Boys of Summer @ The GovernorHindmarsh, Adelaide (25/01/10)

Fri 29th Jan, 2010 in Gig Reviews

The Macbeth Boys of Summer tour seems to cater to a slightly different audience each year. Previous headliners include I Killed The Prom Queen, Silverstein and Comeback Kid. Buffalo’s Every Time I Die can now be added to that list as they wrap up the 2010 leg of the annual tour.

Kicking off the evening were Woolongong’s Mary Jane Kelly. They would have been quite enjoyable, were it not for singer, Justin Bortignon, being constantly out of breath and spending almost as much time on the floor as he did on his feet. His vocals were strong for the majority of the set but he was obviously physically exhausted which distracted somewhat from the rest of the band’s set. Mary Jane Kelly played songs mostly from their EP, Our Streets Turn White including: Sinking Ships To Burning Cars and Broken Hips Burnt Cigars, but also gave a sample of their forthcoming album, to be released on March 5th.

Also releasing their debut album on March 5th are synth-hardcore group, House Vs Hurricane. These lads bring a completely new perspective to hardcore. While synthesisers are not uncommon in metal and alternative rock these days, it’s relatively uncharted territory in the world of hardcore. They pull it off, wonderfully. Chris Dicker is an entertaining performer, engaging the slowly expanding audience. The Only Virtue and Seeing Things Through Water were crowd favorites, but it was Experiments (off the forthcoming album) that got everybody in the middle moving. House Vs Hurricane are a band who need to be seen to be fully appreciated. Their sound is unique but with enough familiarity that any fans of hardcore can get involved.

After a shaky start, 50 Lions got into their routine of putting on a great hardcore set. Vocalist Oscar McCall encouraged the pit to get moving which resulted in several fans ending up on the stage itself. But that is what one has come to expect from a 50 Lions show. Pulling out their set regulars including Redefine, The Realness and Living Hell, guitarists Michael Elmesc and Luke Bainbridge tore up the stage. A few new songs including Life Expires off the band’s upcoming release Where Life Expires, were received well. Watching the band perform, it is clear they are well travelled. Engaging the audience and getting them involved in the set seems to be second nature for the members of 50 Lions, which seems to be a large part of their appeal.
50 Lions’ album will be released October 23rd on Resist Records.

Touring Australia for the second time in just under a year, one could not say that Buffalo’s Every Time I Die do not care about their fans abroad. By the time the boys took to the stage, The Gov was packed and buzzing with anticipation. Wasting no time, Keith Buckley ripped into Roman Holiday and Marvelous Slut, both off the band’s latest release, New Junk Aesthetic. Guitarist Jordan Buckley stole the show. His energy seemed endless and his antics, including removing his guitar several times while playing just for the heck of it and jumping off the bass drum, were entertaining. While the rest of the band performed solidly, it was the Buckley brothers who were the ones to watch.

A healthy mix of old and new songs kept everybody happy for the most part. In the first half of the show, punters at the front yelled out song requests at every opportunity much to the amusement of the band. Keith was particularly taken aback calling out; “What is this? A fucking variety show? We’re not taking requests!” There was no need for fans to worry. While most of the set contained songs from the band’s previous three full-length releases, oldies Ebolorama and Floater off Hot Damn! also got a play, much to the punters’ delight. Every Time I Die’s energy was contagious, with bodies in the mosh pit flying around, on and off the stage.

At the end of the set the band returned to the stage to a chant of “one more song! One more song!”. “Good thing you only want one more song, we’ve only got one more song!” Keith yelled back before launching into Kill The Music.

It’s not just their strong musical performances that make Every Time I Die a captivating and powerful live band, but also their ability to engage the audience throughout their performance, their sense of humour, and general affection towards fans.

There were high-5s all ‘round, and then they were gone, with fans left more than satisfied. Given their obvious love of Australia, it seems likely Every Time I Die will be back in the not too distant future.