Review and gallery: JD Garrahy
There’s sold out shows and then there’s One OK Rock shows. As I arrive to The Fortitude Music Hall, camera in hand, the sheer amount of people already lined up is phenomenal. With a line that wraps around the block and then doubles over on itself, the possibility of an Infinity Line has never been more of a threat. Kudos to the security team for their ability to avoid a catastrophe. Especially with a crowd that primarily doesn’t have English as a first language, their line management skills were unapparelled. Without further adieu, let’s get into the thick of it.
I haven’t had the chance to see Stand Atlantic live yet, so being thrust straight into a photo pit of a band I had no prior knowledge of what their lighting is like, can be daunting, but damn if I wasn’t tapping my feet and grooving to their infectious sound within seconds.
The worry of how I would capture this show dissolved very quickly. Sometimes you get support bands that just don’t fit the headliners sound, but that is certainly not the case with SA. Their sound is crisp. Their music, groove laden bangers that thrust the crowd into overdrive early on. This is Aussie music at its absolute finest.
Making their set dominant with tracks off their album WAS HERE, the locals feed the crowd their raucous sound and there isn’t one person inside this sold out show that isn’t moving within the first two songs.
As a casual listener of this band (if you tell me you skip their tunes when they come up on a random playlist, you’re a damn dirty liar!), I was so elated to see Jurassic Park included in the setlist, AND so early on as well. Crowd interaction was the finest I have seen from a support band and if this is the beginning of their story, then sign me up for the whole damn series, appendixes and everything in-between, they are only going to do bigger and better things in the future.
The lights lower, the crowd erupts. This has been 4 years in the making and by the amount of fans here tonight, it feels like it was well overdue. With a giant screen at the rear of the stage, a story unfolds before our eyes. There’s a lot to unpack here, so it would not be apt of me to try to describe it. With this band, story is everything. and their latest album DETOX, is no different. If you were in attendance tonight, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Now, we have been spoiled over the last few years with a heap of incredible talent from Japan. Crossfaith, Graupel, coldrain, Earthists, Paledusk. The list is massive, but there is not only one thing that sets Japan above the rest. They bring ferocity, passion and epic back stories to their shows. Tonight was no different. EVERY sense is employed tonight, and we’re here to soak in its infinite glory!
Bursting straight into Puppets Can’t Control You, the stage is awash with lasers, smoke and some of the most incredible lighting I’ve had the good fortune to capture. As front man Taka kicks into the opening of Save Yourself, the crowd goes wild and what follows is one of the greatest crowd participation moments of the whole night (oh, and there was plenty).
There is a hefty amount of Japanese fans in attendance tonight and while the locals get to sing along to the first half of the song, they complete the song in their native tongue which sets the venue to equally as high energy as the band itself, making sure that no fan is left behind. The setlist is expectedly heavy on the DETOX album side, but not without some deep cuts to their previous releases.
Going straight from NASTY to Renegades, was a pure masterclass move. capturing the audience in the palm of their hands, the energy is mirrored throughout the whole set. If you have listened to their DETOX album, you’ll know just how amazing this band is and how they put every bit of themselves into their works. But it’s their ability to hold the audience’s undivided attention that really sets them apart. As I said before, every sense is at the mercy of this band tonight.
The sounds, the sights, the goosebumps when you hear your favorite track through the PA, the cacophony of smells, or even the taste of your preferred beveridge, EVERYTHING is on high alert tonight as our hosts guide us through their career with absolute ease.
Would I like to have seen Paledusk and Chico Carlito appear out of nowhere to guest on C.U.R.I.O.S.I.T.Y? Hell yes I would, but perhaps that’s for another time. I honestly don’t think anyone would’ve been able to contain themselves if this happened. As the set cracks on, there is so much to take in, the graphics behind the band, their ability to jump feet in the air and not drop a note, it’s something that just makes the experience all the better.
Taka has the most flawless voice in this genre, there is not one moment that he DOESN’T reach pitch perfect status. It’s hard not to be enthralled by his vocal prowess, especially with how active he is upon the stage. Every little thing is just superb tonight, from Tomoya’s insane beats, Ryota’s hefty bass lines, or Toru’s absolute shredding on the fretboard, it’s all on display without fault tonight. If I have to wait another 4 years to experience this level of showmanship again, I just may book a ticket to their homeland to satisfy that need.
I could honestly go on for days about how intensely brilliant tonight’s performance was, but I need to keep it read-worthy. For those that managed to secure a ticket, you know what went down and how unparalleled this show was. For everyone else, there’s Mastercard. I suggest using it next time to avoid the FOMO that you’re feeling right now.
– GALLERY –
