Review: Soundwave Festival, RNA Showgrounds, February 26 2011

My birthday was last week, which in the grand scheme of things meant that this week was Soundwave! I’m starting to get used to this late summer festival, as I’ve been going since its very inception in 2007. It’s been interesting to watch it mature; outgrowing the Riverstage and moving to the RNA. This year was just ridiculously crazy, having sold out with over 40000 tickets, having six stages and more quality international bands than you can poke a stick at.

Apologies in advance for the pictures, I only had my crappy camera phone with me and didn't really feel like using it much.

As always, I started the day with a walk around to familiarise myself with the surroundings. Starting in the back corner of sideshow alley, I happened across Never Shout Never opening the two stage 5s (and I mistook the lead singer for a female. Whoops). Opposite the two stages, a few hundred metres away, were the two parts of stage 4. Here I saw Nonpoint play the only song I like (or know) of theirs, with What A Day. Going under the train line took us to the main arena with the two main stages. Here I stood for a while and watched the local band, who won Unearthed, perform. They were a local metal band called Tria Mera. I stayed for the end of their set before my hike went outside of the RNA, across the road, back into the RNA and straight past stage 6 with Asking Alexandria playing their mediocre synth-moshcore and into stage 3 to watch the Starting Line.

I hope, from this description, you get the impression that the venue was large. Because yes, it was more than large. It was massive. During peak traffic times (when multiple stages emptied) it could take more than 20 minutes to get from stage 6 to stage 5. And because that’s what I planned on doing later in the day, I made sure I scoped it out in advance.

The first band I watched in full was the Starting Line. I had not heard anything from this band since I was in high school, not even listening to the CDs I have. So I was pleasantly surprised when their catchy pop-punk had me singing along to songs I had completely forgotten about. The crowd was sparse at the beginning, being the early end of the day, but they managed to get everyone moving and singing along with their closing song Best of Me.

I then made the trek all the way back across the venue, stopping to watch the Sword. Watching the Sword was like stepping back into the 70s. Big hair, big moustaches and big metal riffs with excellent singing. Although the subject matter of most of their songs was sci-fi, you just couldn’t help but feel that you were 40 years in the past watching bands like Led Zeppelin learn their art.

I stayed in the stage 4 vicinity for my second, of what would turn out to be many, blast from my musical past: Sevendust. I saw these nu-metallers almost 9 years ago, but you’d be pushed to find what had changed about them, apart from a few more grey hairs and a few more songs to play. Lajon and the boys put on a very tight performance, showing why Sevendust is one of the few nu-metal bands with longevity. Their songs were heavier than most nu-metal of old and the crowd seemed to remember most of the words. I even found myself singing along to most of Black.

I ducked out a few songs early to squeeze into the D barrier of the main stage, to catch a band I’ve been wanting to see since the 90s: Monster Magnet. The lead singer sauntered onto stage draped in a leather jacket, which in the stage’s position in the direct sun would have been hellish. But he took it cool, playing some slow, long drawn out stoner rock songs. Momentum was slowly built up over the course of their set, generally on the back of some very long and loud solos. Their songs had me wondering, not for the only time during Soundwave, if drugs would make it better. I think so. As much as I do love their long drawn out jams, watching them on the main stage in the middle of a hot scorching day did not bring out the magic in their music. But as the momentum built up, the magic returned, with the closing tracks of Powertrip and Spacelord. Powertrip may just well have been my favourite song of the day.

With Terror pulling out of the Step Inn show the night before, I had a tough choice: see them, or the Gaslight Anthem? This predicament was easily solved as I purchased my traditional festival sushi and was just mesmerised by the Gaslight Anthem. Their Americana-folk laced punk just had me transfixed. I was never a huge fan of their recorded music, but their live sound was just amazing, losing that Bruce Springsteen rip-off edge I always complain about. Before I knew it, I had seen their whole set and was craving more. Even the stupid bogan girl who rushed on stage and tried to make out with the band and then danced around disrupting all the instruments couldn’t ruin it for me.

