Review: Jack Price
Photography: Luke Petty
Two gigs at The Tivoli in as many weeks. What a lucky boy I am! And this time, it’s another band that not only shaped and supported me as an angsty little emo kid, but one I have had the pleasure of meeting off stage and digitally multiple times. Despite the controversy in early years (you know what I’m talking about), Escape The Fate, in my opinion, truely became Escape The Fate with the album This War Is Ours (2008).
While the Las Vegas boys have been working their asses off on the new record (Mr Mabbitt himself said in our recent chat it has been the longest writing process of any record they have made), they have still managed to tour the globe and release new singles.
Tonight, they’ve brought their good mates The Word Alive, and Melbourne metalcore ensemble, The Gloom In The Corner. The trio of bands have been moving their way up the coast hitting Sydney and Newcastle first before heading to tear it up in Bris Vegas.
The Gloom In The Corner took to the stage with an ambient glow from the stage lights with matching intro music to set the mood. After telling the crowd that the Sydney and Newcastle crowds were “a bit meh”, frontman Mikey Arthur, dressed to the nines and ready to create chaos, introduced Jericho and proclaimed “it’s a love song by the way,” before screaming his fucking face off.
“If you just walked in and are what is going on, we are The Gloom In The Corner from Melbourne,” the moustachioed maestro announced. “My job is to warm you the fuck up for Escape The Fate and The Word Alive, does that sound good?” The crowd responded very positively to this and went as hard as if they were the headliners. The more we see The Gloom, the better they get, it seems.
With their mix of metalcore breakdowns, thick, layered vocals and harmonies, The Gloom In The Corner have well and truely done their job in warming the already eager masses of fans. “For the next 3 minutes Brisbane, I need a fucking war zone,” Arthur ordered, and Brisbane did what they do best. The obliged as the mosh pit began to swirl and surge, a heaving mass of bodies, twirling arms and kicking legs, flinging torsos and banging heads.
When it came to Assassination Run, the circle pit became a little less chaotic and more inclusive and controlled, with punters of all walks being ushered into less-circle-pit-more-metal-
Darkness swallowed the crowd as The Word Alive took to the stage. Immediately, there seemed to be technical difficulties with frontman Tyler Smith having issues with his in-ear monitors, pleading for the techs to sort it out. Despite the issues, they blew out the gate with 2012, followed by Trapped, during which guitarist Logan Abernathy abused his guitar like it owed him money.
The set itself, while almost overshone by the technical difficulties, was tight and entertaining, with a huge sound that exceeded the studio versions. And the crowd was all for it! Especially when Craig Mabbitt surprised everyone on stage for Casanova Rodeo, causing an absolute frenzy, with screams from the crowd and a massive circle pit erupting in the middle of the mosh.
Even with the equipment issues and persistant pleads from Smith, he still managed to get some crowd interaction happening. “I need a few things. Can I get a hell yeah?” He asked of the crowd, which they called in return. “Can I get a fuck yeah?” Again, they answered. “Wooh!” Thrice they chanted back at him. This became a running theme/joke in the set, with Tyler whispering it during Life Cycles to close out the set, complete with a final circle pit, this time Mario had competition- the pink Power Ranger!
The ETF boys have a few traditions. I think every time I’ve seen them, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is always queued to play before they come on stage. And personally, I love it. It gets the crowd that extra little bit pumped up, everyone knows (most) of the words, you can sing it if your stone sober or absolutely plastered, which there were a mixture of both tonight. As the darkness swelled once again, pillars of light ascended from around the stage while Escape The Fate took their places one by one with accompanying cries from the packed pit.
Not wasting any time, Craig, Robert, Matti and Erik unleashed Ungrateful, instantly melting faces in the crowd. Despite there being some issue occurring in Sydney with Craig’s voice, it feels like the first show of the tour. The screams and soaring choruses are perfectly delivered. Jumping straight into the recent single Deja Vu, again sounding polished and perfected and accompanied by the crowd swirling around the dance floor.
The set then traveled through time to 2010 with Gorgeous Nightmare, which was a massive hit with the crowd, before heading back to 2008 with 10 Miles Wide, The Flood and finally, Ashley, dedicated to “one specific girl in the crowd.” The boys really know how to put together a setlist! The waves of mothers and headbangers thrashed around the pit and the lucky ones that were at the barrier absolutely had the time of their lives.
Broken Heart and Cheers To Goodbye followed up next, with Mabbitt stating “You guys sound fucking amazing out there tonight!” Between songs, and introducing the later with “This one goes out to all of our bad habits.” Craig isn’t one to shy away from cracking jokes and having fun, taking a quick moment to stretch, and remind everyone to stay hydrated with his “positive message of the night – Drink. More. Water!”
The latest single, Idle Potential, proved to be a crowd favourite, sounding amazing live with massive energy that couldn’t be captured in the studio version. After Low, two new unreleased tracks were up – Last Goodbye, and Paranoia, which Robert teased during our recent interview as being “a lot thrashier”. I wasn’t holding any expectations but if I was, they would have been blow the fuck away. Both tracks have somehow embodied a classic and modern thrash sound, nods to early Escape The Fate, and yet sound fresh and new. Last Goodbye is pure thrashy, heavy, unadulterated ETF, while Paranoia has the more modern thrash sound akin to recent Trivium and the such. The new album is going to be in-fucking-sane!
The moment Paranoia fades out, the band leave the stage, with Matti returning for a monster guitar solo, once again reducing faces to fleshy puddles. As he leaves the stage, the unmistakable Halo theme begins, and anyone who’s any kind of Escape The Fate fan knows what that means. Shit is about to get heavy!
The title track of that pivotal album, and part 2 of The Guillotine, This War Is fucking Ours. Matti shreds the intro on the platform front of stage as Erik keeps pace, and Craig does Craig things (striking poses and such)in front of Robert’s kit riser. Arguably the bands most popular song is definitely a crowd pleaser and a great way to start ending the set.
But why stop there? The Aftermath (G3) is oh so brutally perfect to follow! A personal favourite made my little emo soul very, very happy, and my throat very hoarse (apologies to the people next to me). Without missing a beat and showing zero signs of exhaustion, ETF blow through both onslaughts back to back before the massive banger One For The Money to close out the set. This one definitely transported me to younger years, and I feel I was not the only one. The crowd went nuts, moshing and singing along to its catchy hooks and chorus.
The Gloom In The Corner have matured into a formidable example of homegrown metalcore, and The Word Alive absolutely destroyed their set, tech issues aside. And I mean, what’s alternative music if not a constant battle of uncertainties? But Escape The Fate always put on a good show. But tonight’s was the epitome of fan-fucking-tastic. The new tracks will have everyone pumped for the upcoming record and I for one am looking forward to the next time ETF come to town.
Tuesday 9 June: Magnet House, Perth 18+ LOW TICKETS
Thursday 11 June: The Gov, Adelaide 18+ LOW TICKETS
Friday 12 June: Wool Exchange, Geelong 18+ LOW TICKETS
Saturday 13 June: 170 Russell, Melbourne 18+ LOW TICKETS
Tickets on sale now
https://daltours.cc/ETF
– GALLERY –
