The Butterfly Effect, Hands Like Houses @ Bridgeway Hotel, Pooraka SA 9/3/2025
The Butterfly Effect have never done things the way you would think. Musically they surge between prog, metal, pop and everything in between. On a twenty-first anniversary for debut album Begins Here, they undertake a mammoth regional Australian tour going the length and breadth of the country with mates Hands Like Houses and tonight, it’s Pooraka’s turn. Or Adelaide really.
The Bridgeway is the venue, located in the north east of the city, for the Queenslanders stop tonight, on the eve of a public holiday, with soaring temps, it’s an evening set for a cold beer and sweaty – arm – pit.
Canberra’s Hands Like Houses are up first, armed with a new album Atmospherics and a new singer in Josh Raven, this run has allowed their new self to fully form into a newer, more refined, more gifted incarnation.
They are still heavy rock however as a musical entity whisp between pop, dance, prog and metal seemlessly. Like playing a computer game with plenty of side quests, the end result is always perfectly gratified.
Guitarists Matt Cooper and Alex Pearson bring the subtlety and swings to the music that is held in by bassist Joel Tyrell and drummer Mark Parkitny with a set list heavily weighted off the new album, these guys need to be tight to match the musical changes they have created.
Up front is Josh Raven, a year with the band now, and a fully fledged tour, he holds nothing back in a room nearing forty degrees, if not more. High kicks, angelic vocals, roars and even a dash of comedy are all out in full force. Who can forget the mic swing that doesn’t quite work out with the look on Raven’s face as mic hits the floor? A serious moment with a dash of levity.
As well as being comedy gold, the interactions with the crowd highly amusing, he is an extremely talented singer and front man. I Am has the room clapping to its infectious grooves and when that breakdown hits the band rock as hard as anyone in the venue.
Raven jumps onto the crowd for two numbers including ICU and captures everyone’s attention. Sure, the band can all stand on the riser however everyone is focussed on the vocalist who is circling the pit like a shark, singing beautifully that no one notices the other guys expertly creating the soundtrack.
More comedy moments arrive with a less than graceful climb over the barrier to the stage before giving up, and Raven decides to perform a brilliant ‘Heaven’ from the barrier in another example of how this band cross boundaries -barriers even – into different styles, different minds and win you over. The big hooks, the technical adaptability and precision from the band, a stand out for the evening.
The Butterfly Effect twenty-first anniversary of debut album Begins Here began quite some time ago on this mammoth regional tour. Playing the album from start to finish- well somewhat finish, Outro is essentially added to a longer Intro – Clint Boge and the boys have always been a atmosphere, a feeling rather than a straight out band. Tonight is no different.
Perception Twin shows Boge at his most aggressive, acting out every line, every lyric, like a Shakespearean actor while the band push the grooves with power and deftness in equal measure.
Consequence has Boge fall to his knees to deliver his take while slowly lifting his frame higher in line with the music. Dramatic and poignant.
The distortion in One Second Of Insanity shakes the venue however it could also be the crowd, every one fixated on the band like a mass cult following. Despite the intense heat, the band showing no signs of fatigue.
The heat is insane inside the venue, vantage points near fans are seized by all, the bar working overtime on the drinks and the crowd down the front losing weight rapidly.
Fortunately, a beautiful piano led version of Beautiful Mine gives everyone – band included – a breather as does Filling Silence.
One of the amazing aspects of The Butterfly Effects music is the dynamics, while Boge and the boys can be soft and angelic, they can hit you like a Mack truck with those dynamics and none more so than Always, which the crowd themselves chant home with crowd surfers coming in.
The surfers continue for the evening, even during the acoustic Overwhelmed and as the band close out the set, a looming Boge stands tall, facing his own band like a mock conductor to bring it home. Iconic, and visually imperious.
The encore snaffles a song from each other release, a poignant Gone, a raucous Window And The Watcher, newest one Nil By Mouth and one last Reach for everyone’s energy to be drained out.
I know they are not in charge of the weather, however The Butterfly Effect again do things their own unique way. A sauna like venue in a suburb matched with a hot night, added to an incendiary show by two flame inducing worthy performances. I need a cold drink.
Live Review By Iain McCallum