The stages were set on a gloriously sunny and warm, autumn Saturday afternoon (2 April) at Mansfield Tavern for Halloween Hysteria 2022; and let me tell you, the vibe was 100 per cent on.
Three stages throughout various rooms of the Mansfield Tavern were stacked to the brim with both local and interstate talent encompassing an impressively wide variety of sub-genres of the mighty rock/ metal/ punk/ alternative scene.This diverse line-up drew punters from all walks of life, as Halloween Hysteria truly had something for everyone (as long as you were okay with overdriven and distorted guitars, driving drums, and a good-time party vibe).
After the recent tumultuous weather across the south east of Queensland, pre-event there was some concern poor weather could impact the execution of the third attempt of this festival. This, on top of the delays caused by everyone's favourite global pandemic, had a lot of stakeholders (rightly) worried.
However, fortune favours the brave, and to say Halloween Hysteria went off without a hitch would be an understatement. In saying that, the ongoing effect of the pandemic still reared its ugly head with a number of acts having to either pull out entirely, or source replacement/ fill-in members – but the show must go on.
Opening the day at the Sounds of the Underground Stage were Brisbane locals We Set Signals with their refined modern metalcore sound defined by groovy riffs, big clean choruses, and bouncy drumbeats.
It's never an easy task opening a stage at a festival of this magnitude, but We Set Signals promptly drew the crowd in with arms waiving in unison to fan-favourite tracks such as 'The Disconnect' and 'Meet Me At Starlight Drive In' –an incredibly strong way to start the day for this punter.
Flangipanis - image © Clea-marie Thorne
For an immediate change of pace, a staple to the Brisbane punk-rock scene for over a decade, Flangipanis were next on the RebelFM Stage. For newcomers, Flangipanis have a well-deserved reputation of putting on high-energy, banter-laden, 'f you, just kidding, you're still cool' sets; and this was no different.
There's an energy to Flangipanis unlike many – from the pink Hello Kitty Stratocaster, talking trash on each other, to shout-outs for their songs being about hard-hitting subject matter, they embody what it is to not give a F, and have fun while you're doing it.
Through sheer chance, I found myself with time to see a small portion of Observist's set, and in the short time of being there, they successfully delivered heavy, aggressive, chunky djent-inspired metalcore.
These newcomers from Melbourne stand to make a name for themselve quickly if they continue to deliver performances like this.
Observist - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Maintaining the heavy, metalcore tone that was the afternoon's theme, Byron Bay band From Crisis To Collapse have quickly risen through the ranks of the local metal scene with a reputation for delivering an unrelenting, old-school metalcore sound remanent of the styles of As I Lay Dying, Unearthed, and all of the classic '00s riffage and double kicking that defined a genre.
This was one of the first moments of the day where I was struck with a sense of 'woah, these guys have PACKED this room out, how am I supposed to get to the bar!?'.
From Crisis To Collapse - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Making sure I hit my 10k steps for the day, it was back to the Sounds of the Underground Stage to see Brisbane locals Apate.
Riding a high having just finished a quick north-east-coast tour with metal machines Thy Art Is Murder, Apate delivered their signature flavour of heavy, sludgy, and groovy djent-laced 'core to an enthusiastic crowd.
I've been explicitly advised to not fanboy over any one artist too much, making this next part hard because if you've ever heard the rock & roll powerhouses Bare Bones, you'd know how difficult it is to not speak volumes on their raunchy riffs, boppin' beats, and powerful vocals.
The Sydney four-piece took to The Faction Stage and absolutely delivered the goods on their rambunctious modern rock, with newly released single 'House Of Static' bringing an energy reminiscent of Buffalo, NY legends, Every Time I Die (RIP).
Bare Bones - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Bare Bones were absolutely a highlight to this punter's day.
With festivals of this size and calibre, sometimes you take a punt with a band you've seen some hype for but have never gotten around to giving them a chance.
Melbourne's The Last Martyr was a shining example of why you should always give acts a chance if you've got a gap within your festival schedule – they absolutely delivered!
With dark-rock, pop-core stylisations The Last Martyr were led by a stellar performance from front-woman Monica Strut with huge hooks, and radio-friendly melodies, with great support from the band's bassist.
A highlight to all that were present was their cover of Linkin Park's 'Faint', which was just the icing on the cake of a fantastic set.
