Stateside – Gig Review & Photo Gallery February 18th @ The Bald Faced Stag, Sydney NSW

Posted on February 19, 2018 by breevane

Stateside
The Bald Faced Stag, Sydney NSW
18th February 2018
Supported by: Bloom, Flicker, Speakeasy & Stuck Out

It’s always a treat when Brisbane natives Stateside make the trek to Sydney. Their energy and just overall ability to write banger after banger makes for a consistently good show and even on this lazy Sunday evening at the Bald Faced Stag, the band delivered.

Despite the recent trouble the Stag has been having, loyalty clearly prevails as the crowd comprised mostly of seasoned locals who danced between the stage and the front room like it was their second home. It’s because of this and the probability that everyone took advantage of the cheap pub feed, that the vibe was incredibly laid back. It became a trend for bands not to really have their full crowd until the second or third song as punters were still wandering in.

This habit only added to the shock of first support Bloom. These guys came out of nowhere. They were easily the heaviest on the bill but despite this the boys interacted with the crowd really well and played the stage with confidence. However, it’s about two songs in that they drop the bombshell that it’s their first show… ever. I think there was a collective feeling of disbelief through the room. By all means, they weren’t perfect but it’s generally a rule that every band’s first ever show is terrible and yet these guys were tight as hell. This became even clearer going on Twitter after the gig and having my entire feed full of people obsessing over these guys. Definitely a band to watch out for in the future because it’s clear they’re going to blow up very very soon.

Next came Flicker; who fit so nicely on the lineup and provided such a perfect warm up for the audience that it had to have been fate. The pleasant little pop punk band is just one of those local bands, it’s hard not to like; They’re upbeat, energetic and have a tight live show. The boys provided the crowd with a set of originals including new single ‘Zero’ and personal favourite, ‘Respite’ which even had a few people singing along to one of the catchiest hooks you’ll hear all day (Warning: Listen with caution because it’s likely to be in your head all day). Although the crowd was going nuts by any means, that wasn’t necessarily a sign that they didn’t appreciate the performance, I’d say it was still a product of the Sunday evening vibes; It was still evident that everyone was enjoying themselves.

As the name may suggest Speakeasy are rather easy to enjoy. They’ve been kicking up some dirt recently on the scene with their newest singles ‘Dream Boy’ and ‘Amy Street’, and it’s very clear looking at their long schedule of future gigs that these guys are an easy favourite among locals. The band are definitely more alternative with a splash of dad rock in terms of sound which makes it clear that this bill has no theme to it other than ‘cool as shit local bands’ as we jump from melodic hardcore, to pop punk to these guys. Regardless of this, the boys play the stage like seasoned professionals, with a steady energy and a pleasant crowd response. It’s always a pleasure seeing these boys do their thing.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we’re back to pop-punk with touring support and Melbourne gems Stuck Out. It’s clear that these guys are in the process of blowing up and it’s not hard to see why. The band is met with the most energetic response of the whole night; providing the crowd with a set of originals mainly comprising of tracks from their newest EP You Won’t Come Home. With a level of showmanship and energy that easily translates into a venue of that size, they have the crowd moving in seconds. With a handful of fans who know every word, a punk jump here and there and the popular single ‘Fade Away’, the band have their set down to a science and it’s absolutely no surprise they knocked it out of the park.

Then came the main event; Stateside have always put on quite the show, previously while supporting Against The Current I stated that they have the energy that could translate to a stadium and that still applies. From the moment they’re on stage frontwoman Erin Rues is jumping around like a crazy person and it’s fantastic. Her vocals are also something to really highlight; she is clearly somewhat of a powerhouse and that translates live so incredibly well. The whole band’s presence was awe inspiring. The energy of the guitarists was rather contagious especially through singles ‘Neon’ and ‘The Way We Were’, which was met with a particularly upbeat response from the audience.

The band provided a set of primary songs off of their newest EP Naive with a smattering of older stuff for the hardcore fans and a very well received cover of twenty one pilots ‘Heathens’. The set featured a ridiculously heartfelt acoustic session which saw drummer Hamish Maguire come forward to provide backing vocals for a stunningly passionate performance of ‘Hard To Love’.

Other highlights include personal favourite ‘This Is War’ and a beautifully DIY attempt at some confetti cannons which really prove that with the right production value these guys could have a lot of fun with their live show.

Regardless Stateside clearly gave it their all and showed the crowd exactly why they deserved a headliner. This talented bunch are clearly going to go far and it’s always a pleasure watching them flaunt their talented musician and showmanship. Until next time.

Review & Gallery by Bree Vane. Please credit Wall of Sound and Bree Vane if you repost.

Bloom