Froth & Fury @ Hart’s Mill, Port Adelaide SA 9/11/2024
The Fourth Act of this heavy music festival featured a new expansive landscape, silver screen scenic, there’s a cast of five thousand, an Oscar worthy musical score throughout and an epic light show. This is Froth & Fury 2024.
Year on year the festival has grown and this year a change of venue was required for the demand to be met. Going from 8800 square meters to 28000 square metres means more fans of course, it also means the bands level up. The venue has moved to Harts Mill in Port Adelaide, a short throw from last year.
The headliners are Northlane, Thy Art Is Murder and Fear Factory. Another thirty top quality draw cards from around the world are in support. You want heavy, you got Psycroptic. You want punk, you got Bodyjar, you want to die by pizza, you’ve got Pizza Death.
Talking of food, the walk between the two main stages and Stage 3 (Explosive Stage) is lined up with food trucks of all different styles, behind them, the beer hall offers shade, tattoos, merchandise and coffee amongst other things reminiscent of a grand bazaar.
The crowd flow easily from stage to stage, bars are stocked a plenty and generally served quickly, and the toilets – for a festival – common and relatively clean. For a shadow chaser like myself you can tap out and find plenty of shade when required.
However, the main focus is the music. Covering the broad spectrum that is rock and metal, the organisers left stone unturned in their quest for a line up deserving the upgrade.
Northlane closed the show on the main stage which a mixture of recent and sprinkle of old. The bands atmospherics set up on stage beautifully suited to a night time set.
The more serene of Northlane was preceded by the brutally efficient Thy Art Is Murder for their first appearance in Adelaide since, well they had another singer then. The band bring the full production, the lights completing the heavy to create a sensory overload that ignites circle pits all around.
On the Explosive Stage, it’s Pestilence who close, the bands rapid battering ram of playing, sharp and cutting while beforehand Bodyjar brought back the good times with humour, energy and quite of bit crowd shouting which everyone gets fired up for.
Throughout the day, music isn’t the only entertainment. Wrestling matches are performed while medieval knights in armour go sword to sword in combat which can’t help encourage you to shout ‘it’s just a flesh wound’. All are good fun and certainly get a decent sized crowd.
Starting the day, Bifurcation absolutely raw dogged my Friday night headache out of my system while Future Static mix of styles is a caffeine fuelled energy hit. The European tour has pushed these guys up a notch and I’m keen to see what’s next.
Pizza Death did as they promised and threw pizza to the crowd and basically tore what seemed an unsuspecting crowd a new one. Hilarious, yet serious with their music, they were a four flavoured cheese pizza with cheesy crust delicious.
Dharma meanwhile had quite the inquisitive crowd to see what the death metal Buddhists present. Combining guttural vocals from Joe Henley, fire beats and rhythms interspersed with prayers from a monk – all impeccably observed by the crowd – they became a rather pleasant gift for the day.
The melodic heaviness of Sienna Skies in the mid afternoon sun was actually perfect, a band that are more emotive than angry, Tom Pirozzi and the boys became the perfect soundtrack with a beer and breather on a hot day.
Ethan Harrison and Great American Ghost meanwhile are a snarling yet melodic beast that reaches out and grabs you in. Literally, Harrison is off into the crowd and they love it. Nothing serene there and most people were happy about that.
Legends Day Of Contempt have a big crowd for their homecoming show. They are hardcore before it got watered down and formulaic, the pit is moving and it going down with each hit of the bass drum. This is how it’s meant to be kids.
Hands Like Houses are a delightfully difficult band to peg, they can be heavy yet almost pop at times and this makes the evening really glide. Josh Raven maybe the ‘new guy’ however he performs like he has been there for years. The future is bright in that camp when they perform with fluidity within genres yet still remain a rock outfit.
I could list all the bands such Thornhill’s feels in the heart music, Testeagles manic soundtrack and Pscycroptic’s terminator like sharpness. However last word will go to Fear Factory.
Dropping a set list from their first four albums as voted by the fans (except Fuel Injected Suicide which sneaks in shockingly) they perform with all the hallmarks that made them great. Precision timing, sharp riffs and vocals that swings from the depths of hell to soar to the heavens.
Milo’s has breathed new life into the machine, Peter Webber a Swiss watch in human form and Dino is, well Dino. Fear Factory were many people’s highlight in a day of highlights. They were certainly mine.
With that Froth and Fury 4 is done. There’s lot of smiling faces because everyone gets close to the bands they want to see. Everyone gets involved. Everyone can get around easily. They can even get a round in easily at the bar. This festival does what others fails at, it makes watching the bands you love easy.
Bring on next year!
Live Review By Iain McCallum