I then hiked back up the hill, over the road and to the main stage to prepare myself for the greatest band of all time. But while waiting, I managed to catch the last half of one of the only good things to ever come out of my old state of Iowa: Stone Sour. Corey Taylor has to have one of the best singing voices of a modern rock band. He can project his voice amazingly, while holding the microphone so far away from his mouth. This man has a great voice. Unfortunately (for me), they stuck to a lot more of the ballad-style songs, but they did finish with a few heavy songs like 30-30-150.

I was getting edgy though. Shouldn’t Primus be playing now? Shouldn’t my favourite band of all time be on stage? But no, Stone Sour pushed way over the end of their set, delighting a bunch of fans I’m sure, but crushing the hearts of Primus fans that have waited even longer for their fill.

But when Les, Ler and Tim hit the stage, it was magic. Les debuted his new self-designed bass guitar, with a typical Les bass ditty, reminiscent of Over the Electric Grapevine. They then plunged into a set list including Harold of the Rocks, Over the Falls, Jerry Was a Racecar Driver, American Life, John the Fisherman and a new song in the Fisherman Chronicles: one about salmon that was played on a resonator bass. If you can’t tell by now, I was being a huge fan boy. Les made quips about “being a professional band and actually sticking to their allotted time”, which also showed their discontent at the shortened set time. They did finish on time, which meant cutting out the more popular songs that most people come to expect from a Primus set. Heck, he didn’t even play his upright bass that was tuned and ready to go. I was bummed, but luckily I’ll still see them in Melbourne. Most of the other fans won’t and I feel sorry for them.

Slash and his all-star band took over the main stage next. I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but this highly polished performance was pretty darn good. He busted out a few of his new solo songs, but of course he stuck to a healthy dose of Guns ‘n’ Roses songs like Night Train, Sweet Child of Mine and the closing track of Paradise City. He even surprised me by throwing in a Velvet Revolver song, Slither, which I was pretty flipping ecstatic to see that he plays the same way I do on guitar. But way better. Definitely a surprise of the day was how good Slash was, and how his voice did not sound like years of whisky and cigarettes, as I always imagined it did.

I then journeyed away from the main stage and back to the stage 4 area to squeeze in to a mammoth crowd for thrash legends Slayer. Behind them were 36 Marshall guitar stacks. 36! And when Tom Araya and company started playing, you could hear and feel it. It was ridiculous. They were a force to be reckoned with live, with the speed of the music incredible. Unfortunately, as far back as I was in the crowd, the frenetic guitar playing just merged into a big distorted sound. I stuck around for 4 songs before trying to squeeze out. Behind me, trying to walk out, was a guy with what appeared to be a broken face, covered in blood, but grinning like an idiot. And stopping people to boast about how he got fucked up in a Slayer mosh pit.

I finally squeezed out and made it to stage 5 to see the strangest and most alienating live show I’ve ever seen: Foxy Shazam. And boy, was it strange. Their funk-core style music is fun and the band played along perfectly to this image, dancing and going crazy. The keyboard player was upside down a lot while still playing, climbing on his keyboard and just being a fool. But the strangest thing ever would be the lead singer. With a small pencil thin moustache, a Dennis Rodman basketball jersey (how ironic) and a vest, he just danced and slithered his way across the stage. Even doing a handstand for almost a minute while singing.


He told stories that went nowhere and jokes that weren’t funny and it was like a car crash, you shouldn’t watch, but you can’t look away. He climbed up all of the other musicians, including sitting on the shoulders of the guitar player, he smoked 5 cigarettes at once and then ate them while still lit, he kicked and smashed the microphone every chance he could. But the closing song was the killer, while the band was playing (and beginning to trash their gear) he flung the microphone over the rafters of the stage and started climbing it like a rope in gym. After smashing their gear they then got together and did an a Capella song before hurriedly tearing down their own gear with a few minutes left in their set time.

It was odd, but a great show. Their songs mainly stuck to their newer material, although they threw in a few songs from Introducing, which is just such a fun and awesome album. They obviously do this kind of thing on purpose, but I’m not complaining. Definitely one of the highlights of the day. You just don’t see bands very often put that effort into not just performing, but entertaining.

