Epic! What having a way to kick of Knotfest Australia by having Disturbed and Wage War play a massive arena show at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. No doubt we were incredibly fortunate to get a show of this size and magnitude in Adelaide and it was great to see so many fans turning out on mass for this show sporting all sorts of vintage Disturbed t-shirts. It was literally a sea of black walking in to the Adelaide Entertainment joining the back of the queue that sprawled along Port Road.
Florida metalcore band Wage War brought the heat and intensity playing a blistering forty five minute set. For those going to Knotfest get there early to see these guys tear it up. The armoury is loaded with salvos to fire opening with Stitch prompting the question from lead vocalist Briton Bond to Adelaide “Have you woken up, are you here for a metal show or what?” There was no let up on Low and Gravity with Bond say “the long haul flight here was worth it with shows like this”. The crowd fired up on High Horse and Godspeed with Bon saying he like what he saw. The vocal dynamic with rhythm guitarist and clean vocalist Cody Quistad is awesome giving their music plenty of light and shade.
Making every minute count they ploughed through Prison, Teeth, True Colours and finally a circle pit forming on Death Roll. It was definitely sweltering outside but the temperature inside was definitely rising. Some big singles to finish the set in Circle The Drain and Manic to leave the stage well and truly warmed.
For me it was the first time seeing Disturbed and whilst their music deals with some “gloomy” and difficult subject matter there is something quite reassuring and positive to take away from the show – “never underestimate the power of music”. The genuine respect this band has for their fans is admirable and really does make you want to like them even more. From a production perspective this was next level. Right from first drop Hey You it was on. Seriously elite performance and impossible to find anything that you couldn’t be impressed with. Stupify was killer and front man David Draiman commanded the faithful to get those fists in the air.
Ten Thousand Fists, Prayer and Are You Ready were great moments before kicking it up a notch on A Reason To Fight. Undoubtedly one of the most powerful moments of the show with the theme and voice over of keeping the demons of depression and addiction at bay and that we were the reason to fight. It was made even more relatable tying it back to the individual “personal upheavals” of each band member stressing that we are not alone and to channel that anger which is a gift.
Each band member had a moment to shine with playing various solos at different points in the set. When Disturbed took on the Genesis cover Land Of Confusion it definitely took a different focus and meaning. Plenty big songs by way The Vengeful One, Perfect Insanity and The Game topped off by the epic Simon & Garfunkel cover The Sound Of Silence. Indestructible was awesome and the lights shone brightly for Adelaide singer Holly Hastings who got to sing of Don’t Tell Me. The Light was another powerful and poignant moment with Adelaide fan Jesse getting to share his story with the crowd which struck accord with the band during the meet and greet earlier. With mobile phones lighting up the arena it was another reminder to never underestimate the power of music and that we are all going through something. The main set finished on Stricken.
Returning for an encore Draiman asked “Not tired are you?” then encouraging the faithful to take out all their emotions and let it out in the form of sound which turbo charged Unstoppable. Hard to believe that two hours had almost whizzed by pulling out a couple of big ones in Down With The Sickness and Inside The Fire to wrap up an incredible show. Knotfest you’re next!
Live Review By Rob Lyon