Sydney anthemic punk-rock band Trophy Eyes began their debut Aussie tour last night in Perth, at Amplifier Capitol. This show was a fantastic start to the tour, setting the tour off on an excellent note. The band was backed up by alternative rock band Rumours, punk-rockers Alex The Kid, and anthemic duo, The Hard Aches.
The first supporting act of the night was alternative rock band Rumours. Also from Sydney, Rumours started the set off with Steady Decline from their 2016 EP Panic Routine. The first band always has the difficult task of bringing the crowd in, and by Rumours third song of the night Worse, Then Better, the audience really started to respond to the band’s energy. Much of the bands liveliness comes from Blake’s tight, elated drumming which complimented the wonderful, reverb-filled guitar and bass. Rumours’ unique vocal style coming from lead vocalist/guitarist Luke appeared to be slightly off-pitch towards the start of their show – however, this is forgivable given how idiosyncratic and creative his style is. As the band progressed, Luke’s vocals improved significantly and the band’s creative essence began to truly resonate with the audience as the crowd grew – the band was obviously doing a good job at warming everybody up. The band’s second last song of the night, Signs – an audience favorite – had an excellent introduction instrumentally, yet there were a few vocal errors during the first verse. Nevertheless, Rumours ended on an excellent note with Clutch, where Luke’s distinctive vocals really shined.
Next up were Geraldton punk-rockers Alex The Kid. These guys really got the show going, the energy and liveliness that erupted when these guys came on stage created a completely new atmosphere. The floor filled with dancing, jumping and the occasional moshing as the band progressed through the first track of the night, Tenderloin. Alex The Kid is not a band trying to push creative boundaries or generate any musical paradigm shifts, this is true Aussie punk rock. You get what you come for. And this band delivers on that, with gruff vocals from James, and fast shredding punk riffs from guitarists Dale and Trent. Alex The Kid’s instrumentals were technically proficient, the vocals were bang-on, the mixing was great. The stage presence from each band-member was phenomenal– James’ “choreographed dance moves” and crowd-pleasing shoey only made the night more enjoyable, leaving the audience even more pumped up for the next act.
Building off the audience’s elation from Alex The Kid, the heavy anthemic duo from Adelaide, The Hard Aches, stole the show. To the surprise of many, this huge melody-driven sound is created by the band’s two members’ vocalist/guitarist BD, and drummer Alex. The Hard Aches put on a phenomenal performance, beginning their set with the title track off their 2016 EP I Freak Out, and blowing the audience away with the band’s spot-on vocals and brilliant instrumentals. It’s amazing how this band can create such a full, anthemic sound with just two band-members. Their set was performed just like off the LPs, with “certified bangers” like Loser which resonated immensely with the audience through a wave of crowd surfing, and their new anthemic single, Brain Drain. The band ended their set on audience-favorite I Get Like This, pulling everyone off their feet through a mass of energy and sound. There were a few vocal issues in the introduction of the song, but finished on a very good note. These guys set a fantastic tone for Trophy Eyes.
Finally, headlining act, Trophy Eyes, took the stage one member at a time to begin their set with beautiful anthem Home Is, the theme of their tour, celebrating being back home in Australia. Trophy Eyes set the night on fire. Everybody in the entire venue was off their feet, soaking in the band’s resonant and beautiful sound. John’s unique vocal style was the standout of the band’s set, his beautiful transition between clean and unclean vocals is quite unique for the genre and was executed very well live. The band’s instrumentals were fantastic, the drums were tight, the guitar tones were huge and the bass was driving – yet not too intense. The band’s incredible rendition of crowd-pleaser Breathe You In, proved the band’s ability to wonderfully perform their softer tracks, and really push the boundaries of John’s lyrical ability. Right before the band entered their heavier track Rain On Me from Chemical Miracle, John spoke to the audience in an ode to everyday life, priming the audience to let go of their troubles – to “forget about being poor” or whether “your boss is an asshole.” The band erupted into the driving punk riffs and garish, unclean vocals of Rain On Me, coupled with the band’s remarkable stage presence – the audience responded accordingly; jumping, moshing and crowd surfing exploded and didn’t stop until the night ended. A touching speech about suicide being the leading cause of death of young people in Australia was the perfect primer for Suicide Pact, creating a very somber, yet fulfilling tone through the song, without compromising the band’s raw energy. After finishing with Heaven Sent, the band left the stage as the audience shouted for an encore: “one more song!” Surprisingly, John arrived back onstage, hair down and an acoustic guitar in hand for a beautiful rendition of Day Dreamer. The finale of the night was the audience-favorite: “Chlorine”, finishing on an excellent note and leaving the audience fulfilled from an astonishing show.
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by André Avila at Redwood Visions
TROPHY EYES
The Home Is Australia Tour
With guests The Hard Aches, Trash Boat (UK) & Rumours
Saturday 19th August – Fowlers Live, Adelaide LIC/AA
Friday 25th August – The Metro Theatre, Sydney LIC/AA
Saturday 26th August – The Triffid, Brisbane
Saturday 2nd September – The Corner, MelbourneTickets on sale now
For complete tour and ticketing information, visit:
trophyeyesmusic.com
