In typical Melbourne fashion, it’s cold and raining on a Friday night. I walk along Swanston Street and see the entrance of the Hi Fi Bar. Tonight’s gig is sold out. The barrier rope is unclipped by a bouncer. I feel extra special. At the counter, a girl reads a book, and only metres away, a dude is screaming into a microphone. “Yahargggghhh!” I turn the corner and enter the main room. The screaming becomes more intense. “Yahargggghhh!”

The bar doesn’t stock Stella beer. I grab myself a Boags, the next best thing. The bar area is a sweat box. I make my way through the crowd of leather, studs, long hair and fuck off t-shirts. The screaming stops and the support band finish. A guy blows out a puff of smoke and I walk through it. Oh, how I miss the cigarette.

Sound and stage crew set up for The Butterfly Effect. “Click 1…2…hey…click 1.” The Mapex bottle green drums glisten in the light. The bass is a little loud on the mix tape playing, but it pounds my body nicely. Smoke swirls in the lights above the crowd where a lone disco ball hangs. It’s the gritty smell of rock.

I position myself centre and middle. The lights dim ever so slightly and tease the audience. ‘Kyber’ fingers [see bottom of photo] and arms punch the air. A crowd chant begins. A slow rumble gets louder.  “But-ter-fly. But-ter-fly.” I smile. Guys in fuck off t-shirts chant But-ter-fly. A girl next to me jumps up and down and stands on my foot, as you do, in a crowd, this crowded.

A guy named Rolly says hello. “Have you ever seen Butterfly? You’ll love them. I saw them at the Falls Festival and they were unreal.”  “Nope,” I reply. “I’ve heard a bit about them.” Rolly and I chat a bit. He offers to clear a path for me to the front of the stage. I decline. A previous mad mosh incident saw my hair get caught in some guys’ jacket. Rolly smiles and goes for pole position up front. “See ya…”

Suddenly, a voice takes over the main room. “You have a grandstand seat here. You are about to see an explosion…” We get hit with a big drum and guitar lick. The lights go up and The Butterfly Effect open with ‘Always.’

The band is enjoying their gig. You can tell. Clint Boge sings to punters at the front. He grabs his shirt, arm stretches out. “Always, I will do anything for you,’ he sings and the lights go out. The crowd and the band are feeding off each other. The atmosphere is electric and crowd surfers are surfing. ‘One Second of Insanity’ comes on and Glenn Esmond, the bass guitarist yells at the crowd. “Yarghhh” The band are sounding tight and crisp. Slight microphone feedback is fixed.

The crowd are friendly this evening. Another guy stands next to me. “I saw these guys at the Big Day Out…what do you think?” he asks.  “Well I reckon’ they’re a bit of alright.” I left the Hi Fi Bar knowing that would probably be one of the last times The Butterfly Effect will play such an intimate gig.