LIVE REVIEW: Pain - Perth, May 23rd 2018

Getting Swedish, industrial metal titans PAIN to Australia has been an emotional rollercoaster for the fans. While they have been an active band since 1997, until now, PAIN have never ever played a live show in Australia.

Australian fans rejoiced when, late last year, it was announced that PAIN would be making it to the land down under for the first time ever. Then there was a scandal surrounding the, now defunct, Stag Touring who announced that they would no longer be able to bring the band to Australia. But thanks to some unfailing passion and determination to bring the show to Australia, the tour was saved. Perth fans very lucky to be the first to experience PAIN’s first show in Australia, ever! The band kicked off the first show of the first ever Australian tour at the Badlands bar in Perth.

Perth’s very own ICARUS LIVES opened to a small, but enthusiastic crowd. Wearing influences like Evanescence clearly on their sleeves, they entranced the audience with their brand of melodic metal and synchronised windmilling.

DEADSPACE closely followed and were like a punch in the face, especially after the soaring melodies of the previous band. Their unique take on post black metal and melodic death metal was effective in waking all in attendance up on a ‘lazy’ mid-week gig. All members had clear stage personas, which did not drop even between songs. Vocalist, Chris Gebauer, refused to use a normal speaking voice when addressing the crowd. “If you talk to is really nicely after the set you might score some free merch, cos we’re fucking sick of it!” Gebauer screeched.

It was finally time for the main event. The wait between sets felt excruciatingly long, but, I suppose, if you’ve been waiting 20 years to see a band live, an extra 20 minutes won’t kill you! The second they hit they stage it was clear that PAIN were on a mission to make the wait worthwhile. Throughout the night, all band members made a conscious effort in making the fans feel included. They made use of every inch of the stage and directly interacted with people, making the gig a more than just a show, but a memorable experience.

Peter Tagtgren, the creative force behind PAIN, is a natural entertainer. He showcased his ability not only to communicate the emotion behind the songs through the words and vocal performance but also through highly expressive facial expressions and gestures. Even the relatively few hiccups experienced throughout the night were made entertaining. At one-point Tagtgren struggled to put on a guitar strap while changing guitars. “See what happens when you drink too much?” Tagtgren warned.

The carefully crafted set-list included the best songs from all of the various albums released over PAIN’s two-decade career, no one in attendance would have felt like they were missing out on anything.

Setlist
1. Dancing with the Dead
2. Monkey Business
3. Black Knight Satellit
4. Suicide Machine
5. Dirty Woman
6. The Great Pretender
7. Just Hate Me
8. Zombie Slam
9. Same Old Song
10. Call Me
11. End of the Line
12. Nailed to the Ground
13. Coming Home
14. On and On

Encore:
15. You Only Live Twice
16. Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles cover)
17. Shut Your Mouth

PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Tammie Molotov – Molotov Enterprises & Photography