Back in Australia to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their album 'The Curse', American hard rock band Atreyu took to the stage at Melbourne's Northcote Theatre (12 July).
They were joined on this co-headline tour by none other than metalcore band Memphis May Fire, making their return to Australia for the first time in over a decade, and Melbourne-born quintet Future Static.If you're a fan of bands like Evanescence or Spiritbox, then I could not recommend Future Static enough for you. This alternative melodic group put on one of their best performances to date.
The angelic harmonies between lead singer Amariah Cook and bassist Kira Neil were nothing short of incredible. The vocal range both of these ladies showcase is something people will talk about for years.
The way Cook and Neil harmonise together is both powerful and effortless; you can truly picture their sound as the backing track of a massive, TV show finale fight scene. The way Cook goes from ethereal sounds to guttural screams is purely a talent on its own.
Considering they had a tough crowd, who were saving their energy for the later co-headliners, and in-ears earphones that simply would not behave for Amariah, nothing stopped Cook from giving 110 per cent in her performance as well as encouraging the crowd to get themselves moving.
Finally a mosh pit opened when Cook showcased even further talent with a cover of Daddy Yankee's 'Gasolina', singing in the song's original language, Spanish. You would honestly think she was fluent, it came so natural to her.
However, the act wasn't complete without guitarists Ryan Qualizza and Jack Smith matching energies with their performances onstage. Whenever Smith performs, he brings everything he has got to it.
The way this man moves, locking in and just letting go truly shows how much he loves playing music. Smith is made for the stage-life and all eyes were on him whenever Cook and Neil weren't stealing the show with their vocals.
Qualizza would follow his band mate's energy with head-banging and spinning circles as he played, while drummer Jackson Trudel, unfortunately somewhat hidden from sight of those standing right-hand side of the crowd, kept up the pace with upbeat and punchy transients.
For a band considered to be more alternative, Future Static are definitely pulling more towards the heavier metal, melodic sort of field; and are definitely on the road to being one of Melbourne's biggest upcoming music successors.
From having opened to a smaller crowd at Knotfest sideshows earlier this year, to taking on a room as big as Northcote Theatre, Future Static honestly could be selling out venues of this capacity on their own headline tours.
After their long hiatus away from Australia, the Melbourne crowd made sure to show just how much they had missed Nashville, Tennessee's Memphis May Fire with lead vocalist Matty Mullins stating how the crowd blew his mind. "The last two shows on this tour didn't even feel like shows compared to tonight," Mullins said to Brandon Saller from Atreyu backstage after their performance.
With the two-storey venue filled from front to back, the metalcore band brought headliner energy to their middle act performance. With dry-ice canons blasting and crowd surfers dressed in banana suits going crazy, Memphis May Fire were honestly the act to beat.
For fans of Wage War and Skillet, this southern rock-influenced group are a high recommendation. The way Mullins cowrites their music, the lyrics and beat are the type to stick in your head, as you feel like you've known their songs forever, even when you're hearing it for the first time.
The set list covered an array of hits, ensuring to include classic hits for old-school fans. From their most-streamed song 'Misery' all the way to party song 'Chaotic', anyone who wasn't familiar with Memphis May Fire were definitely walking out of the room as new fans.
Mullins moved swiftly across stage, taking in as much of the crowd as he could whilst showcasing his talented, smooth transitions between explosive screamo and mellifluous, clean vocals. You'd constantly catch him beaming at the reaction from the crowd sining along.
Bassist Cory Elder and guitarist Kellen McGregor brought vitality to the set; not once were they seen standing still, but head-banging along and getting down with the crowd. McGregor's euphonious voice, synced well with Mullins' when he stepped in with backing vocals. Sometimes it was hard to tell who was singing, they sounded so similar together – in the best way possible.
Drummer Jake Garland held the action in the back, with well-lit stage lighting glaring down onto him centre stage. If you peeked closely, you could spot his little drummer buddy, a duck taped on top of a cymbal stand. Each member in their own small ways brought personality to their performance.
This may be an unpopular opinion among most fans attending the concert that night (however was overheard a few times when fans exited the venue), Memphis May Fire should've been the headliner of the evening.
With a larger stage production setup with the dry-ice canons, their own encore and just the overall energy presented by the band, it would be amazing to see the Nashville heroes make a return to Australian stages for their own headline tour.
If you want a band where you can never expect their next move, Atreyu are your guys. From lead singer Brandon Saller disappearing into the crowd, to guitarist Travis Miguel casually snacking on doughnuts before throwing them (half munched) into the audience, there wasn't a moment without chaos.
With it also being Porter McKnight's birthday, it was no wonder the lads were on another level. They began the set with Jacobs entrancing the audience immediately with a guitar solo and Saller's unique voice that stands out among the rock scene.
The way each band member takes time to connect with their fans, literally climbing to the very edge of the stage and reaching as far as they can just to hold hands with them, really shows how much the band cherishes their supporter base – always ensuring each person in attendance has a unique memory.
Also, the pure chemistry between the band members is super special. Where most bands split up across the stage (usually in their own spots or swapping sides on the odd occasion), Atreyu members prefer performing clustered together in guitar lines or back to back.
Or, for singers Saller and McKnight, running at each other from opposites ends of the stage and jumping in the air like children playing air guitar. Halfway through the show, we got to see Saller jump on drums, Kyle Rosa step into the bass role and McKnight take centre stage as lead singer.
This showed just how multi-talented these American rockers are at what they do. It also gives fans a chance to connect with more than just the vocalists, especially for drummers who are usually left in the dark up the back. We love to see them get their special moments in the spotlight, even if it's jumping onto another instrument.
With "Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!" and "herpes" chants led by Jacobs and shoey virginities being broken by Saller, The Curse 20th anniversary tour was a night fans will never forget.
With Future Static bringing melodic harmonies, Memphis May Fire making their long awaited return to Australia, and Atreyu not being afraid to show who they truly are, the sold-out show was a night full of fun and good times.
