Shihad, Trial Kennedy, BlackDevil Yard Boss @ The Zoo(12/11/2010)

Mon 15th Nov, 2010 in Gig Reviews

For Black Devil Yard Boss, tonight’s proceedings must definitely bring a sense of deja vu. Only a little over a month ago they were opening for Dead Letter Circus, same slot, same venue. The first act nerves weed into their stoner blend of hard rock but as they garner more enthusiasm Pete Williamson pulls out the wah-drenched solos complete with behind the head shredding and teeth plucking. The band subscribe to a hedonistic view on rock n’ roll and they’re all about a good time. It’s not the most groundbreaking performance, but it’s thoroughly entertaining. The glass is half full, not half empty.

Back in 2008 Trial Kennedy appeared as if they might storm their way into Australian rock hegemony. Two years later, the hype surrounding them has all but evaporated. Tonight’s performance affirms that they have been using their relative plunge into obscurity wisely. Opening with Sunday Warning it almost sounds as if Tim Morrison’s voice has imploded, but once the blood flows into his voice box, he soars into the stratosphere with captivating sustain and projection. The band is keeping a tight lid on the impending release of their second album, with only two tracks injected into the New Manic Art -heavy setlist. The band’s stadium-worthy anthemic rock is equally as rapturous as it was in 2008 and the crowd wonders why the hell we ever forgot them. Colour Day Tours sees Morrison loosen his firm grip on the mic stand and provides an invitation for some tone-deaf members of the audience to lend their voice. “Good work team” proclaims guitarist Stacey Gray... well, not quite. Neighbours rounds off a triumphant return. Welcome back, guys.

The one thing that has drawn people to Shihad over the years is their consistency live. And judging from the high portion of people pushing forty, it’s been consistent for a long time. The band clearly pride themselves on delivering energetic , wallop-packing performances, and the band’s 20 year lifespan hasn’t caused them to lose focus. There are a few blemishes here and there, but they’re seldom noticeable.

Punters at first seem more excited by the fact the band is walking on to Black Sabbath’s Paranoid than the fact they’re actually about to play. The drone of Final Year of The Universe diverts attention back to where it is deserved. The stupefying lights reduce the four members to blackened silhouettes, but thankfully these blinding flashes are used sparingly as the set progresses.

The older material is the clear favourite tonight. No doubt the Brisbane audience are hungry since the Killjoy/General Electric shows skipped the sunshine state. Chaotic moshing erupts throughout the interior of The Zoo and almost everyone in the room sings in unison. Jon Toogood feeds off the energy but unlike other gigs, his monkey-bar routine is stumped by a lack of objects to scale. When he ventures out into the crowd they almost drop him, much to his displeasure.

Their experimentation with electronic sampling has been reduced on certain tracks, most notably, Rule The World. Some songs like Sport and Religion , however, still retain the familiar synths. Tom Larkin also provides more accompanying backing vocals, harmonising with the delivery of Toogood. To the left of stage, Phil Knight is once again conforming to his label as “the quiet one”.

The disruptive timing of I’m A Void is met with enthusiasm but obviously My Mind’s Sedate, The General Electric and Comfort Me are the clear favourites, leading the 400 strong audience to sound like a drunken choir. Originally the band had opted for Pacifier for their encore but a group chant of Home Again sees the band bow to pressure and Toogood decrees “let’s dance, people” and dance they did.