Although a Sunday night, Papa Roach and The Used's Brisbane concert feels like a Saturday night.
Maybe it's tomorrow's public holiday that has a slo-emo stream of gig goers in black tees and jeans percolating towards the entrance of The Fortitude Music Hall from a seemingly endless line (30 April).It's great news Sydney's emo-punk rockers Father Deer Hands landed the support slot for BrisVegas after Coldrain had to pull out.
Wade Garnett (guitar), who is the first from the band to appear, tells us they're there to help us get ready and limber for the best two bands in the world. He then confesses: "I am as nervous as f...!" As the rest of the band join onstage, it's clear there is no need for any nervousness.
Father Deer Hands must have left a swag of fans when last in Brisbane as there are many punters who are quick to show their support. Within minutes, Mathew Betmalik aka Daddy Deer Hands (vocals) is screaming the show into life.
Father Deer Hands - image © Clea-marie Thorne
The band get stuck into 'Sunlight Dance' and the first timers in the crowd are embracing their intensity. Their second song, 'For The First Time In Years' sees some finger dancing on the fretboard by Tyson Ryan, in an intro of bright and boastful notes and James Garnett follows later with big and bold drums.
The band collectively play with a ripe passion that holds solid momentum to the end of their set. The oomph behind the delivery of their songs tells me Father Deer Hands are focused on being together for a long time and have sights on the big time. If their opening bangers and 'Factory Reset' is anything to go by, they'll hit their target.
The Used present before this boisterous and lubricated crowd. They open their set with 'Take It Away' and the crowd did just that by bursting into song and helping McCracken with the vocals to a well-known favourite.
Arms are extended up with fingers punching the air in the direction of the stage in time with the music. Oh man, the vibe is amped. McCracken's mic stand garb shows his continued show of solidarity for the human rights of Palestinian people. Dressed in one of the tour t-shirts, he actively criss-crosses over the stage singing.
The Used - image © Clea-marie Thorne
'Bird And Worm' and 'Listening' are embraced by fans and the mosh is writhing in motion to the music. McCracken asks us if we are having a good time so far and then a second time to illicit the raucous response he was asking for.
McCracken tells us "We are The f...ing Used; we are the world's greatest f...ing emo band. We've been a band for 23 years and we never broke up and never got anywhere" and introduces 'Blow Me'. This song delights the many screaming punters who proceed to bleat out the lyrics with him at max volume. It's incredulous to see.
McCracken says: "If you can see the smile on my face. That's a real f...ing smile. Thank you so much." He jokes with The Used virgin punters before asking us to swipe our hair over one eye and be that emo kid once again, then to place our arm around the person next to us and kiss them on the cheek. Awe, we all feel and become part of the love in the room.
Enraptured by 'I Caught Fire' being played live, our middle fingers are now being raised high toward the roof. Yes, they are about to play 'F... You'. 'Taste Of Ink' is up next and the band are playing it with a fever pitch.
The Used - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Continuing with a greatest hits set that includes 'All That I've Got', 'Buried Myself Alive' and 'Blue And Yellow', there's heaps of engagement – a gift bag labelled 'Bert' is passed to security from a fan on the barrier who passes it up onto the stage. McCracken jokes about the contents as he unwraps the package to reveal an obscure looking plastic worm and a stuffed Kooka. Clever.
A call from McCracken's mum reminds of their Manager's birthday and he's invited on stage to song and a beer left centre stage. The ambiance of the room is charged with happiness and elation.
In such contrast to these feels, McCracken is asking us to "boo" the band. When he's satisfied with our booing, he instructs us to do this as loud as we can when they finish playing their recent single 'Numb'. Well, I was so absorbed like many others I forgot to join in calling out "boooooo!" and cheered. Oops!
Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix gets a roar as he joins The Used for 'Blood On My Hands'. After big smiles and a welcome from McCracken and the crowd, McCracken calls for the pit to circle before they fuel a duet that is sending fans bonkers with cheers and screams throughout the song.
