Shihad- Gig Review and Photo Gallery 1st July @ The Triffid, Brisbane

Posted on July 3, 2016 by walladmin

Shihad
The Triffid, Brisbane
1st July, 2016
Supported by Grenadiers and The Iron Eye

The Triffid has fast become one of Brisbane’s best venues for live entertainment, from the general aesthetic of the interior to the way sound travels within the hanger, it’s the place audiophiles have been dreaming about for many moons. Tonight, New Zealand rockers Shihad were returning to Queensland for the East Coasts dates of their 2016 Australian tour, and with the dusting having settled from 2014’s Fvey tour, the fans were eagerly keen to kick it up again.

The Iron Eye open the evening, the three piece act packing a heavy punch with their chunky prog inspired riffs and tight bass hooks. “We’re playing some new material tonight”, says singer/guitarist, Nick Lythall, “but if you have never seen us before, then it’s all new for you”. The band have a certain presence about them, in the vein of Queens Of The Stone Age meets Biffy Clyro; big guitars, soaring vocals and hard hitting drum and bass. Just Started has a real Nothing But Thieves vibe, while Open Sore proves to be a favourite amongst the crowd. The Iron Eye do well at making new fans and influencing people, the buzz around the room is electric. The only downside to their set is that there’s no EP’s for sale afterwards – Dear TIE, hurry up with the music!

The Grenadiers follow suit; keeping the banter and bullshit to a minimum, and delivering a decent serving of hard hitting punk rock to the masses. Bassist Phil is animated as he jumps around the stage, and drummer Jimmy smashes his kit with furious sweeps across the toms. Frontman Jesse rips incredible licks from his Les Paul guitar, being able to pull off some incredible fretwork while keeping his vocals on point. “Hope you’re all too hungover to vote tomorrow”, he jokes with the crowd, “and don’t forget to grab a democracy sausage”, a joke that would go on to become the biggest trending topic for Australia’s election the following day. Summer, Crimson and Factotum are a balls out punk rocking frenzy, while tracks like Stay Inside take on a more Californian desert sessions vibe.

With Black Sabbath’s Iron Man blasting out the PA speakers and the lights dimming down, Shihad take to the stage and the crowd waste no time in giving them a roaring welcome. Their set explodes with “Home Again“, “Ghost From The Past“, and the industrial groove of “Yr Head Is A Rock“. Jon Toogood welcomes the crowd to the show, and asks how many have purchased their self-titled record, before speaking about stealing Regurgitator producer Lachlan Goold AKA Magoo to work on their EP Blue Light Disco before tearing into “Interconnector“. Toogood shows true showman ships as he engages with the crowd, from getting the whole crowd jumping along to “Wait & See“, to letting the crowd dominate the vocals in “My Mind Sedate“; there’s also plenty of stomping around the stage and jumping on and off fold back speakers – the energy is electric, flowing through both the band and the fans.

Between shoutouts to Brisbane, to dedicating a special happy birthday to front row fan Amber, Toogood speaks about their most recent release Fvey (Five Eyes). “Two years ago, we were pissed off at Tony Abbott as Prime Minister”, and the crowd throw their arms up, the masses felt the same. “I believe the world is a little devoid of charity and kindness, and so without further ado, this song is called Think You’re So Free”, before belting out the politically charged anthem. “Cheap As” is declared as Toogood’s favourite song, as he asks the crowd to cheer back “Cheap As Fuck!” when the chorus comes around, and with an encore performance of “You Again” from their second album Killjoy, the band wave good night to the crowd and depart the stage.

Review and Pics by Wezzy Cruze