Gig

UNDERØATH - Gig Review & Photo Gallery 10th February @ Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane

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Heavy Metal Wordsmith

/10

Feb 10, 2017

7 min read

UNDERØATH
Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane QLD
February 10^th, 2017
Supported by – sleepmakeswaves

There's a lot of pressure on a band kicking off an Australian Tour, especially now we're starting to see the likes of Anniversary Tours and Album Milestones etc but UNDERØATH have a lot of pressure on them with their Rebirth Australian Tour, their first tour back together again following a very public break up of sorts which saw the band almost completely unrecognisable with it's remaining members. Did they exceed expectations? Well, let's not jump ahead of ourselves.

The night started relatively early with doors opening to mass crowd of skinny jean wearing show goers all keen to get their dose of Oath into them. Supporting act sleepmakeswaves hit the stage shortly after 8pm amidst an alluring backtrack which slowly proceeded into a fast paced rock show. This kept going for a few minutes and I couldn't help but wonder... when are they going to start singing? It wasn't until they stopped playing their second or third song that I realised "Oh, they're a band that play music without lyrics!". Instrumental rock is the genre which don't get me wrong, shows off their talent but it lacks attention. The audience stood in awe of what seemed to be elevator music for a post-hardcore shop like Hot Topic or something. Don't get me wrong. These guys are talented as shit, but for me they didn't grab me enough due to the fact they didn't have words to accompany their songs. Various punters told me they're similar to a band called Explosions in the Sky whom I had no idea about and due to the fact they also don't have a singer, thats probably the reason why. If you can get past that little factor you'll appreciate the energy these guys put into their set, but for me the whole instrumental rock idea went over my head, so it was beer time.

The whole point of the Rebirth Tour was a chance for fans to see and hear two of UNDERØATH's best releases back to back and that is exactly what we got to witness tonight. Their show kicked off with 2004's They're Only Chasing Safety which to me, was the best idea they could have done. They returned to the stage like no time had passed and were welcomed to a large crowd of fans keen to hear some of their favourite tracks. "Young and Aspiring" started playing out and the band lost their shit, jumping up and down and moving around like it was the end of the world tomorrow, treating fans to a spectacle worth remembering. At this point my eyes catch keyboardist/synth lord Christopher Dudley absolutely getting into more so than any other band members, which can be quite hard for a guy who uses his fingers, but seriously it was like the guy was trying so hard to please fans and fuck me, he did.

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"A Boy Brushed Red... Living In Black and White" brought out the singalongs which continued well into "The Impact of Reason" with both front-man Spencer Chamberlain and drummer Aaron on point with their screaming/singing combination. "Reinventing Your Exit" started up and not one single person stood still. Arguably Without a doubt the BEST song of their entire set left fans wanting more following everyone jumping around and moshing their little former emo hearts out but the show had to go on and literally just like someone had put on their actual cd we breeze through instrumental track "The Blue Note" and were greeted with yet another sing along with everyone giving their all yelling out "DROWNING IN MY SLEEP, I'M DROWNING IN MY SLEEP" for "It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door". Upon it's end Spencer addresses the crowd for the first time in the evening talking about how it's been 5 or 7 years since they last played in Australia before telling the crowd the next song has never been played live until this tour and without a second to spare "Down, Set, Go" begins and the crowd welcomes it with open ears.

Rounding out the album "I Don't Feel Very Receptive Today" increases the energy in the room, "I'm Content with Losing" shows how easily Spencer jumps between clean and unclean vocals effortlessly and the entire venue fills up with mobile phone lights as "Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape" fades out act one of the band's set. The stage fades to black and a loud creepy drone sound effect fills the room as the band prepare for the next instalment of the Rebirth Tour. It literally feels like someone is changing CDs in a stereo as the band reemerge on stage ready to throw 2006's Define the Great Line down our throats beginning immediately with crowd favourite "In Regards To Myself" erupting the mosh into a frenzy as the band play without missing a beat or looking fatigued in anyway. Its at this point I think for a second "Imagine if more religious groups were like this, expressing their belief through music without hurting anyone. There'd be no wars.. maybe. The sheer effort these guys put into their shows proves they're back with a vengeance to stay in the limelight for years to come. "A Moment Suspended in Time" and "There Could Be Nothing After This" set everyone off and once again hats off to Christopher Dudley for rocking his fingers the fuck out with his keyboard. The only man I've ever witnessed getting into playing that thing on stage in front of 100's of people.

Spencer stops the show for a quick evaluation on where the band is/has been and the fact Define The Great Line is celebrating 10 years. He tells fans they'll continue coming back for another 10 years hinting at a return to Australia in 2018. He then goes into the story we've been wondering, what went wrong with UNDERØATH 4 years ago? They walked off stage never to play again. Tensions were high and they were at a point where "friendships were broken and they weren't the same band anymore". "The next 3 years were hell" for him but he feels that it was supposed to happen. Since then "friendships have been rebuilt as well as the band and time heals all wounds. He's back playing with his 5 best friends."

Once the sappiness ended we were back on with the show and straight into "You're Ever So Inviting" with everyone screaming the opening words "The time has come for you to sit this out" with all 6 members bouncing off each other with big smiles on their faces. As the rest of the album played out fans and attendees alike couldn't take their eyes from the stage. The alluring nature in which this band play is something that captures your attention from start to finish. As the band exited the stage they leave behind a crowd of pleased fans who never would have thought they'd see this line up again.

I guess the big question the rest of the country want to know is

"Did UNDERØATH kill it tonight? Bloody ØATH! they did!" - Browny (@brownypaul)

Gallery by Candace Krieger. Please credit if you repost.

Facebook: Candace Krieger: Photographer
Twitter: @candacekrieger
Instagram: @candacekrieger

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UNDERØATH