Mad Caddies were on the next stage, and as one of the only ska bands on the bill, I had to go and get my skank on. What followed was an excellent set of just fun music. They opened with Backyard and then played what seemed to be every song off of their greatest hits album. And I don’t care. Highlights include Monkeys, State of Mind and the guy in the wheelchair getting crowd surfed by his friends. Such a fun band, I’m glad I deviated from the larger stages to go see them.

I made it back to stage 4 to see the first artist I ever saw live: Rob Zombie. As always, his stage show was freakish, with looped videos from horror films going behind him and his small band. I must be a bit older now, as the whole thing seemed a bit kitsch, especially with one of his songs even being about bubblegum. Odd. It was a chance to see John 5 shred the guitar however, and the second last song belonged to him and about 5 minutes of solos. I’d heard so much about this great guitarist and it was a pleasure to see him live. He can play so goddamn fast. Unfortunately, his solos during Soundwave were just of the blisteringly fast category, I would have rather seen him stop for a minute and make some beautifully crafted music.

I ducked out during the last song Dragula to make my way all the way across the venue to see Protest the Hero. As I got to stage 6 Bring Me the Horizon just finished, which gave me ample time to judge all of the kids with my old man “kids these days” routine. They were all boasting about how violent they were in the mosh pit and wearing shirts from crappy bands... I kind of miss those innocent music days.

Canada’s Protest the Hero have to be one of the most technically sound metal bands I’ve ever witnessed. They were all amazing musicians, especially the bass player who mixed up slap bass and finger tapping in a way that only Les Claypool probably could ever hope to pull off. The crowd was a bit nonchalant, but this kind of music makes it almost impossible to move to. You just want to sit there and take in this level of musicianship. The lead singer, although not an amazing musician like the rest, did entertain with his jokes and stories and seemed to be having the time of his life. They played a few songs off of their new record, but finished their set with Bloodmeat.

I then started the hike for the last time that night, going all the way back to stage 4 to catch the last few tracks of the Bronx. One of my favourite bands, I still feel blessed with seeing their intimate show the night before. Seeing them on such a large stage was weird, but their sound was amazing. I did manage to learn that their gig the night before was the first time they’d ever played the song Strobe Life (which I also saw during the sound check). So glad I went to their sideshow. Unfortunately they went a bit late, as it cut into the band I’ve been waiting forever to see: Fucked Up.

The crowd was almost non-existent at this little stage annexe, but that didn’t stop all of us from enjoying ourselves. The band played along perfectly, and you could see the lead singer consider jumping into the crowd. And given that’s the band’s trademark move, I was surprised it took more than half the song for him to rip off his shirt and jump in amongst us. I hadn’t really gotten into the music all day (dancing wise) but this was just insane. Wedged between the barrier and the Protest the Hero singer, I was just dancing, screaming and jumping around like a madman trying to keep up with this frenetic display of hardcore. The singer even gave a shout out to the Fires of Waco boys, who kept (safely) on the side of the stage. This was the moment and this was the band I had spent all day waiting for and it was amazing. The singer picked up Scott’s mate Macca, upside down, and sang through his legs while pretending to go down on him. He smashed things into his head. He jumped on us. He went as far as his little mic lead would let him. He stuck cups of water to his head somehow. Even the security guys enjoyed it, having a laugh as most of us hardcore guys went crazy. They played my two favourite songs: Circling the Drain and they closed with Police. Afterwards he stayed in the crowd and talked to us, such a friendly guy. Scott took some pictures on Macca’s camera, so hopefully there’ll be some floating around of me being a hardcore idiot.

But what a day. Soundwave, you’ve restored my faith in you. Despite the tonnes of bogans making it like Big Day Out. Despite the heat and the sun. Despite the two bands I went for getting shorter set times. Despite the fact I wore a Backstreet Boys shirt and everyone mocked me. Despite the bottlenecks of walking between stages. It was just a great day.

And there was bootleg merch sellers outside. Soundwave has really become one of the biggest festivals in Australia now.