P.O.D., Baltimore Poet, Zelorage @ The Gov, Adelaide 18/4/2018
On an unseasonably warm Wednesday night in Adelaide, we had American giants Payable On Death (P.O.D.) roll into town, playing classics from their smash hit album Satellite. The crowd may not be the Youth Of The Nation anymore however they are here to Set It Off and Rock The Party.
Riverland three-piece band Zelorage open the show. They are heavy and extremely hard working. The foundations of the band are firmly rooted in the nu-metal era of metal shown by their bass heavy sound, angst ridden lyrics and electric drum rhythms. A furious half hour set gets the growing crowd suitably warmed up throwing in new song When You Turn into the mix.
Baltimore Poet have been hibernating in the studio recently and took the opportunity to stretch their legs with a blistering set list based on their last EP. Tracks such as In Our Hands, The Line and Paper Planes And Promises are energetic, dynamic and well performed.
As the show developed the barrier became more and more attended as the crowd enjoyed what they were witnessing. Guitarist Matt Stevens and Stephen Vick, bounce around stage, while singer Chris Vick reaches out to every corner of the room with his vocals. By the end of the set many heads were nodding in approval of the up and coming Adelaide band.
That leaves the headliners P.O.D. They don’t hang about opening with Satellite lead off song Set It Off. The hits come left, right, up above and down below as they bring Alive, Boom and Youth Of The Nation to the table early doors.
The album is played exactly in sequence as the album was, Satellite is followed by the more rap-oriented song Ridiculous. Segue Guitarras de Amor precedes the crushing Anything Right. Marcos Curiel’s guitar playing swings from blistering metal one minute onto Latino flavoured guitar picking the next.
The audience laps it up. Taking singer Sonny Sandoval’s directive to dance, the crowd down the front jump up, they sing, they bounce. P.O.D. are extremely tight on stage, a by-product of being excellent musicians and working together for over twenty years. Traa Daniels bass laying the grooves in tune with Wuv Bernardo’s drumming is a sight to behold.
Portraits signals the end of the Satellite set as they move through their back catalogue on the final few songs. Southtown, Murdered Love and, most recent number, Soundboy Killa move at breakneck speed to the finale in Will You.
The crowd have been treated to a slick, moving grooving metal performance. They are audience members here for nostalgia, there are some here for what the band spiritually stand for, they are some here for simply a good show. Every single one of them was treated to a stellar performance. Everyone single one of them left feeling Alive.
Live Review by Iain McCallum