It was another frigid Melbourne winter’s evening outside, but the mood, the vibe and the sheer energy happening within the walls of the Workers were hotter than hell.
Punters that settled into a good vantage point nice and early to catch Drive Time Commute would’ve been glad they did. The band was pure chaotic punk/thrash, and they certainly brought the mayhem. The band’s pint-sized, sinewy frontman, who ultimately stripped down to his socks and jocks, was out in the crowd, thrashing himself insanely around the floor, more than he was on the stage. He got in people’s faces, brought out an accordion which he subsequently smashed all over the floor and bellowed his lungs out whilst the band bludgeoned its way across a short but very sharp 30 minute set. What a way to start.
Dregg were slightly more controlled, but still blisteringly intense. Their songs are full of youthful angst and full of messages about greed, inequality and the shitty direction our race is headed. These messages are driven by titanic grooves and a massive wall of sound. Their set, which included a thrashed-up SOAD cover and even an ode to the Pokemon craze, was again a short, sharp fist to the face, and their many fans were satiated nicely.
Hollow World have more of a Black/extreme metal feel. They are extremely tight in a live setting and much of this comes down to their drummer, Michael Hodgson, who is ridiculously fast, precise and ambidextrous. Frontman Ben Roberts has one hell of a demonic voice on him. His screeches resemble an even more possessed Dani Filth and his gutterals sound like they’ve been dredged up from hell itself.
There is a real buzz around Jack the Stripper, and it’s easy to see why, their music and live show are truly explosive. From the get-go they go absolutely ballistic, with frontman Luke Frizon constantly out in the crowd, moshing up a frenzy and smashing himself violently in the face with his mic, while the band were left to absolutely carve-up the stage. Their set slammed by all too quickly, and the convulsive crowd was left wanting more. It’s difficult to know how sustainable this kind of live show is over the long term, although a band like Dillinger Escape Plan have been doing it for almost two decades. If this band can keep this frantic pace up, legendary status awaits them.
These bands all need a bigger stage to fit their antics and personalities into. This was one of those wild gigs where you actually fear a little for your safety, both from the band members and the crowd.
WORDS BY ROD WHITFIELD
IMAGE BY MARK HOFFMAN
Loved: Getting out of there mostly unscathed.
Hated: How quickly it was all over.
Drank: Pale Ale.
