Gig

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes - Gig Review & Photo Gallery 5th February @ Capitol, Perth WA

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

/10

Feb 6, 2018

7 min read

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
Capitol, Perth WA
February 5th, 2018
Support: Cancer Bats

The Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes Oz Tour with Cancer Bats kicked off at Capitol, Perth, and you should kick yourself in the face if you missed it.

Cancer Bats caught a few early punters lounging around by surprise when they marched out on stage about 30 minutes earlier than advertised and smashed out 'Shillelagh'. Now, you have to remember that this is Perth, on a Monday night, and the crowd was somewhat thin at the start of the evening. We all know that whatever day it is should be completely irrelevant, but this is unfortunately a reoccurring trend over here in the West, and we are already missing out on so many awesome bands due to low attendance at these great events. However, the diehard fans up the front and the ‘Bats themselves were not gonna let this stand in the way of them having a blast. They might have been melting in the humid Perth evening, having just left a freezing cold Canadian winter behind, but they sure as shit brought their A-game to town. They might as well have been playing in front of a few thousand people, pouring everything they had into every song and never missing a beat.

The great thing about the Cancer Bats is that they are quite hard to classify as they blend and fuse so many different genres together, but the punk attitude and hardcore gnarliness never fails to shine through. They breed them tough up there in the North, and that’s exactly what they delivered, mixing up the tempo as they pounded through 'True Zero' and 'Road Sick'. Liam Cormier’s vocals delivered a southern twang on the sludgey 'Lucifer’s Rocking Chair' and 'Beelzebub'. The room had most definitely filled out more towards the end of the set, and the closer, 'Bricks and Mortar', allowed Cancer Bats to finish off on a high note as Cormier jumped down into the front row to meet and greet his fans.

Having spent a few days in Perth to acclimatise, Frank Carter did not waste a second diving straight into the pit to the opening riff of 'Primary Explosive'. Carter is a relentlessly energetic frontman who oozes charisma and the crowd immediately surged towards him. Frank and The Rattlesnakes might have kept the mosh alive during 'Fangs', but it was nothing compared to the floor stomping anthem 'Juggernaut'. Even on his own, you can’t stop Frank Carter!

'Wild Flowers' was dedicated to all the ladies in the audience (and elsewhere), “having to put up with all this sexist, misogynistic bullshit every day”, and Carter offered the females a chance to crowd surf in a safe and respectful environment. 'God Is My Friend', however, saw Carter and guitarist Dean Richardson back in the mosh, demanding a circle pit. Carter might have gotten more than bargained for though, as someone pushed him to the ground and managed to clock him in the face. After a bit of pushing and shoving, Carter announced that no-one was getting kicked out of this show, even if they’d punched him in the face (although he half-jokingly stated he was gonna cut his balls off if it happened again). This was Carter’s mic and pit and he was having it his way, even breaking his little finger throughout the night.

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Many of the songs were self-reflective, alluding to various dark parts of Carter’s life and 'Loss' is definitely a very personal song. Carter thanked the audience for sharing the night with him and the band, as “one never knows what might happen tomorrow”.

Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes delivered a flawless set with a great mix of songs. Like the man himself, a walking oxymoron with a mesh Gucci top and razor blade necklace, the mix of the slower ‘ballads’ and the angst driven punk/rock showcased the multi-faceted talent of this band. Dean Richardson’s guitar tone and Tom Barclay’s crusty bass was felt in every punter’s marrow as Gareth Grover punished the skins, even whilst standing up during the breakdown in 'Paradise' (a song about terrorists and how “they're all fucking scum”). The audience was also treated to a short drum solo before bashing out crowd (and personal) favourites 'Snake Eyes' and 'Devil Inside Me'.

Towards the end of the set and with much laughter, Carter dedicated 'Lullaby' to all the parents in the audience, sharing the love and pain of raising toddlers. It didn’t take long for the darker themes to return though, as Carter tried to explain how he felt for the audience through 'I Hate You'. It seems like some people might have missed the gag, but most sang along to this closer. This was the first time Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes played here in Perth and it was an absolute ripper of a show. Last time I attended Capitol I said farewell to an old favourite band, The Dillinger Escape Plan, but this time I welcomed a new one.

Review By Den Rad

Revisit Cancer Bats frontman Liam Cormier co-hosting Wall of Sound: Up Against The Wall Episode #23 here

Photo Gallery by Kim Anderson – Please credit Kim Anderson and Wall of Sound if you repost.
Facebook: Shoot The Wicked Witch Instagram: @kimshootswitches

Cancer Bats

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes