(hed) p.e., Twitch @ Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide 7/2/2023
I’m not sure what happened last night but I suspect that half of Adelaide may have got lost on the way to Lion Arts for Californian genre bending giants (hed) p.e. as they appeared to be missing most of their audience, which is honestly outrageous. Nonetheless, what the crowd lacked in body count, they certainly made up for in enthusiasm as one of the most responsive and amped up audiences I’ve seen for a while.
Along with the current trend of 90s nostalgia including questionable fashion choices and hairstyles, Nu Metal appears to be a phenomenon that is not going away anytime soon. One of the more overlooked players in this unironic and eccentric mish mash of heavy metal punk and rap is (hed) p.e. and boy do they know how to bring that big noise to the stage, adding to it their own flair with reggae and funk intertwined in some very aggressive head banging tracks.
Kicking off this small unassuming throwback rager were local lads Twitch, who seriously impressed a lot of us whom had never even heard of them before because either we have been living under a rock, or they have. Having supported some well-known local cover bands of that 90s nostalgia variety, Twitch really do belong at the top of a bill, performing their funky spirited originals of rock, funk and hip hop such as Robocopify and New Funk. Vocalist Andy kept us all entertained with his stage antics of hilarious dancing and fast paced wax lyricals and rap while the band laid down the sounds of bass slapping and loaded guitar riffs. Having thoroughly warmed up the punters, Twitch delivered a performance that has now landed them on everyone’s local band radar.
(hed) p.e. fired up fast and got everyone dancing to R.T.R. with Jared Gomes straight up engaging the crowd and encouraging them to move. Musically, these guys are supreme with each member boasting incredible command of their instruments and nailing an insanely large sounding set. Gomes moved between his Melodica to rap and screams showing off his exceptional range without missing a note, while the whole band moved through a rollercoaster of reggae beats to nu metal blasts giving the audience the cardio workout of a HIIT class.
Finishing off with a cover of The Ramones I Wanna Be Sedated and hit song Renegade (hed) p.e. left the audience both puffed and electrified. Despite the embarrassing turnout it was a successful night with an overwhelmingly positive reception. I just feel really bad for those of you who got lost on the way to the venue and missed out on an absolute cracker of a show. I hope everyone is ok now and accounted for.
Live Review By Bec Scheucher