Northlane - Gig Review & Photo Gallery 15th March @ Tilly's, Wagga Wagga NSW

Northlane
Tilly’s, Wagga Wagga NSW
March 15, 2024
Supports: Diamond Construct, LUNE, and Artifact

Albury seems to be the most popular mid-way point for regional band runs between Sydney and Melbourne, however, Wagga is making a name for itself as the place to be. The influx of gigs this past year can partially be attributed to the diverse genres of lineups that stop there and the once-off exclusive shows that draw keen fans. One of the coolest modern metalcore lineups Wagga has ever seen materialised thanks to the Great Southern Nights program for an exclusive show, headlined by Northlane. The two-time ARIA-winning Sydney-based superstars recently finished an awesome headline run in support of their upcoming EP Mirror’s Edge (out April 12th). They have decided to bring along an epic lineup for one final celebration with fans before release. This includes the likes of high-octane powerhouse Diamond Construct, metalcore champions LUNE, and established heavy act Artifact.

Wagga Act Artifact have continuously improved and established themselves as a player in the future of metalcore. Their duel vocal output of clean femme melodies and harsh screams are at the forefront of their unique sound as they rip and tear through their two EP release catalogue. Despite some technical issues at the beginning of the set and some odd audio issues throughout, Artifact put on one of their tightest sets yet. Don’t miss out on seeing them live when they hit the road with Nicolas Cage Fighter in May!

LUNE have been dominating the scene off the back of their latest EP The Change Around Us & The Change In You. I was stoked to catch them at this gig after they had an immense headline show earlier this year. They did not disappoint as they turned up the heavy with bangers like ‘Progeny‘, ‘Ghost‘, and ‘Manipulator‘, and the Wagga punters responded in kind with a rowdy pit to welcome the Melbourne metallers to our town as emblazoned with energy as possible.

Coming off their incredible performances at CVLTFEST and on tour with Emmure last month, I’ve been so damn excited to see Diamond Construct again since I was previously blown away by them supporting Void of Vision in 2022. My favourite set of the night kicked off with ‘Jynx’, followed by catchy party starter ‘Hit It Back‘. Diamond Construct must’ve been feeling extra generous as we were treated to not one but TWO unreleased songs from their upcoming sophomore album Angel Killer Zero (out April 5th via Greyscale Records). ‘Switchblade OST‘ brought me out of pit retirement and I cherished screaming to ‘Animus‘ the words ‘Panic, Pain, Everything between’. I had my doubts about whether a regional crowd could match the high-octane energy of Diamond Construct, however, the Tilly’s crowd showed them with an onslaught of crowd surfers. It was clear from their smiles that the band was having an absolute pearler of a time and I hope they want to come back as much as we want them back.

Once the superstars took the stage to the now iconic ‘Carbonized‘, the crowd exploded into a dance and mosh that didn’t stop throughout Northlane‘s 14-song setlist. This current era of the band offers up so much diversity in sound on stage, and you can feel the groove throughout. Vocalist Marcus Bridge is a powerhouse whether across the entire vocal spectrum, as he masterfully navigates brutal breakdowns like in ‘Talking Heads‘ or melodic chorus ala ‘Echo Chamber‘. The Mirror’s Edge singles got their chance to shine, with ‘Afterimage‘ being a clear highlight. I find myself in awe at the dual roles that guitarist Jon Deiley takes on, expertly using a MIDI pad to drop effects live into the set alongside his lead guitar duties. Northlane played the iconic ‘Clockwork‘ invigorating the crowd for once final dance, as things closed with a calming energy alongside ‘Nova‘.

I love that Northlane will take opportunities to show some love to the entirety of Australia. Whether it’s huge festival stages, headline capital city tours, many-date regional runs or one-off spectacles in lesser-visited cities, they are clearly invested in giving back to the community that helped them touch the stars. Whilst I have mixed feelings about their studio records, it is so incredibly wholesome to be a participant in their shows big and small, time and time again, and this show was no different.

Review and Photo Gallery by Tyler Lubke. Insta: @huntsman421
Please credit Wall of Sound and Tyler Lubke if you repost photos.

Artifact

[gallery type="square" ids="https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_7901-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_7808-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_7925-min.jpg|"]Lune[gallery type="square" ids="https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8054-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_7987-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8039-min.jpg|"]

‍Diamond Construct

‍[gallery type="square" ids="https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8091-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8141-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8192-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8132-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8113-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8152-min.jpg|"]

‍Northlane

‍[gallery type="square" ids="https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8219-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8292-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8228-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8241-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8277-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8282-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8266-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8248-min.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8312-min.jpg|"]