I would be under-exaggerating if I told you I was excited to see RedHook.
Supported by Sydney indie punks The Dead Love, The Zoo was a punk-rock haven last Friday night (13 May).As a long-time follower of The Dead Love, my first time seeing them was everything I wanted.
A mix of the old and new material featured, with rippers like 'Young And Dysfunctional' and 'Ordinary' off their 2019 album 'The Extinction Of Unicorns'.
The Dead Love - image © Harrison Innes
Triple j featured tracks also made an appearance like 'Small Talk' and the COVID-inspired anthem 'My Friends', with more than a couple punters belting out the lyrics as if their life depended on it.
The set was an amazing follow-up to the outfit's last journey to Brisbane for 2021's Fireball Fest, and here's hoping they'll be back again for another round of grunge goodness.
Now I want to say I've been hooked on RedHook (I promise that pun was unintentional) since their 2020 single 'Dead Walk'. I certainly have not been following them as closely as some, but it turns out that was a mistake.
RedHook - image © Harrison Innes
This band is a one-of-a-kind mix of punk rock, nu-rock, grunge and metal. Or to simplify and use the band's own description – alternative rock.
RedHook's music is diverse and substantial, with each track standing on its own, and I love it. I'm yet to hear a skippable RedHook song. But with so much of my own expectations on the line, how did their show stack up?
Well. Really, really well. From the get-go, the whole band's energy was turned to 100 – no time to waste. There was excited chaos from the crowd as 'Only Bones' started up, filled with moody blue and sporadic white strobes.
Frontwoman Emmy Mack's stage presence and manipulation of the crowd was undeniable as her animated performance took punters focus wherever she was on stage: side to side, up and down and at one point, climbing The Zoo's speaker stack to poke her head through to look at the crowd.
RedHook - image © Harrison Innes
It was obvious the RedHook machine is well oiled, as the other band members moved around equally as much, jumping, spinning and kicking.
A RedHook show is a next-level performance compared to your average, run of the mill live music show. During 'Sentimental Surgery' the band switched it covering a different song every verse. This added an amazing dynamic to the song’s structure and was incredible to see live.
However, my favourite of all these covers came later during the song 'Fake' with an epic mashup with Limp Bizkit's classic 'Break Stuff'. Emmy's vocals perfectly fit Fred Durst's lyrics, with more than enough brutality to really make this go off.
This chaos was quickly followed with what was titled on their set list, 'Redhorn Intro'. Essentially, this was guitarist Craig Wilkinson laying down his Telecaster and picking up the saxophone as the crowd opened up the 'Saxophone Circle Pit', which was just as magical as the name would suggest.
RedHook - image © Harrison Innes
The Meanjin/ Brisbane leg of the ‘Bring Ya Mates’ tour wrapped up in the only way it could, with all tour members jumping up for RedHook’s huge finale 'Bad Decisions'.
You had all members of Redhook, The Dead Love, and opening act Brisbane's Citadel (even members of rock outfit Waxflower) onstage.
A tear through the middle of The Zoo's animalistic crowd appeared, coming together fast and unforgiving as the song took off. It was crowd-surf city – holding both performer and punter alike. Blow-up aliens were tossed into the crowd and held high above heads as the roar of audience's cheers closed out the track.
RedHook - image © Harrison Innes
But that wasn't it, as Craig proceeded to live out the pop-punk dream enlisting help from his own band mates as well as The Dead Love to belt out a number by himself.
And even that wasn't enough, as after another walk off, we were treated to Emmy and Dead Love's Clint Ossington facing off with soaring vocals and thunderous roars on yet another track, sending the crowd absolutely bonkers.
As the thankful and ecstatic bands walked off stage and the house music kicked in, the only thing you could see on people's faces were smiles. It was a night many, including myself, won't forget.
More photos from the show.
