Organised madness ensued at highly esteemed Brunswick venue Howler over the weekend. From the outside, it appeared like any normal night. But through the mist of cigarette smoke in the beer garden and past the general punters of the front bar, the band room was set to host one of the best Melbourne gigs of 2015. I am of course referring to the release show of the much awaited sophomore full length Bully from Collingwood’s heavy punk overlords High Tension.
First band of the night Die Cut warmed the crowd with their atmospheric and doomy drones. Despite being a last minute addition to the bill, Die Cut proved themselves as one of Melbourne’s best new bands. Next up was Melbourne hardcore staples Outright, who got the crowd headbanging with infectious heavy riffs and tough as fuck breakdowns. Vocalist Jelena Goluza pulsated with energy during the performance, oozing around the stage without breaking a sweat the entire time. Main support was none other than Canberran hardcore/metal act I Exist. Bolstered by the power of their three guitar players, this show affirmed their position as one of Australia’s best acts.
At last, it was time for High Tension. Over the last few years, the band have cemented themselves as one of the musical greats of this generation. This show was so good that all perception of time and space was lost. It could have gone for ten minutes or ten hours. Either way, for the duration of the set, the massive crowd were hanging off the band’s every movement as they slayed tracks from the ARIA nominated debut LP Death Beat and the already acclaimed second album Bully.
The highlight of the set came when they played the new record’s title track and invited the stars of its film clip to join them on stage – including such esteemed personalities as Outright’s Jelena Goluza, Poison City Records’ Sarah Thompson and tiny woman of the night Tori Styles. Several bodies flew forth from the stage, only to be caught by the equally wild crowd. It was chaotic and fun, crazy but safe – the way more heavy shows should be.
BY JAY WALKER
Loved: The sense of community.
Hated: The front bar DJ after the show.
Drank: Too much.