The Used - image © Clea-marie Thorne
'Pretty, Handsome, Awkward' – another from the album 'Lies For The Liars' – makes the set list and I happily rock out and headbang along, "feeling, okay" well, definitely more than okay.
The screams come hard from McCracken and fans with the hammering instrumentation of an oldie, 'A Box Full Of Sharp Objects' served with a tasty side of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. The riffage and rhythm are kept tight as it hits hard to the core, making it a phantastic close out for fans.
McCracken's vocals have cut with clean precision or unclean ragged rage throughout the set – the lad's still got well-honed vocal chords and the band have been unwavering (to my untrained ear) behind him.
Punters need no coaxing to beam their smiles toward the stage, as requested for the band by their front man before they depart, leaving us heaving, high on their sound.
Papa Roach appear before the super-hyped and expectant fans who have altered the internal weather from cool to slightly humid through their communal body heat created by jumping, dancing, screaming, singing and cheering.
Whistles and squeals are telling Papa Roach we are ready for them to grace the darkened stage. Lights flash, illuminating the bodiless stage, then strobe quickly before slowing to reveal the band now in their places.
Papa Roach - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Papa Roach launch into 'Kill The Noise'. Shaddix reflects my earlier thoughts of the night stating: "You're making this Sunday night feel like a f...ing Friday!", before they hit out with 'Getting Away With Murder'.
We are feasting on the outpouring of energy from the band with the first two songs and dish our own entree back in tantamount proportions. The vibe-ometer is hitting thrilling.
Papa Roach gives us 'Cut The Line' after some dialogue from Shaddix sharing that it finally hit #1 on the US charts and proudly they serve it up to us ahead of 'Help', 'Blood Brothers/Dead Cell' and 'Broken Home'.
'...To Be Loved' is flanked by an intense cover of The Prodigy's 'Firestarter' with Shaddix encouraging all feet off the ground before a magical instrumental jam of The Cure's 'Lullaby'.
There's a stack of interaction between the band and the crowd tonight and we are relishing the nostalgia and lapping up later tracks like starved hyenas, whooping all the while.
Papa Roach - image © Clea-marie Thorne
After an emotionally laden and slower paced banger 'Scars', McCracken's wish statement made during their set is granted and he joins Shaddix onstage for 'No Apologies' – the bromance is real (and later self-confessed) as they jump around on stage.
If the crowd went bonkers when they paired up earlier, they're absolutely flipping their noodles right now. Heck, the electric buzz in the air can only be a joule short of being combustible!
The feels continue to amplify as the band alternates between lulling beats that are torn apart with blistering bass and guitar punching in with funky hard rock in 'None Of The Above'. They tease us with a near blackened stage then as lights come back up Shaddix gives us a shoutout during his freestyle fun-style rapping cover of Dr Dre and is telling us he is having way too much fun.
Shaddix declares they're now going to go back, way back, "to when we wrote songs in a 10x10 bedroom, and nobody gave a f... about us. . . Jerry light this mother f...er on fire". Horton obeys playing the intro to 'Between Angels And Insects'. Tobin Esperance, on bass, cuts so sick on this one I'm scared his neck is going to snap! Emo wistfulness is weighing in hefty now.
Papa Roach - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Destroying us with their absolute corker 'Last Resort', we are being lifted by the blistering guitar and smashing drums, to an insane and climactic peak. When they chanted Queen's lyrics "we will, we will rock you" they were not lying and punters rocked it right back, hard and loud and with much love and adoration.
Punters are expressing how absolutely stoked they are with the show tonight. Two headliners for the price of one, preceded with a fierce set by a worthy upcoming band made for huge smiles and glistening eyes reflecting total rock satiation.
The power of live music triggers old feels and creates treasured memories. These emotions are cathartic and personal. They cannot be bottled and sold. They need to be experienced in the flesh. Peace out!
More photos from the show.
