After the successful first Download Festival in Sydney this past Saturday it was time for Melbourne to take over the reigns and continue the massive event which has already seen such great acts such as Anthrax, Judas Priest and the mighty Slayer deliver the goods in fashionable style. Since last year’s well organised event made the debut in Melbourne it was good to see things continue in the same standard as we found out on Monday.
The great thing about a festival running a multiple day event in different cities is the opportunity to catch all the bands you want to see plus take in a few more that catches your interest while not having to run around rushing to cram them all in one go. With Sydney only a short distance away from Melbourne many punters took the opportunity to travel to both for that very reason and being in the media wanting to cover as much ground as possible with a bit of depth rather than a quick mention of everything, we took the same idea. It also gave us the opportunity to compare the two cities and suffice to say, Melbourne came out on top on almost every aspect.
Sydney’s buzzkill mostly came from the problems that have arisen from recent issues with the government but the venue and a few other elements that admittedly are out of everyone’s control added to Sydney not quite reaching the level Melbourne did. In saying that, performances at Sydney Download were either on par or above and the fact that live music was taken in a very healthy manner with fans embracing it all enthusiastically higher also meant energy levels were bigger. How Melbourne though, came to be the better experience was simply the relaxing nature of it all. Much like last year I felt immediately just how loose, calm and well organised everything was and never felt there was any sense of chaotic frustrations that can sometimes occur at festivals. Even the lines for food seemed quicker than Sydney but my experience particular with the live music aspect may be different for others but there is no denying either way that the atmosphere between the two cities is different. [Review of Sydney Download can be read here]
Moving onto the music itself, because of the coverage on the first day of the festival, we were able to pick up the leftovers from bands we missed in Sydney. Ironically some of those bands that we may have initially missed due to our own personal tastes and whatnot turned in to some of the best discovered gems on the lineup. Up and comers New Years Day pulled out first for the day while many other smaller acts like Ruins, Windwaker and War On Women helped keep the momentum of the day which weather wise, was typically unpredictable Melbourne weather but ultimately more comfortable with moderate temperatures which always makes for an easier day. UK punk duo Slaves brought some eclectic dynamics with a vicious set that while not for everyone, certainly entertained the already packed crowd on the Avalanche stage which today ended seeing some of the best highlights of the day.
The Beautiful Monument brought a bit of indie mentality to the smaller Ascension stage which saw many acts previously perform on other stages in Sydney. The rotation of bands switching stages between the two events almost seemed suited for punters making the trek for both days as it moved timeslots around but it works on all fronts as far as giving bands a fair share of the spotlight too which was a great idea. In between some of these local acts, Airbourne once again brought the house down with their Aussie flavored antics and that famous Terminator 3 entrance theme really does set the tone for the whole show.
Fever 333 brought the biggest crowd for the day up to this point and while hip hop induced nu-metal is not a big thing on my radar, these guys definitely had some serious energy coming through which translated to the crowd giving that energy back in a free for all trade of electrifying buzz. The anthemic chorus lines were huge and contrasted with the dance beats of the verse sections, the crowd loved every minute of it. Over on the Dogtooth stage, Melbourne’s own High Tension pulled their own sizeable crowd but the sound dragged the show down a bit unfortunately with the band pulling all punches to get their music across the distracting winds pushing the sound away from the fans.
Back on the Avalanche stage where it was starting to really become a common thing in finding some of the better bands on the day, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes brought their cover set to a crowd that was wanting the ultimate karaoke night kicking off with Cher’s “Believe” and even a rockin’ rendition of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”. The track selections were not the most rock n roll tunes around but they sure knew how to make it work somehow. The ultimate craziness for the day came in the form of Converge who seemed hell bent on destroying the place with a unique sound that’s as dissected and pulverizing as hardcore can get. They do remind me a little of Dillinger Escape Plan in that undilluted and unfiltered chaos but the lack of dynamics and even any traces of melody seemed lost on me this particular time.
Brisbane’s Aversions Crown brought the seriously heavy to the small stage and complete with a circle pit that enveloped the soundboard in the middle of the pit area, the band made sure they left their mark. Code Orange however left more of a mark on me as they seriously made such an impression with a brutal set that got the crowd in a frenzy unlike anything today so far. Led by drummer Jami Morgan who also smashed the skins while doing vocals at the same time, this was another one of those hidden gems discovered today and they were a joy to watch as they destroyed the crowd who knew what was up in the underground.
In line with Airbourne’s rock oriented take on comedic performances, Frenzal Rhomb brought a punk ethos to the game while even throwing in some Black Sabbath tribute jams as a reference to Ozzy’s absence. As humerous as the stage banter was, the band sounded tight as hell too and in front of a surprisingly huge crowd for such a small stage. Pennywise brought in the big guns as one of the major acts for the day and their fun filled, hugely energetic set made you forget about any particular styles of music and hooked you into their world filled with catchy chorus lines and a heavy set of hardcore punk riffs.
Catching Alice In Chains once again on the main stage after a somewhat disappointing set in Sydney, this time around the band had the machine firing on all cylinders with a much heavier and louder performance. Cantrell and Duvall sharing vocal duties made a huge impact of course but there was an intensity here that seemed to be lacking previously but whatever made the difference, it was great to see those classic tunes being heard done right once again. Speaking of repeat viewings, I had to go check out Devilskin just for another peek and ended up staying for their whole set. It is just mesmerizing watching that band just nail it on every song, the quartet had every aspect of what a good, solid show should have down to a tea but just the quality of the technical aspects with Tony and Paul providing the rhythm section along with drummer Nic and Jennie once again delivering an outstanding show on vocals – have I mentioned that you should check this band out yet?
