The rain descends upon Sydney, but inside the Enmore Theatre it's warm and dry.
The venue is packed (4 April), suggesting a second venue upgrade may have been in order.Locals Bad Moon Born kick off the night as singer Jordan von Grae commands the crowd with Meatloaf-esque vocals. They are one to watch.
However, everyone is salivating for one act only. It's been six years since Skillet graced our shores, and you can tell this crowd's been waiting.
Skillet enter under blue lights and a sizzling synth. "How you feeling Sydney," frontman John Cooper asks right away. You like him already. The lights quickly turn red for 'Feel Invincible'. There are no warm-ups here, we're off and racing. "Woah come on," Cooper says, ending the song.
"Let me see those hands. Tonight we say no to depression, no to fear. Tonight we rise!" he shouts. 'Rise' is simmering and furious, Cooper's vocals clear and powerful, his bare arms emblazoned with a cross. "Awww you sound good," he confirms. "It's been six years!" a crowd member replies to laughs.
"Oh we're having fun up in here tonight," Cooper promises, before unexpectedly blasting white smoke from two giant guns, covering the moshpit in clouds. For 'Surviving The Game', guitarist Korey Cooper thrashes her purple hair.
"Sydney, are you unstoppable?" Cooper calls, wildly spinning his bass around his neck, while second guitarist Seth Morrison absolutely shreds.
"Australia, we're gunna stop playing around," Cooper proclaims as 'Legendary' kicks down the front door. Jen Ledger sings loudly bashing her drums simultaneously, both equally impressive.
"About ten days ago, I put this song back in the set list," Cooper shares. "I just felt like I should, and then we got to meet a bunch of these people here," he points to the crowd, “and Kate shared that this was the song that was on the radio when she came to God. So we're playing this one for you Kate."
'Lions' follows, with a poppier feel, before 'Awake And Alive' starts with piano as drummer Ledger joins at the front. She returns just in time to kick the drums into verse two. An electric cello joins, before the guitar soars its long, emotional notes. Boy do we miss the emo era. The crowd roars.
Cooper sends them into a clapping frenzy with a vocal back and forth to begin 'Back From The Dead'. Shows should always be this fun. The crowd sings every word. It's been awhile since we've seen a crowd this engaged.
Cooper stops to interact with the crowd, receiving one patron's phone and taking a crowd selfie. "I met. . . was it you?" He points to a crowd member. "And you said 12 years ago I got right down in the front and my sweat went in your mouth? And it was the saltiest thing ever."
He shares other stories from patrons – one recently diagnosed with MS who adores their songs. It is a touching reminder of the power of music. "It doesn't matter who you vote for, music brings us together because it makes us feel a little bit better," Cooper states. It’s very wholesome.
"I wanna give a shout out to the person who gave me hope when I had no hope." Is it getting emotional in here? "The Man who saved my life. My hero, Jesus Christ. Sing this one with me tonight." The stage pumps red and blue as smoke pours out for 'Hero'.
The electric cello returns for 'Not Gunna Die' as green lights shoot out. More head-bashing ensues from both guitarists, as Cooper sings: "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger."
The drums pound an elongated start to 'Whispers In The Dark', a solid fan favourite. Darkness swarms the end of the song before a drum solo by Ledger sends us into 'Psycho In My Head' alongside spine-tingling guitar notes. "Sydney I wanna see you go psycho." The crowd obliges in spades.
'Anchor' is a sentimental moment of respite from the fury, and no less impactful. Arms wave in the air. The song builds through the bridge, the guitar screaming in your head long after the last note rings out. They don't make bands like this anymore.
'Comatose' follows, pushing how much the crowd has left. The answer is more. Korey Cooper starts 'Undefeated' with creepy guitar notes that filter across the crowd. Is there time for more guitar solos? The answer is always yes.
"Everyone in Sydney, do you feel like a monster?" Cooper asks, as the stage floods a thick, blood red. 'Rebirthing' is classically intense and quick, as Cooper gives his all, before going over to kiss wife and guitarist Korey Cooper, much to the crowd's pleasure. "Thank you!" he calls while the band plays furiously.
The encore pantomime ensues before the band returns. A robotic female voice announces: "This is 'The Resistance'." One final flurry and the show has passed by in what felt like ten minutes.
Skillet are classy, talented and hardcore. Aside from that, they seem to control an endless supply of banging songs that are enjoyable even if you don't know all the words.
If you like having your face melted off by tunes that stick in your head for days, Skillet are the ticket to get you there.
