Review and gallery: JD Garrahy
Its hot, its steamy and the black shirt army is out in force. And that’s outside of Brisbane’s magical Fortitude Music Hall. Tonight, there is only one reason to be in the Valley, and that’s to bear witness to the stacked line up of Banks Arcade, Boundaries, Fit For A King, and of course, The Plot In You. If you’re not here, you wasted your Friday night.
When this show was announced almost 10 months ago, I was damn excited. A huge line up, all in huge venues. It was a very good reason to be losing your shit. Well, tonight, all that waiting paid off, as this was one of the best shows I have been lucky enough to shoot at The Forty.
Leading things off is New Zealand natives Banks Arcade. I have never had the privilege of seeing this band before, but let me tell you, if you are in the same boat, get to one of their shows. Theres incredible riffs, multi-instrumentalism on full display and some of the best vocals in the Southern Hemisphere. Let’s see how long it takes for us Aussies to claim them as our own. Seriously, we’ll give you back Rusty Crowe in the trade off (that’s fair, right?). I for one won’t be missing them on their next tour around the country. Amazing talent and a brilliant mash up of genres.
Boundaries. What the actual fuck? I’ve been a casual fan of this band for about a year, not skipping if they hit the playlist, but sweet damn I was NOT ready for the onslaught on my eardrums. Kicking straight into Turning Hate Into Rage, it’s very clear to see that the Boundaries lads are here to leave a permanent mark on our memory bank and have fun while doing it. The set is laced with tracks from their short yet dominating career. As frontman Matt McDougal bounces around the stage, giving some of the most intense screams of the night, the rest of the band is equally as animated, utilising the incredible stage set up that is prepped to give us a Plot show unlike any other we’ve seen. Keep an eye out for a Boundaries show near you, it’s guaranteed money well spent.
Fit For A King is up next and these guys came to lay down the law. As soon as opening song Begin The Sacrifice kicks off, its all-out bedlam. A constant barrage of people over the barrier made the photo pit a running of the gauntlet. Damn I love this shit!!! The passion that this band puts into their live show is intense. You feel every word right to your core, driving a stake through the heart to solidify exactly why you became a fan of this band in the first place.
The setlist may have been Lonely God dominant, but we still managed to be blessed with a couple off 2018’s Dark Skies and even Keeping Secrets (thanks lads, that one’s a favourite of mine. Listen to the lyrics, and you’re sure to agree). Rounding out their set with the title track off their latest album, it feels like this set was over way too fast and with the sheer amount of people that went over the barrier, it was 100% one of the most insane sets I’ve seen at The Forty. FFAK need to be back here damn soon, their shows are too damn epic to not attend.
As I stated previously, almost 10 months ago we were delivered the news of The Plot In You gracing our shores once more. Last time we had the privilege was Good Things 2023, and they managed to draw the fans in for that opening set like no other band has done previously. Albeit a little warm that day, they still put on one hell of a show and returning now for a sold-out headline tour, it feels like the perfect setting within The Forty that we all get to thrash ourselves to oblivion in the name of one of the greatest bands of our time.
The lights go down, and the band takes the stage to thunderous applause and cheers, shits about to get insane. An elongated opening scream from Landon echoes through the venue, as Don’t Look Away tests the absolute fortitude of the PA system.
It’s time to get nuts! Divide and Pretend round out our first three and the crowd is amped for what proves to be one of the greatest fan service setlists I’ve been lucky to see. 2021’s Swan Song gets 2 tracks in the set, with Paradigm and Face Me giving the crowd a chance to flex their vocal chords for an incredible addition to the atmosphere tonight. Now, there’s a little something for everyone, like I said, it’s an amazing set list that is sure to leave all in attendance satisfied, even the inclusion of Time Changes Everything from 2015’s Happiness In Self Destruction.
I must add here that it is no easy feat to sell out The Forty but seeing the meteoric rise of this band over the years, it was the next logical step for them to play this venue. To think only a few short years ago, we were down the road at The Triffid watching them and ERRA tear the place apart, and now both bands have moved on to playing larger rooms with higher productions, just makes you wonder “where to next” for this band. It leaves me damn excited for the future of a band that writes their music from the heart and manages to stay humble and connected to their fanbase like they do.
As the set approaches its inevitable end, hitting on tracks from the EP volumes, and also throwing some choice cuts from Dispose into the mix, everyone in attendance has got maximum bang for their buck and I’m sure as we all exit tonight, there will be some hoarse voices and sore heads in the morning. Finishing off with Feel Nothing, the Ohio visitors leave the stage and I’m sure the emotion they collectively hold for this massive run is one of pure elation.
What they achieved is nothing short of incredible for a band that not too long ago was playing small club venues. Building a solid fan base, as well as delivering song after song of musical and lyrical genius, The Plot In You continue to prove that they are a band everyone should have in their playlists. Make no doubt about it, there is absolutely astronomical things on the horizon for this band, and I for one am here for every bit of it.
The merch stand has been cleaned out, and the droves of people departing The Forty towards the Valley train station, have memories crushed into their amygdala, firmly lodged there for the rest of their days. This show was definitely a strong contender for Gig of the Year, it’s going to be damn hard to top. If you missed out on tickets, DO NOT sleep on the next one. It’s only going to get bigger and better from here.
– GALLERY –