Gravemind - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Returning to the main stage after a couple of hours of back and forth between the two smaller rooms, Gravemind were prepped to destroy the stage.
The Melbourne-based group have a formidable reputation within the heavy music scene for delivering some of the heaviest riffs and nastiest breakdowns in the game currently. At Halloween Hysteria they proved again why there is such a hype surrounding them and their own flavour of heavy.
A regular act in the Australian touring circuit, you'll surely be able to catch them in a city near you soon.
Brisbane icons, She Cries Wolf are one of the most notorious acts on the east coast with a reputation for delivering their chaotic, energetic, self-destructive, and infectious flavour of hardcore time and time again, with zero remorse (and often even less respect for their own bodies).
Today's set was a little bit different, but also very familiar to the She Cries Wolf camp with the return of their previous guitarist – Daniel Belic – back as the band's bassist after a brief departure.
The energy delivered throughout their set with the return of this chaotic final piece to the puzzle was second to none, and another highlight to this punter's day.
Stepson - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Almost too poetically, Stepson – another member of Brisbane's 'Big 4' in the hardcore scene, took to the stage to serenade a very healthy crowd with their emotional, catchy, and heavy metalcore bangers.
As one of the more severely pandemic-impacted bands of the day with lead vocalist Brock Conry being out of action, some creative line-up changes were made to ensure they were able to deliver their highly desired music to fans.
These changes went off without a hitch as Stepson once again delivered their energetic, catchy, heartfelt sing-alongs to a crowd that would have been happy for them to continue playing until they had run through their entire back catalogue.
With an energy and charisma rivalling some of the biggest energies of the day, Fangz vocalist Joshua Cottreau was giving the people what they wanted – climbing the barrier, wildly swinging his microphone above his head, climbing into the crowd and taking a seat with a crowd rowing a giant imaginary boat.
Their riffs were raunchy, their hooks were catchy, their instrumentation was tight, and with charisma oozing from all members, this was a set that left the crowd with visible smiles on their faces.
RedHook - image © Clea-marie Thorne
An act I had been looking forward to all day was RedHook, and boy oh boy, did they come through the clutch!
Between the charismatic stage presence of frontwoman Emmy Mack, the driving and catchy pop-soaked alt-rock/ metal riffs, special feature of a saxophone section (I am totally here for more of this – please take note, all other bands), or the absolutely chaotic scene of members of almost all of the aforementioned bands joining RedHook on stage in a gang-vocal saturated rendition of 'Bad Decisions', this set confirmed what we already knew – RedHook are here for the long haul.
It was finally time for the headliners, and first off the bat were the Australian royalty that is Spiderbait.
A band that really needs no explanation – you know them, you've heard their hits, they've been around the traps for years – and boy oh boy, did they put on a show.
The dynamic three-piece delivered their set with the prowess you would expect of an act of such high calibre and the crowd lapped up every moment of it.
Their iconic cover of Ram Jam's 'Black Betty' was the highlight of their set and drove the crowd into a frenzy of dancing, moshing, drinking, and sing-alongs – a real jewel in the crown of a stellar day.
Spiderbait - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Last, but certainly not least, were Melbourne punk-rock royalty and crowd-favourite Clowns.
Another absolute staple in the Australian punk-rock scene, Clowns have never disappointed each and every time I've seen them (which is pushing double digits at this stage, I think) and this was no exception.
Another act with the charisma, attitude, and intra-band dynamics that many artists can only dream of, witnessing these friends dance with each other, share a stage, and even share some cute smooches mid-set truly exemplifies the unity that the alternative music scene can, and often does, foster for its participants.
Frontman Stevie Williams, sporting his iconic red short-shorts, spent almost every moment of the band's energetic and exhilarating set interacting with their adoring crowd.
Clowns - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Be it climbing over the barricade, rejecting the stage and performing near-entire songs encircled by the adoring crowd, or throwing his body into the open hands of the punters to crowd surf on more than one occasion (naughty naughty, Stevie) saw the band rewarded time and time again with accolades, cheers, and energy that would be the envy of any and all other artists on the day.
And almost as quickly as it began, it was over.
Halloween Hysteria III wrapped up as the masses began their trips into Brisbane's Fortitude Valley for the afterparty, however this old man's body doesn't have the same sort of endurance it used to, and it was time for me to call it a night and reminisce on the great success of another wonderful, locally-driven festival.
More photos from the show.
