Atreyu, Bad/Love, Emergency Rule @ Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide 18/2/2024
Atreyu’s guitarist Travis Miguel promised that the bands show would be fun, free from constraint, and basically a bunch of guys being goofy when I spoke to him last month. Well, tonight at Lion Arts in a sweltering Adelaide was a chance to see if it was all hyperbole when his band arrived in town. No pressure then?
From the first moment that the opening track played dance music to a saxophone solo of Careless Whisper by George Michael that morphed in Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody to finish the set, it was all of the above. But I get ahead of myself.
Opening was Adelaide’s own head banging good time Emergency Rule. Fresh off their new album The King of Ithaca, they are in imperious form. Dragani’s drums hit the loudest of all the bands drums tonight, Clark’s bass drives the dirty riffs that follow and the guitar solos for Wagener and George are inspiring and ethereal before matching that rumbling bass in Sabbath-esque brilliance.
Melbourne’s Bad/Love are the band right on before why everyone is here and their set becomes a real underdog story. Bouncing out on stage, their metalcore with pop dynamics songs are vibrant and effervescent but at first do little to get a Sunday night in an extremely hot Adelaide going.
However, led by affable front man Landon Kirk, and a new EP of belters Mono No Aware, Pt 2 the band persist, rocking harder as more and more heads bob and hands start to be waved by the time they finish. There’s even time for Kirk to venture onto the barrier for the bands newfound friends to get close. A definitive success story of the night.
Atreyu are the reason we are here. The last time they were here was literally the week the world stopped and true to guitarist Travis Miguel comments, they are at a stage in their career where they just want to have fun.
Having a great time becomes apparent straight away as they open with Drowning and instantly vocalist Brandon Saller, who dwarves the band in size and somehow personality, has everyone up singing along.
The band’s sound is epic, the grooves huge as the fist pumping and hand waving Becoming The Bull gives way to a Porter McKnight led Right Side Of The Bed.
The banter between band is hilarious, dressed like extras from 80’s hit Police Academy 2, or maybe it’s Michael Jackson’s Beat It? Either way each members persona stands aloud. A huge vocal duel between Saller and crowd starts of Save Us and next thing you know the floor is bouncing like a kids bouncing castle.
It’s hard to take your eyes off the band for too long, vocal duties change, crowd interaction is consistent, banter at a high. Even McKnight tears into laughter during his vocal parts as Saller twerks his way across stage.
A lucky fan is sung happy birthday before the dumbest question of the night is unloaded. ‘Do you feel like singing more songs with us? Before the anthemic The Time Is Now, with its insanely catch hook, leaps off the stage.
Talking off leaping off the stage, Saller goes into the crowd to sing the song as he makes his way to the bar, drops a shot, poses for a few selfies and get back without missing a beat. A highlight amongst highlights.
Throw in a quick nod to Break Stuff and then those drums come alive for Battle Drums. The crowd right to the back of the venue are in sync with the bands every beat.
Any metal band that can get away with a George Michael saxophone solo of Careless Whisper, Tequila and then finish with I Wanna Dance With Somebody and walk off to an ovation is a band that know who they are and just want to party and have a great time. They said they would, and boy it was amazing.
Live Review By Iain McCallum