Fear Factory + Devil Driver +Dry Kill Logic @ Luna Park,Sydney (16/09/06)

Wed 20th Sep, 2006 in Gig Reviews

It was the night the Dark Lord came to town as three of the biggest and brightest metal bands played the Big Top at Sydney’s Luna Park in what was to be a breathtaking experience for all.

With people queuing from early morning to guarantee a prime spot at the front, or to make an early start in the moshpit, an anxiety fell over the crowd as they had dreamt of witnessing this day for a while now.

I had decided to try and review this gig from the front row, which was a first for me, as I wanted to encapsulate the passion of the fans around me. I think I received more bumps and bruises than I have ever before!

Five minutes after everyone had settled into their respective places Dry Kill Logic took the stage to a mixed reaction from the fans. Many were virgins to the sound of the band, and did not know what to expect, while the people who had, were as excited as if they were headlining!

As soon as they started up it was obvious that they were going to be a crowd favourite. Massive vocal scream, heavy bass and guitar riffs and a drummer who if looks could kill, would have left none standing.

Their lead singer, providing just the right amount of ego and charisma to make for a very absorbing listen, dedicated a song to radio executives looking for a radio hit out of the band. What they got, was the heaviest, most vile song Dry Kill Logic could muster, which made the crowd go crazy with anticipation, talk already arupting around me about getting to a record store to pick up the new album.

Dedicating the gig to Dimebag is always a certainty to win over the honest metal fan, and the crowd certainly let Dry Kill Logic know what they thought with raucous applause throughout their short set.

A short breath of air was needed between their set and Devildriver, and moment to comprehend what the rest of the gig would be like if the first act were so tight. The room was full at this point, some afterward rueing coming late not knowing Dry Kill Logic were in fact playing.

Devildriver came on to an even louder applause as everyone in the room at least knew them by reputation if they weren’t already a diehard fan. From the first killer double-kick, they rarely stopped playing, letting very little time for breathing as the crush at the front from the moshpit was immense.

Playing crowd favourite Hold Back the Day, the largest circle pit ever erupted spanning the whole room on the request of the band, the flailing arms and legs of the black clad metal heads was almost as incredible as everyone in the room singing the lyrics as loud as they could in the most guttural voice they could muster.

As Devildriver left the stage to a massive cheer, the crowd were forced into an agonizing wait as the road crew attempted to move as slow as possible setting up the stage.

When the first note was hit to tune a guitar however, the sound was twice as loud as the previous two bands, which made the mood in the room raise another notch of anticipation. With most people having seen them at Big Day Out a few years back, they only knew half of what to expect.

Fear Factory entered the stage with the most energy and enthusiasm. Stomping back and forth through their set they all covered as much of the stage as they could playing up to the fans who had spent so long waiting for them to arrive.

The massive sound thumped through my chest keeping me alive, as one of the most respected and innovative metal bands showed us why they are rated so highly.

Playing an eclectic set, that spanned all their releases, most notably ‘Cyberwaste’ and ‘Linchpin’ received the greatest cheer. The band never hesitated in letting the crowd sing, with a moment at least in all songs dedicated to crowd participation, which the crowd devoured, taking their moment to sing as if they were auditioning for the band itself.

Stopping to take his shirt off; lead singer Burton Bell stops to lead a brief memorial to the late Dimebag Darrell, to massive cheers from the crowd, the band reciprocate by playing a minute of walk to the ultimate joy of everyone, who recognsze what was lost the day that a madman stormed the Pantera gig in the U.S. A minute simply was not enough for everyone who shouted for more. They were placated by the band jumping into a lively version of ‘Replica’ to finish off the set to the appreciative cheers of a crowd that expected a massive encore.

As the lights dimmed once again, chants and cheers went out to the band, demanding them back on stage for a few more songs. Burton took the stage himself, giving a passionate retelling of

Timelessness under a single spotlight. Eyes closed, it was impossible not to be moved by the synth driven metal ballad.

As it ended the crowd, most of whom would have doubted the songs choice as an encore, raised the roof once again at the moment they had just witnessed between a lyricist and a song that suddenly so much more beautiful.

Burton left the stage for the final time, not to return as the crowd desperately hoped and expected as the lights stayed dimmed for well over 3 minutes at the end.

Asking people at the end what they thought, I received a mixture of responses but all good. One person needed a moment to digest what he had just witnessed, others knowing that they would have to wait a while for a bill that packed with killer material to roll into town again.