Review : Benjamin Coe
Photography: Dan Maynard
It’s a hot, sticky night in Brisbane and The Triffid is bursting at the seams, filled with punters eager to see what is sure to be a hell of a show as post-hardcore legends Saosin return to Australian stages for the first time in 13 years and for the very first time with original front man Anthony Green in tow.
First up is Brisbane based quartet The Comfort whose passionate brand of alternative rock with flourishes of post-hardcore goodness are entertaining the patrons as the room slowly but surely begins to fill. They are ever so grateful to be on tonight’s bill, stating that without Saosin’s influence they probably wouldn’t be a band, that is except for their drummer who was only 4 years old when Saosin dropped their debut EP, Translating The Name.
They play with passion and conviction and tear their way through a set which borrows from all 3 of their releases, opening with Love Is A Dying Plant and closing out strongly with Love & Other Drugs from their 2016 EP Love.
Next comes the mighty Alt., hailing from Adelaide these boys know how to put on a hell of a show! They begin their proceedings with Insubordinate off their 2020 EP Dysfunctional and the crowd is here for it. The devoted fans at the front sing back every word that front man Daniel Cullen-Richards throws out at them and he is in fine form hitting every damn note like he means it!
Songs like S.A.D and Pariah translate so well to the live stage and with the addition of new singles The Great Depression and the heavy-hitting Wraith, there’s something for everyone on offer here. Closing out the set with Chasing Safety (a personal favourite of mine), Alt. prove once again that they are destined for big things!
And now comes the moment everyone is here for; the return of Saosin. The lights go down and the band takes the stage as the crowd cheers on with the energy in the room hitting an absolute fever-pitch when returning front man Anthony Green waltzes across and grabs the mic stand, ready to tear up the stage in a way only he knows how.
They kick into Lost Symphonies from 2003’s Translating The Name and the crowd goes mental with the mosh pit in full swing from the opening notes. Green feeds off the energy the crowd are giving, jumping around the stage screaming like banshee. His voice is as good as it ever was as the band rip through cuts from their 2016 album Along The Shadow including The Silver String and Count Back From Ten.
Someone in the crowd yells for a shoey, triggering a massive chant for the disgusting custom, to which Green replies “You can scream as loud as you want all fucking night, I’m not doing it!” much to the disdain of the adoring fans. “Fuck your gross customs!” Green continues, as a theme is set for the evening. He even dedicates a song to “all my friends who haven’t drank out of a shoe…”
The tour was advertised as “All the albums, all the hits” however the set seems to rely heavily on only the Green-fronted material. But still the crowd are into it, hanging off every word, every note, every bit of sweaty energy that comes pouring from the stage. Every song from their debut EP makes an appearance with the epic Seven Years finishing off an electrifying set and leaving the crowd begging for more. But alas, the house lights go up and it becomes apparent that there will be no encore tonight.
The crowd spills out into the warm evening, gasping for breath and utterly enamored by what they just witnessed. Let’s hope it’s not such a long wait before we get to see these lads in action again.
– GALLERY –
