Miss May I - Gig Review & Photo Gallery 4th March @ Stay Gold, Melb VIC

Miss May I
Stay Gold, Melbourne VIC
March 4th, 2025
Supports: ATLVS and DEADSKIN

"HEY MISTER, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" - whoa, whoa, whoa - we'll get there; let's go back to the beginning. If the return of Miss May I to Aussie shores wasn't enough to send you to 2025's Knotfest Australia edition, you sure are lucky that they scheduled a sideshow in Melbourne. The iconic metalcore maestros haven't travelled down under since long before COVID, specifically 2017 - read our coverage from their Perth show. Nearly a decade later, the genre-setters came back for a long awaited return.

Whether you attended Knotfest or not, this Tuesday night gig was worth the fatigue the next morning before work. As doors opened, keen punters leapt into Brunswick's resident venue Stay Gold for the evening's openers - DEADSKIN. Hitting the stage with pure excitement, the Melbourne locals unleashed fury from their 2024 EP Home in the Suffering to kickstart punters into their second wind of the night. With the band ripping away at some of their hardest material, vocalist Mitchell Rawlings brought the energy. The vocalist engaged the crowd between tracks, sharing the excitement for the headliners and encouraged support via merch. With humility as an up and coming band, DEADSKIN impressed the crowd (new fans and old) as they purged doomy metalcore across Stay Gold. With raw vocal energy and ripping guitars, the locals showed huge potential as they make their name in the scene.

Sandwiched between the next generation of Aussie metalcore and some of Ohio's best - was ATLVS who were in an arguably tough spot to bring the heat on a weekday night for a crowd of ageing millennials in the workforce. As one of Gippsland's best the regional Victoria locals delivered a masterful set of their back catalogue best. The south-east legends have dropped a suite of releases of the years like Shadow Dancer, The Wound, The Blade and were now showcasing some of their best. Guitarist Steve Ljiljak channelled the energy of Fit For A King's Bobby Lynge as he swung his axe around his neck and body. The set was packed with great live production and energy that engaged the growing crowd; again a not-so-easy-task.

As the evening pressed on, it was finally time to see the metalcore band that Slipknot handpicked to join their Aussie festival edition; let's not forget their motto - Knotfest is an "all bangers mentality". Metalcore stalwarts Miss May I entered the tiny stage (compared to their festival set), and lost themselves in a club version of a performance that they likely miss from their earlier days as a band. Yes, it was 'Hey Mister' that the Ohio group kicked things off with, to ignite the palpable energy they deserved. Every arm was up in the air as cameras caught the inimitable Levi Benton embodying the band's lion logo with his curly mane, headbanging to every note. The sound was remarkable and the ability to catch Miss May I so close and personal at this established point in their career was incredibly unique and rare. The mention of Fit For A King has been prominent in this piece, and perhaps the similarities are accentuated by a similar performance intimacy from a 2023 sideshow at the very same venue, which was equally surreal to experience given their status in the heavy community.

The genre kings charged through belters across their discography, playing particular attention to tunes from Apologies Are For The Weak, after celebrating the album's fifteen year anniversary and taking it out on tour with them across the world. Whilst Melbourne didn't experience a front-to-back rendition of the nostalgic tour, we certainly got our fair share, with a handful of hits played across the set. Specifically, we heard blistering renditions of 'A Dance With Aera Cura', 'Forgive And Forget' plus more. It was nostalgic to hear Benton adjust his vocal style to suit the 2010s era with on-point delivery, as the band delved into their gruffer infancy style.

Between the anniversary record, Miss May I ferociously covered territory across their back catalogue, including title-tracks 'Deathless', 'Shadows Inside', and a bunch of certified bangers from 2022 record Curse Of Existence, the latter of which I cannot fathom is already three years old. Bassist Ryan Neff was notably visible, as a staple item to the band with his signature singalong style in the choruses of some of the band's best material. Sporting a sleeveless denim jacket and a signature rock n' roll look, Neff belted out some of the best lyrics that the crowd simply lapped up.

Benton was genuinely appreciative of the crowd's attendance, albeit smallish numbers considering the festival appearance. The frontman noted the time since drinks and promised Australia they'd be back far sooner next time. Bypassing an encore and squeezing in as much material as possible, Miss May I left a show for the ages.

Keep your eyes peeled for Wall Of Sound's Knotfest interviews, including a candid chat with Levi talking Soundwave 2013 and the incoming new music they're all but ready to unleash upon the world.

Review by Ricky Aarons (@rickysaul90)

Photo Gallery by Jade Vassiaras Insta: @a.snapshot.of. Please credit Wall of Sound and Jade Vassiaras if you repost photos.