There aren’t too many bands that can go the distance for 25 years, but that’s exactly the milestone The Onyas were celebrating this evening. Unsurprisingly it was the jewel of Collingwood, The Tote, hosting the festivities. The Onyas handpicked some standout bands and good pals to support them for the birthday bash, including the punk rock legends Meatbeaters, who made the trek all the way from Adelaide.
When Meatbeaters hit the stage, the crowd was definitely starting to get lively although the venue was not yet at capacity. After a recent slot supporting Stiff Little Fingers, Meatbeaters treated some lucky Melburnians to their brand of throaty, rock’n’roll infused punk. Frontman Slammin’ Stan broke a string during arguably the highpoint of the set, Killer in the Night, though the rest of their performance went off without a hitch.
The crowd was starting to thicken out and the beers were steadily flowing when Cut Sick arrived to kick off their highly-anticipated resurrection. There’s been a sizeable hole in the hardcore punk scene since the band called it quits a few years ago, and it was clear the crowd knew just how special it was to see them back together, providing a heavy reminder of their former glory. The only downside was the fact that it’s not likely to happen again anytime soon. Though, it’s not all bad news, as the band features two members of Flour who have been playing some outstanding shows around Melbourne of late.
By the time The Onyas were ready to start their headline slot, The Tote’s bandroom was packed out shoulder to shoulder. The three-piece opened with Origin, a track from their very first demo Brack, to the delight of the ecstatic crowd who accelerated immediately to batshit mental excitement. The rest of the set included tracks from throughout their long discography, smashing out bangers like How Old’s Your Sister from Six!, Weapon off the album Get Shitfaced With The Onyas and Beergut from Heterospective. The blokes onstage were having as much fun as all of the punters on the floor, solidifying the show as one of the best punk gigs of 2016.
They closed with two of their greatest tracks, with everyone shouting along to Ow Ya Goin before wrapping up with one last song from their seminal demo, Rugby Wankers. Nobody wanted the night to be over, but all good things must come to an end. That said, it’s obvious The Onyas have no plans on slowing down just yet.
BY BEL RYAN
LOVED: Cut Sick coming back from the dead.
HATED: Forgetting to snap up a copy of the Brack reissue.
DRANK: Carlton Draught, mate.
