Audio Reign @ Woodshed, Adelaide 3/2/2024
It wasn’t just your average night at the Woodshed this past Saturday night. Usually it hosts cover rock bands but this was the first time an original, Adelaide’s own Audio Reign played a set of original songs to a sold out crowd. What’s becoming the home of rock, the Woodshed was the perfect place for a gig to launch their new single Breathe supported by the ‘ultimate 80’s hair metal music band’ Propane Candy and Melbourne band Ablaze. The Wood Shed is the venue for rock lovers. Sporting all the rock greats poster memorabilia and framed photos on the walls it has a great vibe that everyone should embrace as Adelaide’s Home of Rock.
Ablaze got the stage hot and heavy considering they almost didn’t make it to the gig as their car broke down on the way. But they made up for it by giving us a listened to their latest single A New Kind of Nightmare and even giving out shots of whiskey to the lucky fans in the front row.
The night though belonged to Audio Reign starting off strong with their 2020 single Pill and then How This Ends, it was an hour of pure heavy rock for the Woodshed’s first original music band, something that lead singer Jake Fleming was telling crowd with pride as well as “Who said Adelaide can’t rock?” Well, tonight Adelaide DID rock and loudly. When the pounding sounds of bassist Ash Lovett started together with the strumming shrieks of guitarist Alek Syrynda it was time for new single Breathe. A collective of thumping beats from drummer Dieter Schoell, the new song was a breath of hard rock air as Fleming shouted “This is the year for Audio Reign!”
The set list was a good mix of new and old songs Life Worth Living, then slowing it down a notch with Angel and bringing it back to a fast pace with Forgotten You. Last year’s single Shining Light was a the love song we needed because there’s always room for love in rock ‘n roll. The crowd added some ambience by pulling out the lights on their phones and even a few with old school lighters to add a touch of nostalgia. Audio Reign went back to the beginning where it all started with Find Your Way with the loyal fans joining in for the chorus. Fleming asked the crowd “Are you having a good time? Yeah that’s the standard question right?” but then proceeded to tell them “Well the answers FUCK YEAH!” Nothing like some gritty rock banter to get you going.
One Way stepped up the pace and Senses brought it back to mellow heavy rock, both songs from the debut album Audio Reign before bringing it back to some new singles Motorway and Whispers, the later song featuring vocals by bassist Lovett. Last in line was the 2023 release that ended the set before the encore.
Closing out the night the boys were heating up the Woodshed so much Fleming came back on stage shirtless and sang the last songs with force. Pumped up from the high of a night full of energy in the room he belted out crowd favourites Relentless and Betrayal with full force. To quote Fleming they “Rocked the shit out of the Woodshed!”
Live review by Anastasia Lambis