A sticky summer evening at Sydney's Enmore Theatre sees the line well around the block waiting for punk-rockers Rise Against.
Beerwolf kick off the night (5 February) in an extremely loud and ferocious pattern. Deep screams and thumping guitar flood the theatre. A quick glance around shows a diverse crowd united by a love of shredding guitars and heartfelt lyricism – and they're hungry.After a darkened stage with inaudible voiceovers sets the mood, Rise Against hurtle out, straight into fan favourite 'Prayer Of The Refugee'. Instantly, the crowd are off their feet screaming with all their might. It's one heck of a way to start a rock show.
The song features an impressive impromptu guitar solo that sends the mood sky high, before they bring the start of the last chorus all the way down just to erupt into a ferocious ending and a sustained vocal scream.
'The Good Left Undone' steams right along under yellow lights. The crowd is singing every word and leaping off the ground. This is a level of straight-off-the-bat enthusiasm rarely seen since COVID.
"It's been five, long years Sydney," frontman Tim McIlrath pauses to suck in a breath. "Do you feel good?" he asks rhetorically. "This is gunna be a good night, I can feel electricity in the air. Can you feel that Sydney?
"The reason we do all this is because of you Sydney," he says, as the band send it with 'Survive'. They strum out single hits as the lights flash green. The crowd rushes towards the circle pit.
"We've been looking forward to this one for a long time," McIlrath shares, his eyes wide like saucers as he sings, "at night we're conspiring by candlelight". They take it down for the bridge and shivers run down your spine. The feeling is unusually warm. McIlrath ends the song militarily on a megaphone, before 'Audience Of One' taps into the sentimental vein.
"You guys have a name for Americans right?" McIlrath states, pointing to a blow-up trash can that is making its way around. "Well we liked it so much our drummer got it tattooed yesterday."
'The Violence' certainly isn't slowing down, as McIlrath incites the crowd: "It's not a Rise Against gig until we all put our fists in the air and yell rise!" 'Re-Education (Through Labor)' belts out as the circle pit grows bigger and bigger under red and blue lasers.
"I feel like songs aren't complete when we write them. They aren't complete when we record them. They aren't even complete when they come out. They're complete when we play them, so this song is now complete," McIlrath says sentimentally for 'Nowhere Generation'. The anthem is gloriously triumphant under golden lights.
'Ready To Fall' keeps the set pumping along, and it feels like the band hasn't stopped. "I want your voices ringing in my ears," McIlrath yells. 'Hero Of War' is played acoustically and is saddeningly relevant. The drums kick in with impeccable timing, bringing the song to a strong and memorable finish.
McIlrath shares the story of the last time he came to the Enmore Theatre, to watch Chris Cornell play. "Chris invited me to sing a song, and I f...ed it up in rehearsal. The band looked at me with wide eyes, but we figured it out onstage and I'm very proud of that night.
"The saddest thing is, Chris said 'let's make a song' and I didn't instantly go for it and I regret that. So do what you need to do tomorrow, don't regret anything."
He continues the acoustics for 'Swing Life Away' as light beams stream down on the singular figure. It is a perfectly emotional song.
The lights spasm for the first song of the encore, 'Make It Stop (September's Children)' and the crowd have a lot more moshing left in them. 'Give It All' features one last circle pit, as McIlrath gives his all screaming as he's held aloft by the front row.
'Savior' is the song of the night, as the band absolutely tears through an elongated musical bridge that leaves you gobsmacked and wishing they had played ten more moments like that.
Riveting, poignant and unrelenting, Rise Against are an act that should never be missed in this short life.
