Northlane – Gig Review 21st October @ Capitol, Perth WA
Northlane
Capitol, Perth WA
October 21st, 2017
Supports: Erra, Sworn in and Once Almost Never
Northlane are doing what they do man, they’re sweeping across the nation with some of the biggest names in metalcore today, helping bands conduct their first ever Australian tours. Perth fans were lucky enough to be treated to Mesmer party on a Saturday night, so everyone flicked the switch to eleven.
Local band Once Almost Never was the soundtrack to the flooding fans into Capitol, playing some of their metalcore and ‘spacecore’ (self-proclaimed) tracks. The band delivered a creative fusion of cleans and growls and had a good time on stage. Admittedly, it was going to be challenging for the locals to live up to some of the names on the bill. Pressure aside, the band delivered an enjoyable set and showed potential.
The set times were well adhered to, and Sworn In seriously got the party jamming, reigning all the way from Illinois in the U.S. Fans were packed in like sardines at this point of the game, and the bartenders were certainly earning their wages. Sworn In didn’t muck around with their production-set, and as usual, the venue gave favours, delivering pristine sound. Between tracks from ‘All Smiles’ and ‘The Lovers / The Devil’, the American outfit spat out a disgustingly rough and dirty set, in the best kind of way. With an effortful sloppy growl, vocalist Tyler Dennen shared a party energy to Perth, who were lapping it up. Wearing a Queen tee and an old-school bent-rimmed cap, Dennen showcased the band’s unique style and direction. From crowd-surfing on stage, and mic grabs throughout, punters were well on their way to a grand evening. The set concluded after what felt like just a few minutes – a perfect set-up to a headline tour next time.
Following the absolutely electric set from Sworn In, it was time for Alabama-bred band Erra to transcend us into their fantasy world of progressive metalcore heaven. If you asked the average fan how they felt about Erra’s visit, you’re most likely to hear the word “finally” in there somewhere. Aussies have been frothing over these guys for far too long and this set couldn’t come soon enough. The talented musicians delivered a monstrous set, simply huge. Between the blistering breakdowns and the virtuoso riffs, the live aesthetic was incredible. Vocalist J.T Cavey was so primed for the evening; his growls were menacing and complemented the rhythmic sensations around hm. Playing tracks from albums like ‘Drift’ and ‘Augment’, fans were soaking it up. The pit was detonated with up-kept momentum throughout.
At this stage of the evening, necks were stretched and livers were working hard. The long-awaited headliners were ready to hit the stage for the first time in Perth in quite a while. Northlane’s digital and dynamic back-drop lit up as their opening riffs crumbled with bass across the venue to ‘Colourwave’ from Mesmer. Front-man Marcus Bridge has truly made the role his own, with a very individualised charisma. As usual the Aussie legends’ live aesthetic was super-tidy. From timeless hits throughout the Singularity era, to the more recent material, Northlane delivered a tidy cross-section of their back catalogue. ‘Dispossession’ and ‘Quantum Flux’ were inarguably highlights of the set, as Bridge harnessed the recorded sound and still demonstrates his ever-adaptability and respect of tracks like that. The energy of the evening incrementally grew and grew, fans could not get enough. Despite delivering a blistering rendition of ‘Paragon’ in the encore, the end of the set didn’t seem timely, as the evening had flown by so quickly, but of course fans accepted that the time had eventually arrived.
In terms of value for money, this evening’s proceedings certainly lived up to the cost of a ticket; absolute treat of an evening.
Gig Review by Ricky Aarons @rickysaul90
Featured Image by Olivia Reed.
Northlane – Mesmer World Tour Australia
Friday 27th Oct @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW
Saturday 28th Oct @ Brightside Carpark (New Venue), Brisbane QLD
