Gig

La Dispute - Gig Review & Photo Gallery 15th September @ Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

/10

Sep 16, 2019

7 min read

La Dispute
Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW
15th September, 2019
Featuring: Sports Bra

All ages events don’t seem to happen so often anymore. I’m not sure if that’s factually true; because I’m older and don’t need to go to all ages events, but it feels that way; which is a shame. Keeping a night like this away from anybody should be a crime.

Sports Bra, a Sydney based rock quartet garbed in clothes reminiscent of a hyperactive punk rainbow were the opening act for the night. Playing a very Metric-esque sort of garage rock, the variety on stage was refreshing. A simple sort of rock that makes you just want to bop and dance and weave made up the bulk of the set, but flashing glints of angst made themselves present to give their happiness a bit of an edge. Changing vocalists between songs was also a thoroughly enjoyable way to feel the different contributions the band had to offer; varied in delivery but conveying the same mood. So very humble, appreciative, they were a joy to listen to.

A stage wreathed in smoke and ambient blue light was the setting to which ‘Rose Quartz’ descended. The Metro is famous for its icy air conditioning but I can attest that the only goosebumps I had that night were from that ethereal intro and the first few notes of ‘Fulton Street I’. The most immediate thing to say about Jordan Dreyer’s performance as compared to the studio is it’s so much more raw and emotive. Seeing his arms whip as he sings the the bridge in ‘Fulton Street II’ makes it unbearable to both hear and listen to without feeling… something. I

Diverging from the new material to an eclectic mix of Rooms… and Wildlife, the more hardcore tendencies emerge from their music. Corey Stroffolino is captivating. Spinning his guitar around like it was weightless whist never missing a single note; it’s impressive. For the entirety of ‘a Letter’, the almost increasing building and building was palpable. Corey entranced in his work swayed and jigged as if the performance was out of his hands; a primal expression of music and emotion out of his control.

However, no amount of theatrics could top the sheer wonderment of Chad Sterenberg bringing out a trumpet for ‘Rhodonite and Grief’. The song itself has such a slow and dreamlike quality that it’s hard to not feel like you’re being bewitched by a surreal morphing of reality, but the trumpet - reality snaps back with a startling and wondrous clarity. That isn’t even to mention ‘King Park’ arguably one of the most devastating songs La Dispute have written to date. It ended their set on such an explosive note, Jordan leaning into the crowd to finish the night in the arms and hearts of everybody who connects so strongly to their music.

Review by Dylonov Tomasivich

La Dispute setlist: