For a band whose oldest member is only 26, You Me At Six have grown into one of the biggest pop punk bands in recent years. The lads from Surrey, UK are slowly becoming one of Australia’s own, making their seventh appearance in only five years. On a cold autumn night, I ventured down to The Hi-Fi (now called Max Watt’s) to check out what all the fuss is about.
With a Fat Yak in hand, I found a nice spot to see Luca Brasi kick off the night. With the crowd still making their way inside the venue, the Tassie lads did an amazing job to get the crowd moving and nodding their heads in approval. Punk music is well and truly alive in Australia, and Luca Brasi are leading the charge.
YM@6 are quickly becoming the One Direction of pop punk/ post hardcore: girls love them and guys hate to admit they like them. One thing is for sure, they deserve every bit of their success. Led by charismatic vocalist Josh Franceschi, the set kicked off with new track Room To Breathe from their widely successful LP Cavalier Youth. Right from the beginning, fans knew they were in for a treat, with Franceschi giving every ounce of his energy on stage.Without messing around, the band went straight into the next song, their hit Lover Boy. Their delighted fans were singing along with every word Franceschi belted out, captivated by his every move.
As the set neared its end, Franceschi slowed things down with an emotive rendition of Crush, seducing the crowd with every word he sang. If fans weren’t already enjoying the show enough, the best was yet to come. You Me At Six don’t delve into heavy genres too often, but when they do, they do it right. Bite My Tongue, taken from their 2012 breakout Sinners Never Sleep, shows off the raw grunt of You Me At Six’s sound. When played live, you know the crowd will lose it. And lose it they did. Mosh pits, crowd surfing, and an audience member jumping on stage to scream out that infamous Oli Sykes bridge. “This is what live music is all about”, shouted Franceschi in approval.
After an hour and a half of madness, You Me At Six left the Melbourne stage with their hit, Lived a Lie, during which Franceschi was drowned out by the crowd screaming every word. This was one special performance that demonstrated the raw talent that these pop punk kids from Surrey have to offer. Expect to see a lot more of You Me At Six in the not so distant future.
BY MICHAEL EDNEY
Loved: That guy from the crowd who belted out Bite My Tongue.
Hated: The fact that no one caught him when he stage dived back into the mosh.
Drank: Fat Yaks.
