SAMS AWSUM GIG REVIEWS

AFI @ Festival Hall: November 16th 2006

I can just rant about AFI for ages. I won't. But I will say that this was pretty much the best concert I have ever been to. Okay, so the wait between the opening band the bleeders (who I missed half of thanks to late trains and delayed friends) and the first lyrical note of AFI was agonizing, but looking back on the performance, I can only say that it added to my excitement about seeing them live, finally. (The last time AFI came on tour, in 2003 with the release of Sing the Sorrow, I was underage and probably (I’m ashamed to admit), not as captivated by them).I can't remember the exact list of track beyond that they opened with Prelude 12/21, and ended the fantastic 40min performance with Miss Murder, as I have to say I had predicted!! They played all the tracks from Decemberunderground as I remember it, and quite a few from sing the sorrow with only one song from Black Sails (I think). All the kids I could see were right into it and anyone who didn’t know all the words really shouldn’t have been there. It was definitely a very loud worship group, dedicated to the gods of A Fire Inside.


Masters of Hardcore @ the HiFi: Noverber 26th 2006
The Getaway Plan; From Autumn to Ashes; The Bled

First of all i would like to say that: I WAS THERE AND MICHAEL STAYED HOME :PBut then i would like to console him by saying that the whole thing was horrendously disappointing. and sunday nights suck for going to gigsI went in early, totally pumped about seeing FATA.The Getaway Plan played after the first band who were crap and thus not worth remembering, not even their name. which could have been One Odd...well all i can say for One Odd was that they sould like Linkin Park rip offs, complete with a synth. one odd = one word. shit.i love the getaway plan and ive seen them several times before. they play really well, the tried to get the crowd excited, and several people did actually stand up. but that night i hav to say that someone was fucking up in the sound department. everything was considerably louder than usual, and the vocalist for all the bands could barely be heard. despite this, the getaway plan still impressed me. AND they have admirably skinny legs.the only bad thing about the getaway plan, was their duty to announce that From Autumn to Ashes singer, Francis Mark, was sick and didnt make it to the show. hence my disappointmentbut they did try their best to make it a good night, inviting anyone who knew the lyrics to jump up on the stage and sing for a song. even the manager jumped up there for a while. it was good to see fans getting to interact with the band. i would have loved to get up there.... but i had no wish to embarass myself in front of an amazing band i LOVE.

After their reduced set had finished, From Autumn to Ashes were eager to impress on us that we should all stick around to get "ear fucked" (lol) by the Bled. unfortunately, the HiFi was beginning to empty out. it was past 11pm and the last train home on the belgrave/lilydale line leaves at 11.30. i stuck around for a bit, so i could say that i have seen the Bled. they were energetic and impressively hyperactive. the few violent hardcore guys left in the joint got right into their little dance routines down on the floor.altogether it wasnt a bad night, but because of the sound that night, and the disappointment of Francis' aching and unable to perform vocal cords, i have to say that it was the worst gig i have ever been to.

Check out FATA myspace:
www.myspace.com/fromautumntoashesthe wrote up a detailed account of their australian tour. thanx for that guys!!! i love u!!!!Get From Autumn to Ashes: abandon your friends album!!! they are amazingly unique and that album contains so much diversity from the hardcore scene.

Number 3: Protest The Hero – Kezia

Here’s an example of a project that has had a great deal of thought and effort instilled in it in order to create something reasonably fresh from a very tired genre. Metalcore, a word which used to inspire me with anticipation but now unfortunately heralds mediocrity and generic songwriting. However, on occasions you do get surprised by what some bands come up with. Protest The Hero are a band out of Canada on Victory records who up until Kezia was released were a reasonably samey metalcorey/screamo band. However, for the writing of “Kezia” they set themselves a challenge. The band wrote the music first and then practised over the next two years until they could play it. Yes that’s right, they wrote music that was insanely hard and then improved themselves until they were that good. I only wish more bands had that same drive to keep improving themselves. What results is the concept album Kezia, the story of a woman called Kezia on deathrow told in three movements each consisting of three songs, each told from the point of view of three different characters. For example, the first three songs are written from the point of view of the prison priest saying the last rites. This an interesting concept and its no surprise when reading the boy’s bio that they are obsessed with Dostoyevsky. And also taking into account that all of these guys are only 20 and 21, I am excited to see what they come up with for their next release. The music itself is hard to describe. I suppose the most accurate description would be if Dream Theater suddenly decided to go metalcore. They have the same schizophrenic writing style as DT and although their not quite in the same league technically, if they keep on developing at the rate they are currently I don’t see how they cant be. Lots of time changes and key changes, in fact that’s one og my only criticisms. They have to find a way, especially on a concept album, to link the tracks in together and make the music mesh more. At times the transitions are a bit jerky and disorientating, preventing the album from flowing the way it could have. Oh yeah, this guy has a girly voice and there is very little screaming so if your not a emo/hardcore fan his voice might annoy. But by classifying them so simply is not being fair to what was the most interesting and fresh album to come from the “core” scene this year. Enjoy, and I suggest you buy.

Listen to: Blindfolds Aside and Heretics and Killers