Sydney post-rock experts sleepmakeswaves led the charge, opening with a tightly-woven serve of dramatic, almost symphonic prog wizardry. Their sheer liveliness and passion set an incredible precedent for the evening, exhibiting a raw power contained within the meticulously-built framework of their talent. A tenacious act that definitively deserve solid praise.
By the time the Devin Townsend Project exploded onto the stage in a flurry of sound and light, the floor was filled shoulder-to-shoulder with an eclectic mix of the wide-eyed and beaming. Townsend has endlessly experimented with genre and style for his entire career – be it extreme metal, to prog-rock or a jaunty rock ballad – and the setlist represented his diverse abilities.
His voice, though having no doubt copped a testing on tour, wielded a booming strength that left even the most restless attendee in awe, and his face became a myriad of dynamic contortions. Hyperdrive and March Of The Poozers – tracks taken from the imaginative universe of his coffee-loving alien-invader character, Ziltoid – charged the room with an ecstatic, gleeful electricity.
Amidst the theatricality, something perturbed Townsend. A lot was on his mind – a strange feeling bought on by the uncertainty of recent world events that he couldn’t seem to shake that day. Despite this, he never slowed – if anything, it provided him with drive and resolve to harness even more magic, tearing head-first into Deadhead.
What separates Townsend from other performers in his field is a distinctly genuine and wholly unique presence; he’s both honest and amicable, with an incredible appreciation for his craft. He chatted with audience members between songs, and unfurled any thoughts on his mind at the time. He was an effortlessly-hilarious, poignant soul that also happens to be incredible at rocking out, and he’s earned a devoted legion of fans for it.
When an audience member passed him a bouquet of flowers from the pit, Townsend accepted them with a huge smile and a thousand praises – before shoving them into his shirt to give the impression of a second, flowery head. He’s a man for whom small gestures mean much, and he thanked the adoring crowd on numerous occasions for the catharsis that comes from their energy.
“You’ve got to feel it from the heart,” Townsend said. “That’s the whole idea of being a musician. Otherwise, what’s the point? I might as well play Detox for the rest of my life.” He drew laughs from the crowd, referencing work from his younger days, before saying with a grin: “Yeah, dude, I’m a Strapping Old Man now.”
Ever the mirthmaker, Townsend cheekily announced before playing fan-favourite Kingdom that he and his band were about to do an encore – they were just going to skip that whole “leaving stage” bit. This suited everyone to a T.
An acoustic cover of Ih-Ah! left the room in a sweet singalong standstill – and by the time Higher bought the evening to a thundering, climatic crescendo, there were nothing but elated smiles.
Highlight: Feeling that communal buzz with every crowd chant.
Lowlight: Accidently getting bumped and spilling a hefty amount of scotch & dry on the floor.
Crowd Favourite: Hyperdrive.
