Rise from the Graves: A Retrospective Look at the Local Scene - Then and Now
We're a month out from taking a much-needed trip down memory lane when Aussie core kings Graves emerge from their coffins for a string of comeback shows with new music and mates in Sedative and Starve coming along for the ride.It's been a hot minute since fans last caught Graves on stage, and in that time, both the scene and bands they used to play alongside back in the day have grown exponentially - including Void of Vision, who were always keen for a crowd surf whenever they hit the stage.[caption id="attachment_178956" align="aligncenter" width="587"]
Graves feat. planking Jack Bergin (Void of Vision)[/caption]So to get fans ready for their return, we've grabbed the tour lineup to reflect on the key shows (Then) that became the catalyst for them wanting to pursue a career in music, and the recent gigs (Now) that reminded them of how far the scene has come.Let's hook in...
[Then]
Blanche (Sedative):
When I think back to shows that changed my attitude to music, it’s hard to go past the Perth show of Northlane’s Hollow Existence Tour. Whilst I definitely can’t say I’ve been as enthralled by their releases in a long time, the grip that ‘HollowExistence’ had on me was immense and it truly felt special to see them at such an early stage in their career - which would ultimately carry on to be one of our country's biggest exports.I would have been about 17 if memory serves and while I was already playing in bands and travelling the country through music at this stage, shows like this really made the push for me to want to do bigger and better things in my own lane of music.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5mGW6V2J7w
Shaun (Graves):
We played that Northlane show [above] really early days. It was actually our friend's shop that we got to do it at because the show was almost canned until we found a last-minute replacement venue.For me and Rhys, it was the early South Coast hardcore scene that done it for us. It was a tight scene with so many sick local bands like Your Last Shot, Another Days Remains, Never See Tomorrow, Kohere and so much more.We saw ParkwayDrive at Shellharbour Workers Club. That was also huge. Parkway didn't neglect the South Coast like a lot of massive bands back then. They always stopped here and that was a pretty big catalyst to getting us into playing live music, that and our local scene.https://www.instagram.com/p/-7rtNCNRkU/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1ylgJzboYs1nXHdJSS4WTurj32jvP_ziXlNGvRRIUnBsAdeLmHhARxArw_aem_AdXdj-0bxT2H3DVuGNr9rWtKYFGCYURICMKbSpXcWdFDi0AqnvsY4kbQJ9R1II22ZP96RIPG2lIDPpV_S7WglId6
Jordan (Starve):
I think for me, it’s the AA shows that came through Melbourne and Ballarat around 2010-2015. Seeing bands like Northlane, IHW, Hellions, Parkway, etc. really pushed a lot of us into wanting to play music. I remember seeing Trapped Under Ice play in a shed at Break The Ice in 2012 and realising how sick crowds can be. Massive shout out to Invasion Fest that gave me the space to learn how to spin kick my mates in the head. I also owe a lot of influence from the local heroes like MTS, JFTD, VOV, Alpha Wolf, Ocean Grove and many more that all kept persevering and making it a wonderful scene to be a part of.However some things change and bands can’t continue, I think that’s why I’m so stoked to see Graves back and even more proud to be on the tour. Here’s a pic of me getting a mic grab from Rhys some 7-8 years ago. Stoked to be on board.
[Now]
Blanche (Sedative):
Moving forward to more current events, a show that absolutely floored me and I can definitely speak on behalf of the rest of Sedative here, was the Darwin Terrorloud Festival. We’d never been to Darwin before, as have hardly any bands really, so we had no idea what to expect. To then arrive and play a sold out festival in a gigantic room with one of the most nuts crowds we’ve had the pleasure of playing to thus far, has truly left a lasting benchmark for us. It allowed us to link up with Starve for the first time too, and witness Make Them Suffer play a venue that would just be out of the question for them now that they’re at such a higher echelon of band. Truly a massive highlight for us.
Jordan (Starve):
The scene currently is at an all time high in my opinion. New bands pop up every month, AA shows are slowly making a return, people are buying tickets to shows and getting behind their favourite artists. It’s really cool to see how involved everyone is in the community at the moment and I love that the passion is still there.Now we just need some more kids to push the envelope again and create a new wave of heavy music so there’s more for the old heads to support haha[caption id="attachment_131867" align="aligncenter" width="546"]
Starve @UNIFY Forever. Photo: Bree Vane[/caption]
Shaun (Graves):
Now, the scene has kind of left Wollongong with the lack of all-ages venues so it’s a bit dry for us now, but recently I saw Stick to Your Guns at a local pub called Dicey’s and it had an old crew reassemble from the old days that had a mosh and a mic grab, it was a cool trip back down memory lane in 2024
Read our interview with Graves chatting comeback, new music and more here
Graves, Sedative and Starve hit the road on May 23rd
Graves – Reunion Tour 2024with Starve and Sedative
May 23 @ The Zoo, Brisbane
May 24 @ Hamo Hotel, Newcastle
May 26 @ Crowbar, Sydney
May 31 @ Lions Arts Factory, Adelaide
June 1 @ Stay Gold, Melbourne
June 2 @ La La La’s, Wollongong
June 21 @ Amplifier Bar, Perth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=B-5XfqLa6mY&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2nOozN9tBNytdhBGWbJE9a-Epr9DAiq1DYNEUAjJ_3aupZSfwi-Nk06s4_aem_AdV-dT_9b4CWIaMFDasqLhDgxRKZaAGCi6Uv98U5ebpLDwLZcbxfeW1smVOJPBJN_n_Y2Pq9P8glyTpQH2jdbDnw
