Rise Against @ ChallengeStadium, Perth (23/07/11)

Thu 4th Aug, 2011 in Gig Reviews

It has been two years since Rise Against have graced Australia with a headline tour. They return to our shores with a significantly larger legion of fans.
After playing smaller club shows like Metro City a mere two years ago the boys are now filling up larger venues such as Challenge Stadium. The rise in the number of fans would be aided by recent radio play of their latest two singles Help is on the way and Make it stop and choice of supports; hardcore veterans from New York City, Sick of it All and local lads Break Even.

Usually when the first support band plays the room is near empty. Tonight the venue was half full when Perth’s very own, Break Even took the stage. Break Even have a strong following, reflected by the size of the crowd, with more than a few people screaming the songs word for word back at the band. Front man Mark Bawden is passionate; he draws you in with his intense performance. The set satiated loyal fans and won new fans. Ending with crowd favorite Run for your life they left the punters well and truly warmed up for the second support act, hardcore legends, Sick of it All.

Sick of it All stormed on to the stage and wasted no time in commanding the audience’s attention. They made it clear that their purpose was to warm the crowd up for headliners, Rise Against, and they were not going to leave the stage until that mission was completed. They radiated raw, intense energy and gave the audience a lesson in classic hardcore. Vocalist Lou Koller’s guttural screams paired with crunching riffs and fast, hard drumming was perhaps too much for those not prepared for old school hardcore.

Nevertheless, it was an entertaining show as the boys ran amok on stage. Having his foot smashed earlier in the afternoon did not seem to affect guitarist Pete Koller’s fiery performance. Pete and bassist Craig Setari showed off their coordination skills by two stepping whilst playing. It is obvious that Rise Against really are Sick of it All fan boys as they could be seen enjoying the show from side of stage. As the band prepared the GA section for a wall of death they informed the crowd that they ‘Invented this shit’. Lou introduced Built to Last as a cover of Rise Against covering Sick of it All. Surprising the fans, Rise Against front man Tim McIlrath joined them for the last bit of the song. It is safe to say that they completed their mission of preparing the crowd for the headliners.

You could feel the energy rise as the venue went dark and sounds of an electric guitar began emanating from the speakers. Once the shadowy figures on the stage became visible, the crowd turned into a sea of raised fists. The loud war cry ‘RISE!’ could probably be heard a few blocks away as the band launched into Chamber the Cartridge.

The members of Rise Against are one big ball of energy that just cannot be contained. By the end of the night, there was not a single space on that stage unused. Bassist Joe Principe and lead guitarist Zach Blair swapped mics so often it was difficult to keep up with who was where. They may not always be technically perfect, but who expects perfection at a punk show? At a punk show people are interested in passion, and there was no shortage of that tonight. The band gave a nod to their long time fans by playing Heaven Knows a song off their second album Revolutions per Minute.

Rise Against are well known for writing politically charged material. But they also write about relationships and challenges that people face in everyday life. Survive was dedicated to those who have faced particularly difficult times over the past two years.
The band vacated the stage leaving McIlrath bathed under a spotlight, acoustic guitar in hand. It was now time to give the fans a break, slowing things down by playing Swing life Away and Hero of War. While it was the punters turn to rest it was the securities turn to work as they tried to put out the lighters that people were waving around during the slower songs.

Rise Against amped the atmosphere back up by playing faster track Ready to Fall before disappearing to the maze backstage (Blair mentioned that he almost didn’t find his way back to the stage earlier.) They didn’t wait long before they returned for an encore. McIlrath explained that one of the many lessons that they have learned from friends Sick of it All is that music is more than just entertainment. A perfect way to segue into song Entertainment. The show was ended in frenzy with popular songs Savior and Give it all.

Evidently a lot of punters shuffled away into the night shoeless judging by the amount of footwear left on the floor, this seems to be the norm at a Rise Against show. Rise Against created yet another memorable show that none in attendance will soon forget.