As I walk into The Station Birtinya, I instantly clock that the Sunshine Coast has turned up absolutely feral.
Tinnies are cracking, while every second bloke is trying to out-black their shirts with two decades' worth of Machine Head memories. It's only a trio onstage this run, but the second Robb Flynn (vocals/ guitar), Jared MacEachern (bass) and Matt Alston (drums) start ripping into 'Imperium', the venue shakes like someone's parked a helicopter inside.
The punters closest to the stage must be feeling a little crush as 'Ten Ton Hammer' slams down, fans barking the chorus back at Flynn loud enough to rattle the glass doors of the shopping centre across the road.
Security is already sweating bullets because the crowd isn't moshing so much as slosh-moshing. There's a mob of bodies in the middle of the pit moving like a tide that's got zero interest in respecting anyone's personal space for this, An Evening with Machine Head.
Image © Clea-marie Thorne
'Choke On The Ashes Of Your Hate' detonates next, Flynn grinning like he's just lit the fuse himself. Everything's sounding huge even without Reece Scruggs (guitar). Jared's tone is hitting like a freight train and Alston is absolutely belting the kit with the violence of a hurricane.
By the time we're howling through 'Now We Die', I taste the salt of my own sweat and someone else's on the back of my hand. I step outside to get some air and can't help but annoy anyone out here taking the op to nab some merch while I'm belting 'Is There Anybody Out There?'.
Inside, Flynn has the whole room auditioning for the world's angriest choir, shouting back those earnest lyrics. 'Not Long For This World' rolls out with this doomy, dragging weight that's settling right into everyone's bones.
'Crashing Around You' goes off like 2001 never ended, then Flynn's pulling out 'Unhallowed', dragging everyone straight back into that early-era darkness. The crowd gets stitched into a screaming match choosing between 'Aesthetics Of Hate' and 'Blood For Blood'; when 'Aesthetics' wins, the roar coming off the floor is thick enough to breathe in.
Image © Clea-marie Thorne
'Now I Lay Thee Down' drops the first emotional gut-punch of the night, only for 'Old' to stomp it flat again as everyone bounces like the floor is a trampoline. 'Outsider' snarls through the PA, Flynn commanding us to get down before we jump up to raise the roof.
When 'Locust' lands, half the crowd is chanting that riff like it's a footy anthem. Flynn instructs the fans to split the pit right and left and commands Sunshine Coast to execute a wall of death to 'Bonescraper'. They comply with fervent enthusiasm screaming "love is just a loaded gun!" while Machine Head grind out a straight-up caveman groove. The whole place is losing its collective sh.t.
Then the boys dial it back. Flynn grabbing an acoustic, the crowd settling into this strange, reverent hush for 'Circle The Drain'. I want to put my phone up and capture it – but I'm reminded of the A4 signs around the venue directing us to be present in the moment. I restrain myself and notice, down below, arms around shoulders, bodies swaying.
Image © Clea-marie Thorne
Another acoustic gem comes, 'Darkness Within'. As it's played, you can feel the entire room breathing with it. It's still heavy, just in a totally different way. 'Catharsis' drags us right back into the thick of it.
Then it's chaos again with 'From This Day', everyone yelling that chorus like we're legally required to as inflatable Machine Head dice/ cubes are unleashed for the metal kids to play with under a glorious showering of confetti.
Crowd surfers are popping up with increased regularity; I even spied a kiddie being gently guided for what might be his first ever surf – I'm sure it won't be his last! Hell yeah!
Image © Clea-marie Thorne
When 'Davidian' drops, all hell breaks loose and I lose my heart to the music. The pit's splitting and that "LET FREEDOM RING," line is punching harder than anything else has all night. We OG Headcases are in heaven.
Flynn gives a shout out to BBQ Bob who he befriended a few tours ago – doesn't Flynn know Bob will only lead him astray! After the crowd call for more, the trio decide to flex on us with a full-throttle Iron Maiden moment – 'Hallowed Be Thy Name'. Flynn nailing the phrasing, Jared's vocals simply gorgeous in a very 'still a metal show, mate' way, the crowd eating it out of their hands.
They close with 'Halo'. All the voices are screaming that hook, lights blinding, CO2, sparks and confetti this time. Fark! Flynn holds out the mic like he's letting us steer the ship for the last minute.
Everyone's dripping, grinning, half broken, and not a single person is thinking about the fact it's only three dudes up there. It's sounding massive, it's feeling massive, and The Station is shaking like it's trying to leave the postcode.
Image © Clea-marie Thorne
Machine Head aren't just surviving as a trio, they're absolutely dominating, turning a Sunshine Coast Monday night into a full-scale war chant. It might be a school night, this might be a sideshow, but it's hitting like a full-blown headline assault.
This crowd received the blow up hammers and dice, a tribute to brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul (RIP), all the big bang stage theatrics, a digital backdrop and flawless lighting all adorning a brilliant set of 21 pure bangers!
If you can't understand why I love Mondays, surely you get why Headcases show up for Machine Head!
