Kill Your Scene

First shows of a major tour are always fun to be a part of. The enthusiasm is elevated and everyone, including other band members, is attentive to the entire show. The first night of House Vs. Hurricane’s release tour for Crooked Teeth was by no means an exception.

First to the stage was Heights, all the way in from the UK. They kicked the night off in an uncomfortably humid venue with impressive stage presence and energy while punters trickled into the venue. Their set opened with ‘Heights Is Dead’ and straight from the gates they held not a single restraint, further legitimising why they were chosen for this tour. Their spirit remained high despite a few stone-faces in the crowd and they were quick to reward those who fed back on their energy. Vocalist Alex Monty charged into the audience during the very first song, letting everyone know that those stone faces weren’t going to fly. It didn’t take long for the audience to take to their music and get into it. Every member of Heights contributed to their on stage presence, vehemently singing along, jumping around and damn near breaking their necks.

Next up was Sydney’s Northlane who have always had a huge following in Brisvegas, and which has only grown since they were last here as part of the August Burns Red tour. It didn’t take long for the room to pack in, and as soon as opening song ‘Abrasumente’ began, the crowd sprang into a fury. On stage, all five members match, if not rival, the energy given by the crowd, which is an impressive accomplishment, considering how strong their following is and how passionate their fans are. ‘Corruption’ kicked off a plethora of mic grabs, jumping and moshing that didn’t waiver at all throughout remainder of their six song set. There was an infectious energy throughout the room, not just from the fans showing their love for this band, but also in the vivacity given out from the guys themselves. Punters went all out during their closing song ‘Transcending Dimensions’, leaving one kid with a broken nose. From the barriers back was packed about 15 kids deep across the entire stage front before the mosh pit even started, and not a single one of them kept their feet on the ground. However, the elevation in excitement that was created during their set was only the beginning of what was to come.

Following a local Australian giant such as Northlane is always a tough thing to do. However, I’ve known about Sheffield’s While She Sleeps for a few years now, and I had absolutely no doubt that they were more than ready for the challenge. WSS have been slamming the European festival and touring scene for years now and it is undoubtedly reflected in their polished, yet raw performance. From the moment they stepped on stage they provoked and commanded participation; a call which did not go unanswered. The crowd had thinned out during change overs, but it didn’t stay that way. By the time WSS began their second song, ‘The North Stands For Nothing’, the room was back to being packed – half with passionate fans, and half with curious faces compelled back inside after hearing their opening song ‘Dead Behind The Eyes’. Being one of the band’s favourite and most meaningful songs, ‘The North’ absolutely went off and raised the bar for what was expected from the rest of their time on stage. Enticing circle pits, the audience battling for mic time, stripping of clothes, a sea of middle fingers during ‘Believe’, crowd surfing, stage dives from their vocalist (including a notably graceful roll back onto stage), mosh pits, jumping around, and being hard pressed against the stage barriers were just a few of the highlights that occurred. Even if someone was too drunk to jump around (there were a few), there wasn’t a single head in the entire room that was motionless. Every member of the five-piece was exerting nothing less than 100% dedication to giving Brisbane an impressive performance. Festival stage or Tempo Hotel, either way, you were getting way more than your money’s worth. Their collective energy and passion for their music seemed inexhaustible and it was refreshing to see that after six years, they still carry that dedication as if it was brand new. They deserve every drop of notoriety they have now and much more. Personally, the best part was seeing the look on the faces of their tour mates as they were watching the WSS set for the first time of the tour – a bit of awe mixed with a bit of “oh shit”. No doubt, we will be seeing much, much more from While She Sleeps very soon.

Following While She Sleep’s memorable set was House Vs. Hurricane from Melbourne, on tour to celebrate the release of their latest album, ‘Crooked Teeth’, and are more than ready to take the stage. During almost every interview the band talks about how new front man Dan Casey is a highlight of their live show, giving relentless energy tinged with a sprinkling of craziness. If you doubt those claims made by the band, be sure to go to their show when it is in your city so all doubt can be quickly removed. Casey delivers just that, if not more, owning the stage with his performance. As soon as ‘40 Deep’ began, opening the set, the crowd immediately went mental. There were so many people singing along that it was notably audible, even before Casey started handing out the microphone. ‘Get Wrecked’ showcased their polished instrumentals, playing as tight live as they are recorded. For some reason there seemed to be a theme of people throwing around their clothes, which left me only slightly curious as to what they were left wearing. Last time I saw people strip at a hardcore show, it was because it was pissing down rain, so I’m not sure exactly what was going on inside Tempo that night, but regardless, all eyes were glued the stage. Even when the set slowed down for ‘Moonshine’ their performance never wavered in intensity or dynamic. ‘Head Cold’ brought on more crowd surfing than security cared to handle which resulted in a few head injuries – at least until tour manager Mitch Stace stepped in and informed them how to do their jobs properly. They weren’t happy about it, but damn if they didn’t follow his orders. When HVH exited the stage after ‘Haters Gonna Hate’, it became quite apparent that Brisbane hadn’t had enough, shit security or not. HVH were quickly summoned back on stage by the roar of “one more song” and cracked into ‘Virtue’. Punters took every second of last chance opportunity to go mental and closed the night off on a high. Overall, their live show was very impressive in terms of performance and raw effort. So while fog machines and confetti cannons are cool for some bands, House Vs Hurricane don’t need any of that to make you say ‘Wow’.

The entire show, from Heights to House Vs Hurricane, there was a vibrant liveliness throughout the room emulating from both the crowd and the performers. Both local Australian favourites and compelling internationals brought to the stage a charismatic and outstanding performances and the audience absorbed every ounce of it. You will truly be missing out if you don’t make it to one of the many shows on this tour, so do what you need to in order to witness this impressive collection of bands.

Pictures taken by Miss Lany’s Photography

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