After over a decade on the heavy metal scene, Void of Vision bid farewell to their fans in their final Australian Tour “What I’ll Leave Behind”. They are joined by Knosis (Japan), UnityTX (USA) and Gideon (USA).
Knosis took to the stage first, and immediately made it their home. The bands incredible stage presence and fervent energy, vitalised the crowd. This is no easy feat for the first opener of the night. Knosis was able to deliver incredibly expressive lyrics through a very rapid delivery, while maintaining high engagement with the crowd. During a break in their set, I overheard a member of the crowd relay that “these guys are so wholesome”. Which reflects the genuine connection Knosis are able to create with the audience. You’d be doing yourself a disservice by missing out on seeing them live.
UnityTX followed as the second opener, a four-piece rap metal and hardcore band from Texas, on their first Australian tour. UnityTX quickly showcased a confidence that quickly captivated the audiences attention. I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t help but headbang to their incredibly catchy “Cross Me”.
Next up was Gideon, a metalcore band from Alabama. Gideon excels at stirring the crowd up into a frenzy. Their fast-paced, high-energy performances, and interactions with the crowd, elevated the energy in the mosh. Lead vocalist Daniel McWhorter roused the audience to mosh and deliver “as much crowd-surfing as this venue has ever seen”. In their penultimate number, lead singer Ryo Kinoshita from Knosis, joined Gideon on stage to perform. Both singers are able to blend well together and feed off each other’s energy, to deliver a powerful and ferocious performance.
A consistent theme that can be seen through the openers is their ability to quickly command the stage and connect with their audience. It’s clear the bands all have a beautiful rapport with each other, that makes this tour such a special one to watch.
None of us were quite ready to say goodbye to a band that has meant so much to so many, but the time had now come to witness Void of Vision perform for the final time. Emerging on stage Melbourne’s own Void of Vision was welcomed to their sold-out show with deafening cheers from the crowd. Lead vocalist Jack Bergin dons the stage in the same headpiece from the “What I’ll Leave Behind” album cover, and kicks off with ‘Beautiful Things’.
From there Void of Vision took us on a journey through their history. Performing old favourites like ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Decay’, as well as their newer releases ‘Blood for Blood’ and ‘Oblivion’. The crowd became more energetic and feverish with every number.
Void of Vision closed their set with ‘The Lonely People’ “the heaviest song [they’ve] ever written” and their encore, Empty. During these final numbers, the room was filled with jumping, moshing and headbanging. There was an infectious energy that kept every person in the audience moving.
Before their final number, Jack closed out with a recount of their journey that began 12-13 years ago, with Jack’s manager asking him if he wanted to join a band “with a bunch of dudes” he’d never met before, and to that he said “why the fuck not”.
From there Jack spoke about Void of Vison’s beginning of live performances in Melbourne’s inner suburb, Mooroolbark and to “every little spot in Victoria they could”. He recounted being able to “tour the fucking world with” these “wonderful people” (his band mates) and expressed his gratitude for his fans, as “without [them] there is no fucking chance in hell, that would’ve fucking happened”.
Void of Vision built their legacy from the ground up, by “doing what they do best”, by running it to the “fucking ground as much and as hard as physically possible”.
Jack concludes to say “it’s not the fucking end” and that this isn’t a “fucking sad ending, this is a happy ending”. Jack implores anybody in the audience whose thinking about playing music, or wants to do music to go out there and “start these fucking bands”. His message serves as a call to action, inspiring other musicians to take the first step and build meaningful connections, much like Void of Vision has done with their fans and opening bands.
Jack sends out love and support to his fans, acknowledging that the fans have supported the band by coming to these shows, listening to their music and “building them from the ground up”.
Jack relates how he feels Void of Vision’s story should end where it started in Melbourne. He talks about doing one more show for the fans, a “special one with all our fucking friends and in our favourite fucking city in the world”, before teasing that “they’ll think about it”.
Void of Vision’s performance was truly a special one. Their authentic connection with their fans delivers an empathic and sincere performance. This further reflects in their bond with their opening performers, for which it’s clear they have a genuine love for. Should Melbourne be lucky enough to house one final Void of Vision show, it will undoubtedly be an unforgettable experience.
With thanks to Dallas Does PR & Destroy All Lines for the media access.
