Suicidal Tendencies @ Capitol,Perth (18/05/11)

Sun 22nd May, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Everything was angry and fun and friendly and intense on Wednesday night at the Capitol when Suicidal Tendencies skated into town to conclude their Australian leg and first set of dates in 2011, as part of the Join the Army/Deja-Vu Tour.

Vale Battletruk (2005-2011). Playing their last ever gig, they were able to leave it all out on the stage last night. Thrashpunking their way through a brief yet brutal set, there was little time for semantics. It was nothing but short, sharp gut punches as they daggered their way into the healthy crowd’s swollen belly.

With songs like Fuk Them and Born to Kill it’s not dinner music, unless you’re Jeffrey Dahmer. Jesse Kuillotine flipped out thrash riffs at a mile a minute while Cory Day kept pace with his spiteful vocals. He announced this was “our 4th last song” and seemingly five minutes later it was all over, counting down the last few, fatal blows before they nonchalantly strolled off, as if nothing had happened.

From the Southwest of Western Australia Pillar of Hope served as the cleanser before the main act. Though cleansing they were not. They were rough, raw and bit back hard – just what was ordered. Being not from around here they were clearly unfamiliar to many in the crowd who so regularly dined upon Battletruk, yet they were not of totally foreign flavours and formed a fitting bridge to Suicidal Tendencies with their skate punk and general not giving a fuk (sic).

Their sound leaned more towards traditional punk, as did their salty attitude, and their songs were a minute or two of simple yet pointed riffs smothered in nosegrinding vocals. It was welcoming, yet somehow unsettling, sort of like being invited over for dinner by Jeffrey Dahmer. It was all about being yourself, aggressively so, and skating, aggressively so.

The cheers after the fade out of each jarringly smooth tune now being broadcast through the PA were steadily growing in fervour and just as they were reaching fever pitch they were replaced by the eerie guitar swells that signalled the strangely pretty intro to You Can’t Bring Me Down before the utterance of the words we’d all been waiting to hear – “What the hell’s going on around here?!”

You Can’t Bring Me Down led straight into another Suicidal staple Institutionalized. A song which outlines the importance of timely and acquiescent provision of Pepsi? I don’t know. You have to listen to it…

Although he may not have as much hair or agility as he once did, frontman Mike Muir has lost no ability to incite a riotous response from an audience. Muir was in fine form, elbowing his way through invisible faces on the stage and delivering the vocals with almost as much intensity as his signature filibustering between songs.

During the speeches bass player Steve Bruner and guitarist Dean Pleasants would widdle away, adding effect but somewhat obscuring the message of Muir, which was usually either something regarding the hardships of growing up and the importance of self-awareness and trusting one’s own endeavours or his next planned skating expedition.

Suicidal Tendencies have a sound all of their own. A unique blend of hardcore punk and skate, thrash and funk, they really are one of a kind. They take the technical aspects of funk and metal and implant the heart and soul of the punk movement, then proudly display their Frankenstein creation through songs such as Possessed to Skate, War Inside My Head and Send Me Your Money where room is found for both Muir’s verbal venting and the bands musical prowess. There are also allowances for the melodrama of How Will I Laugh Tomorrow through to the comedy of I Saw Your Mommy.

Whatever the name suggests, there’s a positive vibe of personal empowerment emanating from the stage and through the band and their “third family”, the importance of which outlined by Muir in one of his pontifications. Longest surviving member (founder Muir aside) guitarist Mike Clark could be seen revelling in the response, getting in and amongst the fans and high-fiving the audience, even fisting.

The emotion and message best summed up in the final song Pledge Your Allegiance where half the fans present join and are united with the band on stage while they do their best to continue playing amongst and as part of the swarm.