The grey skies of a mildly humid day are darkening as daytime transforms into night as myself and other eager punters make our way to The Triffid with immense anticipation to experience the first ever Candlebox show in Brisbane.
Yep. Finally, after 30 years of rocking it to Aussies through recordings, we are getting the live dealio on our shores (10 January).Brisbane locals Tailor Made Rejects are the chosen alt rockers (with elements of prog and twist of punk) to warm us up for the headliners with a 30-minute set that did just that.
Ryan Valley (vocals/ guitar), Alejandro Moro (guitar), Zakory Cutmore (drums) and new bass player unknown to me are rocking it hard and heavy to the gathering crowd, who are digging these local maestros.
Tailor Made Rejects smash through their seven-song set list, with song five, 'Stronger', having an awesome groove that had punters unfamiliar with the track still shaking a tail feather or two.
Other killer tracks like 'Hurt People', 'Ghosts Of Paradise' and 'I Don't Know' certainly had punters ears and eyes perked, winning them some new fans for sure. Treat yourself to a helping of good music by supporting your local talent and checking out their next gig.
Tailor Made Rejects - image © Clea-marie Thorne
As the stage clock shows 9pm, Candlebox band members hit the dimly lit stage, one by one: BJ Kerwin (drums), Brian Quinn (guitar), Island Styles (guitar), Adam Kury (bass). Finally, the only original Candlebox band member and frontman, Kevin Martin is before us, taking in a huge round of applause, whistles and yelps from fans in the crowd.
Immediately, the band shoots into action with 'Arrow' from their self-titled 1993 debut album. Fans engaged with this explosion of energy from the first note, the room instantly charged with a feel-good ambience and a heady and healthy dose of nostalgia. What a way to kick off my first gig of 2024.
Charging into 'Simple Lessons', a track from the album 'Lucy', Martin proves to fans his vocals remain in fine form after all these years (if not even better); while I can vouch the musicians making up the band behind him are totally lit and tight as. . . Nothing to whine about here!
'What Do You Know' is followed by 'Change' that keeps us singing while Kerwin maintains the momentum with his steady and hard hitting on tubs.
Candlebox - image © Clea-marie Thorne
With Kury on bass, he and Kerwin hold it rock-solid beneath the wicked riffs and crafty licks showcased by Styles and Quinn. Quinn is so smooth and chill at cranking out the solos – I swear he has the chops to play these songs in his sleep.
It's a set list of fan faves from newer tunes to classic oldies like 'Blossom' that Martin is introducing with a bit of dialogue about his connections in Australia – his Aussie wife, Valley from Tailor Made Rejects, and other friends and in-laws.
Fans rock out hard and many phones are being held high to capture these incredible moments. Martin shares how stoked he is to be playing to us and signals the band to give us another from their debut album, 'Don't You'.
Excitement continues to escalate in the room with '10,000 Horses' – a song Martin confesses he hates, but they play it anyway because the fans like it. It's a song he wrote while sitting in traffic in Seattle. While it starts out slower paced, drums soon lead us into the crushing chorus and the Candlebox choir bursts with life.
Candlebox - image © Clea-marie Thorne
After serenading us with the catchy hooks of 'Elegante', a "sexy dance number" from 2023 album 'The Long Goodbye', Candlebox set about for some fun onstage dishing up morsels of classic rock covers to embellish a very cool version of 'Sweet Summer Time'.
There is some insane adapted riffage pulled from the back in the day incorporated into the song, including a whack of Guns 'N Roses' 'Sweet Child Of Mine'. Fans are opening their throats and warbling along loudly while bopping heads, dancing and waving their hands in the air.
Another new track, 'Punks' lets loose thrashy tones, followed by another banger from 1993 that Martin grabs the acoustic guitar for, 'Cover Me'. This is after telling us how special this moment is for him and giving us thanks for being present.
The pop-tinged 'Cellphone Jesus', a song about organised religion, gets lapped up by fans before a standout from 'Wolves' (2021 album), 'Riptide'. These songs are leading to my favourite 'Far Behind' and is well timed as punters are now calling for it very boisterously.
Martin dedicates it to the greats of grunge no longer with us and it is moving to hear of his encounters and friendships with the greats: Kurt Cobain, Scott Weiland, Chris Cornell, Andrew Wood.
Everyone starts singing along to this hit from the first word. I feel fans are collectively experiencing the roller coaster of emotive highs and lows the song draws from our souls and it's increasing the energy in the room two-fold. I am bathing in the auditory vibrations and do not want the amplified contrasting feels to end.
Candlebox - image © Clea-marie Thorne
We are then treated to another one of Candlebox's biggest bangers 'You'. More emotion wells up in the room like the sea at high tide. Martin's pipes rattle our souls with those memorable lyrics: "...I'll cry for you. Yes, I'll die for you. Pain in my heart it is real and I'll tell you now, how I feel inside. Feel in my heart, it's for you...". To lend from the lyrics of the song, I 'shiver and shudder' while getting a little misty eyed during this one.
If the night had ended here, I would be leaving completely satisfied, but it seems there is no stopping the lads. Even after two of their most memorable hits usually saved for last – the icing on the cake so the speak, the few punters that made a hasty exit are now missing out.
Candlebox continue to rock it to us, with a sweet blues-rock twist to their jam and Martin's pipes strong and forceful as ever – this is the cherry on top of the iced cake. Hell yeah! What a freaking night. Simply rock at its finest.
If you are foolishly sitting on the fence pondering one of the very first and last Candlebox shows in Australia, then get smart and nab a ticket to The Long Goodbye Tour; you can't regret great music and talent performed for you with all the live energy and feels of a band with this much experience and talent.
Candlebox haven't been around for 30 years clocking up a four-times platinum record with their debut album, without having the live goods to back 'em up. Just say yes and enjoy the F out of it!
More photos from the show.
