While She Sleeps, Stick To Your Guns, Ocean Sleeper, Boundaries @ The Gov, Adelaide 4/10/2024
A fan breaks down in tears as vocalist Loz Taylor sings ‘If you feel like giving up, then there’s something I need you to know. That I’m here for you’ before embracing her during the song Enlightenment (?). A song full of verve and fire underpinned by lyrics of hope in dark times.
For that is While She Sleeps. A band with the energy of a hyperactive child after ten cans of red bull on stage yet with songs of hope, defiance, standing tall and pushing through and tonight’s set perfectly encapsulates that.
They last graced Australia on last years Good Things Festival tour while for Adelaide it was some time before. For those waiting, for those dragged along by their mates, for those who had never seen the band before, the anticipation was palpable.
Opening with Rainbows from recent album Self Hell, the band lock in and Taylor explodes like confetti on the small stage, covering every inch almost simultaneously.
The place bounces, and early on we’ve got surfers and security on alert. Guitarist Mat Welsh and bassist Aaran McKenzie bring the riffs while Sean Long the sonic melody. Taylor meanwhile fist bumps, takes selfies, licks cameras and climbs into the crowd that often that at one point you think there’s another stage out there.
The set flies by, the band never the biggest talkers, just keep dropping fire. Anti-Social, Self Hell and You Are We are a furious tsunami of performances while Four Walls has camera lights out as the band crush the old school track belter.
It’s the subtleties in the band that for me make them compulsive listening and viewing. Taylor’s vocals are complimented and challenged by Welsh’s punk delivery. The thunder of Aaron’s bass juxtaposed with Sean’s guitar wizardry that goes stratospheric during To The Flowers.
The ability to build and drop like a rollercoaster in Silence Speaks – with the crowd doing Oli Sykes part – is almost orgasmic. Throw in a surprise cover of the Chemical Brothers Go, which works as a razor sharp metalcore track, and before you know it the band finish with Systematic. No encore, no bullshit, just an hour of your face being ripped off. And I’m here for it everyday.
While She Sleeps, while the headliner, we’re not the only highlight of the night. Openers Boundaries are here for the first time and they crushed to. Vocalist Matt McDougal Is out front in your face, directing the bands swings from all out metal to the filthiest dirtiest breakdowns you’ve ever heard. Dust drops from the ceiling when they drop during I’d Rather Not Say that it feels like Godzilla had a nasty bowel movement. Splendid.
Ocean Sleeper meanwhile are the Aussie representatives on the line up. Singer Karl Spiessel has ditched the crutches for the night after a nasty accident recently because all he needs is the microphone stand and he’s ready. Forever Sinking bops ironically like a buoy being pulled underwater but keeps coming back up, Heaven whips the crowd in a wall of death you don’t see coming after the gentle clapping during the intro and Never The One is a gigantic metal core classic already.
Stick To Your Guns bring something different, a turn, a danger, a mood shift. By the time Invisible Rain pours out, the pit has been bubbling away in chaos and molten lava. What Choice is fist pumping heavy, Amber is razor sharp and vocalist Jesse Barnett controls the narrative down front in what could easily be a headline set themselves.
However, the night is While She Sleeps. It’s also our night. A night some demons were expelled. A night that shit from the work week was shaken off. That’s what the band does, they help you forget and move on. Welcome to the Sleeps Society.
Live Review By Iain McCallum