We missed their faces. They were in our heads, but just when we needed them most, Neck Deep were back in Brisbane playing The Fortitude Music Hall on Sunday.
Opening the last night (30 April) of Neck Deep's Dumbstruck Dumbf... tour with a bang, Perth band LATE 90s unleashed a ferocious set that shook the venue to its core Walking out to a snippet of John Cena's 'The Time Is Now', LATE 90s took the stage and jumped straight into 'Title Track'.Buzzing from the adrenaline, guitarist Zaac Morgan was all smiles, declaring: "It is so good to be here in Brisbane, I've got some of my family over here, I've got my aunty and my cousin out in the crowd, and my grandparents live over here so, it's like a second home to us. So thanks for coming down early, for being so welcoming, everyone's been so nice, hopefully you guys enjoy the show."
LATE 90s were the living blueprint for what a high-energy Australian band should be; they were crackling with charisma, locked in with undeniable chemistry, and delivered a set so tight and polished it felt both explosive and effortless. Every moment onstage was a masterclass in controlled chaos, proving they're not just playing shows, they're starting fires.
LATE 90s - image © Jayde Tayla
State Champs stormed the stage next, and true to form, they delivered a set that left no soul untouched. Kicking off what marked their third tour alongside Neck Deep, frontman Derek DiScanio soaked in the moment, grinning as he told the crowd: "Wow, it feels good to be back, man."
There's a magic to a State Champs set. Every beat, every lyric, every surge of movement from the crowd feels like stepping into a living, breathing family. Derek captured that feeling perfectly. "First timers, don't be shy, put your hand up, welcome to the family.
"Seriously, no matter where you came from, if you're from Brisbane or you came from out of town, different city, different country, thanks for celebrating us and letting us do what we f...ing do."
Blending fresh cuts from their latest album, like the high-octane 'The Constant' and the infectious 'Too Late To Say', with fan favourites like 'Secrets' and 'Elevated', the band kept the crowd hanging on every note.
In true Aussie spirit, bassist Ryan Scott Graham even joined the chaos, pulling off a shoey with a twist – swapping beer for a bottle of caramel milk and sending the crowd into a frenzy. If that wasn't enough, State Champs cranked the energy even higher by bringing out Ben Barlow of Neck Deep for a rendition of their song 'Everybody But You'.
Finally, as the set hit its peak, Derek wrapped up their electrifying performance with a quick and perfect send-off: "World peace. See ya." A fitting mic-drop to a set no one wanted to end.
State Champs - image © Jayde Tayla
As the lights dimmed for the final time, a wave of anticipation swept through the crowd, and then, at last, Neck Deep stormed the stage, kicking off their set with the punchy 'Heartbreak Of The Century'.
The energy was already electric when frontman Ben Barlow paused before launching into 'Take Me With You' to pose a theory to the crowd: "The way things have been going, I think we've got two options. World peace number one, that would be tight. World peace would be good. Then the second option I honestly think is alien invasion. I think that's all, so when those green men eventually come down and suck us all off, I mean suck us out of here, I'm going to be like, 'take me with you'."
To the band's amusement, several fans in the crowd had come prepared throwing inflatable alien balloons in the air.
Neck Deep - image © Jayde Tayla
Midway through their explosive set, Barlow took another moment to connect with the crowd in true Neck Deep fashion: raw, real, and straight from the heart. "If you're a small-town hero, and you've got big dreams, then know that we believe in you, just know that you can do it. You can do it. Just so we are involving everyone, if you're proud of where you're from, get down with us."
As the opening notes of 'She's A God' rang out, Barlow leaned into the mic with a grin and made a request for the girls to start an all-girl mosh pit, and the crowd didn't hesitate.
Later in the set, Barlow stood at the edge of the stage taking in the electric atmosphere, and shared a thought that resonated deeply with everyone in the room. "That's the crazy thing about music, you look around tonight and you can feel it in the air. It's so special, and that feeling, that's unity. That's what it feels like to all be on the same f...ing page.
Neck Deep - image © Jayde Tayla
"Without fighting about dumb sh.t, so that they can keep on making a buck of your f...ing outrage and off of other people's suffering. Because the one feeling they don't want you to know is that we are a damn sight stronger together than we are divided, and it's a lot more of us than there is of them.
"So, for once, let's make use of this feeling, let's bottle this feeling that we all feel right now. Let's take advantage of this feeling. Because it's pretty rare these days."
As the band geared up to close the show, Ben's tone shifted to one of deep gratitude, thanking the crew and taking a second to encourage the crowd to support LATE 90s.
"Make sure you support Aussie music, you guys have got a history of great music coming out of Australia. These guys are, you know, they're a part of that too. So make sure you support LATE 90s, go buy some f...ing merch, check them out on Spotify."
Neck Deep - image © Jayde Tayla
With that, both support bands and the stage crew gathered onstage for the final song, 'Bloom' creating a beautiful moment of unity, not just between the bands and fans, but with everyone who worked behind the scenes.
As the show came to a close, Ben wrapped it up with heartfelt words. "Thank you. Not just for tonight, but for all the times before this too, we love you know we hope to see you again real soon."
Neck Deep were nothing but real, raw, emotional and powerful from start to finish. Every chord, every lyric, every moment was a testament to what they have created and what they bring to the scene.
More photos from the concert.