Metal veterans Judas Priest kicked off the tail end of the show on the main stage Black leading into the final set of Slayer in Melbourne which was obviously a huge drawcard. The experience of the band saying their goodbyes in Sydney was enough for me but for many in Melbourne, it was truly an end of an era for not just thrashers but for metal fans in general. As much as I would of liked to have stayed for another round of Rain In Blood, there were still a few more acts that could not be missed.
Sum41 were fun to watch just purely for the energy of their show but moving on further down the rabbit holes of metal’s underground was a hidden gem on the Ascension stage. Justice For The Damned may be local to some but the band commandeered the stage like veterans, even during the start when technical issues marred the sound but once things got sorted and the band were on full throttle, the small crowd got right into it and impressed everyone who temporarily ignored the bigger stages.
Halestorm provided rock fans an alternative to the satanic themes of Slayer and Ghost and of course as expected, fans poured into the smaller area at the Dogtooth stage for one of the final bands of the night. Lzzy Hale had the crowd eating out of her palms as she led the band into a powerhouse of hits including the powerful “Love Bites (So Do I) and the anthemic “Freak Like Me” and like Jennie from Devilskin, has a remarkable voice that encapsulates the bands sound very well.
Of course the darkness of the night started rolling across Flemington once the sun went down and Swedish rockers Ghost took to the Avalanche stage which unlike Sydney’s one which was open air, was covered entirely underneath a tent formation making all shows here pretty much a night show no matter what time of the day it was. So only fitting should the darkest band take the darkest stage and that stage was decorated in fashionably eerie style like a congregation or sacrificial platform of sorts. My expectations going in to see Ghost for the very first time was based on the first album “Opus Eponymous” being brilliant and then pretty much a hit and miss affair on subsequent releases with their most recent “Prequelle” losing me with it’s very poppish sound. My expectations were low but optimistic.
So with that being said, I can say walking away after the show that the set was one of the most fun and interesting performances I had ever seen, certainly at Download Festival anyway. Even songs like “Dance Macabre” with it’s Abba-like style which did not impress me on it’s musical aspect actually sounded great and it made me realize one of the reasons these songs worked so well was the visual aspect and then it all clicked. The gimmick, the costumes, the masks, the production, all of it truly enhances the experience of hearing the songs, Ghost is a visual band and they play that card brilliantly. Granted the heavier tunes like “Ritual” and “Mummy Dust” just sounded amazing as was kind of expected (a good song is a good song) and even heavier than the studio versions, even the instrumental piece “Miasma” was pulled off fluently while giving the frontman known as Cardinal Copia a break before bursting out in some sanctimonious garment.
The mystique of Papa Emeritus and the Cardinal has been somewhat lost over the years and whether the humour in his banter with the crowd is part of that or not is one for the hardcore fans or repeat show goers to answer but it did seem strange that here we have some truly creepy atmosphere going on with such a fantastic production that’s not short of a rock opera (and that is the vibe I get from a Ghost show is that it’s done in the style of a rock opera musical) but with stand up comedy thrown into the mix. Either way it was entertaining and really, an enlightening experience for first time punters curious as to why Ghost are portrayed as satanic metal and yet musically it comes across as being quite pop rock driven. One only has to look at the lyrics and together with a live show that really captures those words into a visual form, you can see why the night dwellers in the metal community are hooked by this band. Such an entertaining show and if you dismiss Ghost musically as nothing but a pop band in gimmick form, go see their show and see if that changes your mind. It sure did with me.
And there we have the end of the second run of Download Festival in Australia. It’s been both a fantastic time in Sydney and Melbourne and if you are considering a trek to one of these events next year, don’t hesitate and come support it. This isn’t just a bunch of bands playing live, this is an event like how it should be. See you next year Download, we look forward to it!
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Scott Smith: Lens Of Rock
New Years Day, Slaves, Airbourne, Fever 333
Behemoth, Converge, Pennywise, Devilskin, Twelve Foot Ninja
Alice In Chains, Judas Priest, Slayer, Ghost, Halestorm
DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2019
SLAYER (Final World Tour) | JUDAS PRIEST (Only Aus Shows) | ALICE IN CHAINS | GHOST
RISE AGAINST (Only Aus Shows) | THE AMITY AFFLICTION (Only Aus Shows) | SUM 41 ANTHRAX | PENNYWISE (Only Aus Shows) |HALESTORM (Only Aus Shows)
BEHEMOTH | ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES | AIRBOURNE
I PREVAIL (Only Aus Shows) | THY ART IS MURDER | POLARIS | TWELVE FOOT NINJA
CONVERGE | FRENZAL RHOMB | LUCA BRASI | CODE ORANGE
FEVER 333 | WAR ON WOMEN | SLAVES | ALIEN WEAPONRY
NEW YEARS DAY(Only Aus Shows)| HIGH TENSION | JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED
AVERSIONS CROWN | OUTRIGHT | RUINS | DEVILSKIN | EAT YOUR HEART OUT
VOYAGER | THE BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT |REDHOOK | WINDWAKER
REVIEW OF SYDNEY DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL HERE
