Celebrating two decades of anything is an achievement, especially in an era dominated by fast fashion, viral trends with a seven-second lifespan, and planned obsolescence.
Story Of The Year's debut and breakthrough 2003 album 'Page Avenue' is no exception, and it has rightfully received its flowers.On a dreary Sunday evening (11 August) in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, a sea of elder emos flooded The Tivoli for a blast-from-the-past line-up that would have felt right at home on the Vans Warped Tour circa 2004-2005.
Story Of The Year, undeniable trendsetters in the rise of emo alt-rock, fittingly brought along New Jersey's emo-core legends, Senses Fail. Surprisingly, Melbourne's own Australian emo pioneers, Behind Crimson Eyes opened the national tour.
As punters began to (somewhat slowly) fill The Tivoli's iconic live music room, Behind Crimson Eyes kicked off the evening. While it was a bit of a shock the venue wasn't packed from the start, it's worth remembering many attendees are likely in their 30s now, presumably with jobs to go to the next day, and maybe even concerned about their inevitable knee, back, or shoulder pain.
Behind Crimson Eyes - image © Chris Dy
A slower-moving crowd isn't entirely unexpected. Despite the slightly disappointing turnout, Behind Crimson Eyes took it in stride. They confidently reminded us all of what it was like to buy a copy of Blunt Magazine and discover new artists on the affixed compilation CD – this is exactly how I found this band many moons ago (I think).
With an interesting band history that should have seen significantly more success during their prime, Behind Crimson Eyes may have never made it onto many people's radars. However, tonight, they proved they've always been deserving of recognition and accolades within the Australian alternative music scene.
Their modest set list included classic tracks like 'The Art Of War', 'The Bonesmen', and of course, 'Shakedown' (does anyone else remember seeing this on late-night 'Rage'? No? Just me? Okay).
Behind Crimson Eyes - image © Chris Dy
BCE executed with precision and prowess. Admittedly, some of their catalog feels a little dated in 2024, with most of their music being released before 2010, but that's perhaps an inevitability for any artist who launched into the spotlight and then disbanded multiple times since.
Seeing the synergy between lead vocalist Josh Stuart and guitarist/ backing vocalist Aaron Schultz was reminiscent of the heyday of emo-core, though maybe without the energy I'd hoped for. Excitingly, BCE performed a new single, 'DEAD.DROP.DEAD', and announced they will release one final EP, supporting it with a tour before hanging up their hats for a peaceful retirement.
While it's disappointing we may never truly see the full potential of this act, it's fantastic to see them stake their claim as an Australian classic in their genre.
Senses Fail burst from the darkness next, launching immediately into 'Tie Her Down'. On paper, their set list was flawless, covering over a dozen classic tunes like 'Buried A Lie', 'Bite To Break Skin', 'Rum Is For Drinking, Not For Burning', 'Let It Enfold You', and my personal favourite, 'Irony Of Dying On Your Birthday'.
While the music was tight and true to the records, there was significant disappointment in vocalist Buddy Nielsen's performance. Whether due to illness, fatigue (this was the final leg of the tour), or something else entirely, it was hard to fully enjoy their set with the noticeable shortcomings.
Senses Fail - image © Chris Dy
As a regular live music attendee, I know it's unrealistic to expect every aspect of every performance to be record-perfect. However, as such a pivotal piece of this band's charm, it was disappointing to be so close to a wonderful nostalgia trip, only to miss the mark by millimetres.
Here's hoping the next time they return, we'll experience the full potential I know they have. The band's decision to end their set with a strange mashup of 'Martini Kiss', 'Chop Suey', 'Down With The Sickness', 'Break Stuff', and 'Bulls On Parade' felt like a strange emo-karaoke session that didn't quite make sense to me – but, each to their own.
Finally, the moment of truth: Story Of The Year. I remember watching a live video of them on YouTube many moons ago – this originally five-piece was energetic to a new level, with flying kicks, barrel rolls, and more steps than most of us would accumulate in a week. This was my first (maybe second) exposure to the band, and to say I was captivated immediately would be severely underselling it.
Here we are now, nearly 20 years later, seeing them live in the flesh as they launch into 'And The Hero Will Drown' – the song that for many fans would have been their first exposure to the Missouri quartet.
The energy was massive: pitch-perfect screams, flawless clean vocals from Dan Marsala, and strong support from bassist and backing vocalist Adam Russell – these men can sing.
Story Of The Year - image © Chris Dy
Throughout their set, the band's crowd engagement was truly world-class. Russell even suggested the entire crowd take the next day off work because, as he put it (and I may be paraphrasing), "we're all old". He's not wrong. There were also some cheeky digs at other iconic emo acts from yesteryear, but I'll keep those comments as the inside jokes they were intended to be, as their intention could easily be misconstrued.
While they promised to play the entirety of 'Page Avenue' (though "not in the same order as the record"), Story Of The Year lived up to that promise, even throwing in a new track, 'War', from their 2023 release 'Tear Me To Pieces'.
'Page Avenue' is an absolute emo staple, with significantly more killer than filler. Hearing tracks like 'Anthem Of Our Dying Day', 'Razorblades', 'Swallow The Knife', 'Sidewalks', and 'Until The Day I Die' live was a dream come true.
We were treated to nearly a dozen and a half songs over the course of SOTY's set, and honestly I think they could have played double that without running out of fan favourites.
Story Of The Year - image © Chris Dy
In true tongue-in-cheek fashion, when discussing the band's future Marsala exclaimed: "We're never coming back – f... you guys," shocking the crowd before quickly amending it with a cheeky, "just kidding, we'll keep coming back for the next 20 years too".
I truly hope to see continued touring and success for this fantastic act, as in my heart of hearts, I believe this is one band that never fully received the recognition they deserved. Seeing them get that acknowledgment some 20 years later is deeply satisfying for this die-hard fan.
Photos from Story Of The Year's Melbourne concert.
