaine announces quickly “this song was written before some of you were even born” reminding revellers of their veteran status, even in a “second headliner” position, before kicking off Rattlehead, which is followed by straight up and down renditions of Symphony Of Destruction and Peace Sells.

The band leave the stage momentarily and return with Mustaine finally addressing his audience. He tells the audience he isn’t here on the other side of the world to fuck around and introduces the current line-up of his ever changing band, before exclaiming, “You guys can call me Dave, this song is called Holy Wars” – finishing up an unbelievably tight set, all before 8:30pm.

The bar area receives a halftime surge as a giant white sheet is erected in front of the stage, and pyrotechnics are seen warming up. It feels like we’re going to be in for a good one, with chants for the kings of thrash metal.

The lights die and the sheet drops to reveal the four members of Slayer in front of the wall of Marshalls behind, now with a giant metal Slayer pentagram hanging from the roof.

Slayer have undeniable stage presence with vocalist Tom Araya already windmill headbanging to new song and set opener World Painted Blood before screaming War Ensemble and launching into the thrash anthem. Kerry King ’s signature tribal Flying V stands out in the mix, with his guitar work defying rumours of sloppy playing as it cuts through with extreme technical precision. Unfortunately the vocals and second guitar are lost somewhere, probably behind the double kicks worthy of an assault charge.

Slayer deliver songs old and new with the likes of Jihad new album standout Psychopathy Red and Mandatory Suicide. There’s only so many songs you can throw into an hour set when you have ten albums to draw from, but the rest of Slayer’s set is the greatest hits, until Hell Awaits sees the steel pentagram backdrop becoming engulfed in flames; the fire atop the wall of cabs sends surges of heat into the crowd.

In a truly satanic scene the shaky red strobe lights switch between King, Jeff Hanneman and Dave Lombardo, as they all play extended solos in Angel Of Death. Hanneman’s guitar is practically inaudible over the drums as he sends menacing looks to the front of house engineer. Slayer leave the stage after Angel Of Death and they return quickly after a short chant to pound out South Of Heaven. Araya thanks the crowd and Megadeth before the familiar opening drums to Raining Blood shake the outdoor arena, and the night is over before it seemed to even begin.