The Amity Affliction, AskingAlexandria, Skyway @ TheTivoli, Brisbane (06/10/2011)

Mon 10th Oct, 2011 in Gig Reviews

The afternoon was a wet one for those who arrived before doors opened at The Tivoli for the over 18-ers. If anticipation was high for the “F@!k the Reaper” show ahead of them, it was hard to tell from the subdued atmosphere outside. The line started moving pretty much on time, but it was nowhere near the length it was for the previous day’s all ages show, nor were there the screams of excitement when security started bag checks.

Kicking the night off was local band Fires of Waco. They had the tough gig of opening for the 18+ show, and without the excitement of the kids in the audience their job became a hell of a lot harder. It felt like they had a rocky start but pulled it together quite quickly and ended up having the audience warm to them about halfway through their very short set. Despite their decent performance, their sound just feels better suited to smaller club shows and it felt like they were just marking time until the real show started.

A speedy changeover and next up was Skyway. From first impressions it felt like they would be out of place next to the headliners, but the Gold Coast pop-punkers brought an immediate energy into the mix and shook everyone out of their cool-induced comas. If anyone was in the mood for punk-jumps they more than got their fill during Skyway’s set as they featured their recently-released debut full-length Finders Keepers. They brought a fun tone to a night that otherwise felt very serious.

People were still rocking up to the venue at this point of the night, obviously only there to see the big names of the night. The Tivoli was finally filling up before Asking Alexandria went front and centre and the English hardcore dudes walked out amidst deafening screams. Although they obviously had a solid fan base, they didn’t exactly go out of their way to win over the uninitiated. First impressions weren’t great – when the lead vocalist is wearing his own bands merchandise things go downhill pretty quickly. As performers, they were good enough, but it felt like each song blurred together and there was no compensation, nothing special that stood out and made them great. Those who were massive fans of Asking Alexandria already loved every minute and were left more than satisfied.

The changeover this time felt a lot longer, with the wittier lovers of The Amity Affliction in the audience saying it “seemed like forever” (a little lyrical joke for those who haven’t heard a great deal from the Brisbane boys). At long last a tech pressed that amazing button which began the intro music and the night began with RIP Foghorn. The cries of “We’re all in this together” seemed accentuated by the proud family members of the band watching the show from side of stage and made the whole night feel very personal. They drew most of their songs from full-length album Youngbloods with HMAS Lookback and Dr Thunder particularly standing out. They only threw in a couple of oldies from Severed Ties and beyond, but when the crowd was noticeably quieter during these numbers you could see why. The night featured a couple of stage dives by hard vocalist Joel Birch who went out of his way to connect with fans throughout the whole performance. They wrapped up the night with hit song Anchors, only to reappear for their encore with the album opener I Hate Hartley. Afterwards Birch came back down to shake hands with anyone who had hung around, getting a few fan photos and giving out some sweaty hugs.