Although it's not technically their show – and, more to the point, it's the first time they've ever performed in this city – Leeds natives Static Dress arrive onstage at Sydney's Metro Theatre (14 May) with the confidence of a headliner.
Granted, their gallop quickly turns to a tumble – lead vocalist Olli Appleyard's microphone cuts out almost instantly, leaving the band temporarily instrumental – but the recovery is swift, and the quartet are soon back to performing without a hitch.
Much like tonight's headliners, Loathe, Static Dress deal in chaotic dynamics at the heavy end of the musical spectrum – often pitting soaring melodies with pummelling breakdowns in a head-on collision.
It's a lot to digest, but Static Dress' approach opts for palatable over impenetrable – and is all the better for it, as evidenced by the harder-hitting cuts like 'Face' and 'Push Rope'.
Put it this way: There aren't very many support bands who have a crowd screaming for an encore when they're finished. That's the kind of impression Static Dress make, and it's likely not long before they genuinely are headlining rooms this size.
Kadeem France doesn't even have to say a single word. The frontman of alt-metal juggernauts Loathe simply has to stroll out onstage, all rockstar swagger and effortless cool, and push his hands apart from the middle.
Look at him, folks: He is the captain now. The crowd promptly splits wide open and unleashes utter mayhem when the frenetic metalcore of 'Gifted Every Strength' immediately propels the band's debut headlining show into a high-octane rush.
After previously visiting the country as an opening act (While She Sleeps, 2022) and as a festival curtain-jerker (Good Things, 2024), tonight was Loathe's first time down under with the limelight exclusively on them.
As such, they didn't waste the chance to showcase why they've steadily ascended into the upper echelon of the UK's heavy music scene – a marquee act in their own right.
What translates the most across the band's 75 minutes onstage is the versatility within their sonic palette. There's the slow-burn of 'Two-Way Mirror' and an ambient, synth-driven interlude in 'The Things They Believe'.
Yes, but there's also the frenetic rage of tracks like 'Athena' and 'Revenant', which will both feature on the band's upcoming new album 'A Stranger To You' [that drops in July].
For every belligerent shriek and down-tuned snarl, there's a dual layer of clean vocals and a swelling crescendo to answer it – meaning tonight is just as much about swaying arms as it is flying limbs.
Even being down a man doesn't disrupt tonight's flow – usual bassist Feisal El-Khazragi is at home with his newborn second child, leaving the band's longtime guitar tech Ryan Chan to take up the low-end in Feisa's stead. Ryan knows the set so intimately, you'd think he wrote the parts.
The band close out their tightly-wound and expertly-executed headlining set with 'Is It Really You?', their most popular song by a considerable margin. France is acutely aware of this too, often sticking his microphone out to a crowd ready to transform into a makeshift choir at a moment's notice.
It's simply too nice a note to end on, though – and that's when the fittingly-titled 'Gored' comes in to spread one last rush of violence across the room. Inside you there are two wolves, and both have been incredibly well fed by tonight's performance.
