Parkway Drive, Carpathian,Bellevue, Knife to a Gunfight@ Engadine Community Hall,Sydney; 21/1/07

Wed 24th Jan, 2007 in Gig Reviews

Parkway Drive returned with Carpathian to Engadine Community Centre as part of an All Ages tour along the East Coast. An afternoon show was always promising to be a hot one and the heat felt as though it was turned up inside the community centre as temperatures reached mid 30s in the shade.

Arriving mid-way through Knife to a Gunfight’s set; I was greeted by a wave of youngsters, eagerly embracing the metalcore being delivered from the energetic band. A strong contingent of fans dominated the mosh pit, not paying any attention to a poor effort from security to stop moshing, a mediocre cardboard sign reading “No Moshing”.

At the end of the set, the courtyard swelled, kids eager to get some fresh air and air out their skinny leg jeans. Many kids getting the chance to meet members from both Knife to a Gunfight, Bellevue and get photos with some of the members for Parkway Drive and Carpathian.

Bellevue came on next, their lead singer claiming they had become the “backstreet boys” of the circuit with their mix of brutal I Killed the Prom Queen (IKTPQ) like vocals and melodic emo sing along. Front man Jim enjoyed the stage and the heat, bouncing around energetically at times running into band members. The stage presence of the band revolved all around the front man who was all over the stage, never staying in the one place for longer than a couple of notes. Bellevue finished the set with a promise to return back soon, despite the less than enthusiastic reception from the crowd. Despite front man Jim’s best effort to engage the crowd, their energy was unable to be reciprocated.

Carpathian is a band I always enjoy seeing, the lead singer Michael Crafter from IKTPQ fame never failing to please a crowd. Carpathian delivered a near perfect set, a common occurrence which is built upon from their continual touring. Despite line up changes in the last year with new guitarist Josh joining the fold just recently, their stage show has continued to grow. Their style of hardcore differs from the ever increasing popularity of Parkway Drive and yet the two styles seem to complement each other, both bands quite obviously being good friends.

The crowd seemed to enjoy every minute of Carpathian’s set, stage diving and circle pits were the order of the day, kids of all ages (including the enthusiastic ECHC boys) ignoring the heat. The best vantage point seemed to be from the balcony above the pit or from onstage, with numerous kids jumping up onto the stage. Despite the lack of (or non-existence) of security this was in no way a negative factor with no unrest. A wall of death spurred on by Crafter (if you don’t know what it is search you tube for it) seemed to those watching to be quite stupid, was lapped up by the eager moshers. Carpathian’s set ended with a crowd favourite, “End of the World” with Crafter mobbed on stage with gig-goers seizing the microphone.

Parkway Drive stormed the stage with set opener “Gimmie AD”, a circle pit erupting immediately. From the moment Luke Kilpatrick’s guitar opened up to the last, almost unnerving riff of “Cold Day in Hell” the crowd was rapt, eyes never leaving the stage; unless it was to watch the antics from the mosh pit. The crowd rushed to the front of the stage every time Winston McCall got help from the crowd with the vocals, one lucky kid storming the stage, stealing the microphone and finishing set closer “Smoke Em’ If You Got Em’” with Winston standing back and applauding.

Parkway Drive delivered yet another tight, explosive set with favourites igniting the crowd, “Mutiny”, “Romance is Dead” and “Pandora” being well received. The new song that added to the set offers a taste into the follow up full length to the successful “Killing with a Smile”. This new song “Feed them to the Pigs” stirs memories of old school hardcore with the circle pit erupting with animated kids embracing the breakdowns.

Despite the extreme heat within the community centre, the crowd devoured every note and asked for more; more breakdowns and more punishment from within the pit. The encore, “Cold Day in Hell” has become the staple closer for sets and was, as was every other song, thoroughly enjoyed by the fervent crowd.

With the day ending at approximately 7.30 pm, a “youngen’ friendly” time slot, the crowd left with nothing but praise for the day, an ultimately enjoyable day which charts Carpathian rise in popularity, the continued dominance of Parkway Drive within the hardcore/metalcore genre and the chance for fans of both to enjoy some local talent.