Review: Nev Pearce
Photography: JD Garrahy

When it was announced that Greg Puciato would be kicking off the new year down under with a solo tour, many fans were in disbelief that we would be lucky enough to see him play arguably some of his best material live in Australia at some of our most intimate venues such as The Brightside in Brisbane, where I have personally played several times over the years and seen many other acts play as well.
This show was on my calendar since it was announced, and I was beyond excited that the day had finally come to see one of my favourite songwriters and vocalists live again.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we missed Brisbane legends She Cries Wolf who was opening the evening early but arrived just in time to catch Trace Amount set the tone with his ambient hellish sonic landscapes.

As a one-man wrecking crew, Trace Amount’s performance is intense and at times unsettling as he screams over heavy industrial beats and glitching distorted synths blasting through the PA which is right up my alley. If you love bands like Skinny Puppy, early NiN and Youth Code then Trace Amount is definitely worth your time checking out.

I had heard a lot about King Yosef from friends who had seen him previously and how hectic his live shows were and intense is definitely an understatement.
Intimidating and engaging, Yosef and his two band mates on drums and samples/guitars bring their hardcore industrial noise assault onto the venue hard and fast.

The combination of sampled electric distorted beats and real drums shake the walls and the silence that hangs between each glitched digital break hits like a sledgehammer when the music drops back in making one of the heaviest things I’ve ever witnessed.

While King Yosef’s stage persona sees him spit venom into the mic as he violently throws himself around, he takes a few moments in between songs to talk to the crowd and even give a shout to locals She Cries Wolf and his best mate Trace Amount which shows that he is not only an incredible performer but also humble and appreciative of what he does.
Another act I will be following closely from here on and will see again live without hesitation.

As the lights go down and the distorted bass rumbles through the Brightside, the venue is now packed with fans anticipating what they had waited so long to see, and it isn’t too long before Greg and his band hit the stage with Reality Spiral from his latest solo album ‘Mirrorcell’.

Puciato is without a doubt one of the best frontmen of our generation, not only in his vocal abilities but also stage presence and the fearless way he connects to the fans by getting up close and personal with them any chance he gets, often sharing the mic face to face as they sing along with him which makes it feel more like an old school hardcore show.

While Greg rose to international acclaim with his work in The Dillinger Escape Plan, over the years he has proven time and time again that he is more diverse musically than he is given credit for and his solo material songs like Fire for Water, ‘No More Lives To Go’, and ‘Deep Set’ translate perfectly in a live setting if not with more fury and conviction.

The biggest surprise for the night was when Puciato called up Code Orange guitarist Reba Meyers for the song ‘Lowered’ which is one of my favourite songs ever written.

I am also a massive fan of her work and never in a million years would have thought we would get the chance to see both of them together on stage down here in Australia.
The words ‘holy shit’ was screamed out of my mouth before I could even collect myself and I know I wasn’t alone by how many jaws were on the floor at that exact moment.

The musicians Greg has assembled for his backing band are straight-up weapons with Nick Sadler of Daughters on guitar, Black Magnet guitarist James Hammontree, bassist Jeff Geisser and Noah Taylor on drums are collectively one of the tightest units I’ve ever seen even with the odd technical issue throughout the set.

Closing the night out with a shout-out to his friend and bandmate abroad, the legendary Jerry Cantrell, Puciato and his crew leave us with a crushing rendition of Alice in Chains ‘Them Bones’ which sends the place crazy with the last burst of energy the fans muster up.

Greg Puciato has a solid future ahead with his solo material alongside his other projects, both Child Soldier: Creator of God and Mirrorcell are incredible and getting the chance to experience some of those songs and a few surprises along the way live was well worth it and memorable.
Hands down this will be one of the hardest shows to beat for the year ahead so don’t miss the chance while you can.

Destroy All Lines & Federal Prisoner Presents

GREG PUCIATO
AUSTRALIA 2O24
WITH GUESTS KING YOSEF & TRACE AMOUNT
TOUR DATES:

THURSDAY 18 JANUARY 2024 – CROWBAR, SYDNEY
SUPPORTED BY MOUNTAIN WIZARD DEATH CULT

FRIDAY 19 JANUARY 2024 – LION ARTS, ADELAIDE
SUPPORTED BY LONELYSPECK

SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 2024 – MAX WATTS, MELBOURNE
SUPPORTED BY POST HEAVEN

SUNDAY 21 JANUARY 2024 – AMPLIFIER BAR, PERTH*
SUPPORTED BY HALO OF TEETH & PUKE

*No King Yosef

Tickets on sale now from destroyalllines.com