Review: JD Garrahy, Dan Maynard and Alison Gustavson
Photography: Dan Maynard
It’s the most wonderful time of the year and no I don’t mean Christmas. No, I’m talking about Good Things weekend. Boy the year can drag on, but once it hits that first weekend of December, it’s hard to imagine a whole year has been and gone. But here we stand, as a community of music loving Aussies, ready for that once-a-year day of non-stop fun filled festivities.
The gates are open, the bodies are moving and its game on. Welcome to Good Things 2024, its hot, its humid, its sweaty as fuck, but damn if we don’t love it this way.
Attempting to get around to every single band is insanity, but you know what, I’m up for the challenge, and while Santa has his elves to help him out, I wouldn’t be a jolly man in a red (but mostly black) suit unless I had my own helpers at this time of year, lets call them my little Hell-ves.
Good Things has not been without its hurdles this year, with Sum41 dropping off the bill last minute (We really do hope that Deryck has a speedy recovery from pneumonia, it’s a fucking terrible sickness to have), it hasn’t been anything that this colossal festival couldn’t overcome though.
As we head towards stage 4, the anticipation for Aviva was felt throughout the crowd. When you open a festival with an artist such as this, you KNOW you’re in for a killer day. We were not kept long before Aviva stepped onstage to greet us with her haunting vocals.
Receiving a very warm welcome with the crowd screaming along to The Saint and The Sinner, Aviva kept the pace going with About Me.
The more ‘poppy’ sound was a drastic contrast to what would be coming next. The blend of catchy vocal hooks, thumping bass, and steady drums had the crowd banging their heads all set long- If the new song was any indication of what is to come from Aviva with her new album next year, we are all in for a treat.
Loathe, what can you say about this band that hasn’t been said already? The organisers did well to give these guys a mainstage opening slot because it certainly helped to get the punters in early on this blisteringly hot day.
Braving the scorching sun, Loathe delivered the goods and made their presence felt very early in their set (I mean, when you arrive on stage to Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma, you’re setting yourself up for greatness). Giving the fans Screaming, 451 Days and New Faces In The Dark in a 3 song combo was truly something I never thought id get to witness live, and damn it was satisfying. These guys need to come back for a headline tour, and soon!
For a band that has never been to Australia, Imminence received one of the warmest welcomes I’ve ever heard. This was one I was personally looking forward to most and boy did they live up to expectations. Playing a variety of new and old tracks from Infectious to Heaven Shall, there was the perfect mixture of heavy and lighter moments.
The entire performance was beyond perfect, from vocalist Eddie Berg hitting every note (and even improvising a few incredibly moving screams) to guitarist Harald Bennett mesmerising us with his movements and brutal screams- It’s safe to say Australia is a fan of violin core. It truly felt we were there to see THEM, and they delivered what I can only describe as the caliber of a headline show.
Bowling For Soup is one of those bands that brings a smile to your face, gets you dancing and just leaves a positive vibe for the whole day. When you’re playing your last festival show it can go one of two ways, either you smash out the best performance of your life or you can collapse in a heap and not put your best self on, the Soup did the former and they did it with style.
Frontman Jaret Reddick absolutely killed it on every single song and well, they Rick Rolled an entire festival (outstanding!). Closing out their set with 1985, the whole crowd was left in VERY good spirits for what was about to come.
We have not seen 311 on our shores for quite a long time. They’re one of those bands that you either got into, or you didn’t. For me, oh I LOVED them. Getting to see them in a festival setting is just too perfect. It transported me back to my teen years and blaring them through the hideous sound system in my first car that really didn’t do their sound any justice.
Today though, they sound immaculate. A delicious medley of audible brilliance that can only be found in the bands that shaped your musical tastes for years to come. Kicking off their set with Beautiful Disaster and finishing with Down was expected, and so very much appreciated. What was not expected was a mid-set cover of The Cure’s Lovesong. Stellar performance guys, the people attending your Triffid show will be spoiled indeed.
The little-known Garage Stage was abuzz today with our very own Nev Pearce fronting his band Snake Mountain to thunderous applause and adoration. Approaching the small room tucked under the main arena grandstand you could hear a flurry of double bass kicks, grinding riffage and Nev’s iconic roars and screams that manage to cut into the very fibre of your being.
These guys had such a great turn out and there were definitely a few people that learned of their existence as they passed by. Get loud, get heavy, get some Snake Mountain in your earholes!
After some technical difficulties that were swiftly resolved, US legends From Ashes To New were up next. Bringing the energy levels back up again, they surprised some of us OG fans with the likes of Through It All and My Name. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one smiling nonstop throughout Panic.
The mixture of Danny Case and Matt Brandyberry worked perfectly and made for one hell of a performance. Taking a break to speak to the audience, Brandyberry reminded us how possible it is to achieve our dreams.
He highlighted how important it is to not give up and to have determination – they were told they’d never make it in their own country and here they are, 10,000 miles away with thousands singing along to every lyric. Playing their biggest radio song to date, Barely Breathing, the crowd was louder than ever, and the band seemed to radiate humbleness as the crowd screamed back “now I’m barely breathing”.
The Butterfly Effect need no introduction, if you’re into Aussie music and don’t know these guys, then congratulations on getting out from that rock you live under to come to Good Things. Font man Clint Boge smashes through the set not skipping one single note.
This guy is a rock God! Emitting one of the most powerful voices in Aussie rock, there is no mistaking his signature sound and it’s phenomenal to see so many people turn out for their set in the stage 3 tent. It was hot, it was sweaty, but damned if it wasn’t one of the most well received sets of the entire day.
On the back of their sold-out headline Australian tour back in August, it’s no wonder the crowd was looking forward to seeing what the Alpha Wolf boys had in store today. Kicking things off with a bang with ‘Haunter’, the crowd didn’t stop moving throughout their set.
With numerous circle pits and the first ever Circle Pit Wall Of Death, this was one of the rowdier pits for the day. Playing quite a few tracks off their latest record, including Pretty Boy and Half Living Things, it was the perfect opportunity to showcase what the new record has to offer for some of the soon-to-be fans.
Keeping in some of the ‘oldies but goodies’ like Sub Zero and Akudama, there were many among us who knew every lyric. Despite becoming unwell 3/4 through their set, frontman Lochie Keogh powered through and gave his all for the final two tracks. There seemed to be a common theme throughout the day: perseverance. – As per usual, drummer Mitchell Fogarty’s flawless performance kept all of our headbanging in check.
Venturing over to the main stages, it was Northlane’s turn to ‘wow’ the audience. Playing a generous number of older songs, and even a certain medley that was introduced on their headliner tour back in February, there were some very happy OG Northlane fans in the audience.
Looking around, there was a sea of headbanging for Dante and Carbonised. Vocalist Marcus Bridge’s stage performance was only rivalled by his impeccable vocals and ability to seamlessly switch between his cleans and screams.
With an array of visuals behind them and their usual black outfits, it’s no surprise why they had a main stage slot. I must hand it to all of the front of house engineers throughout the day, who had all of the stages sounding the best they’ve ever sounded.
This was especially true with Northlane’s set on stage 2. Familiar favourites like 4D and Talking Heads were once again included in the set, but we were treated to hearing one of their newest tracks, Welcome To The Industry. As always, Northlane delivered a hefty set and left everyone screaming for more.
We cannot let the absolute monstrous talent that is hitting stage five throughout the day. From the legendary Killing Heidi, who are just slaying the absolute hell out of their debut album Reflector, through to artists the likes of Grandson and the captivating Alex Lahey, stage five was not a place you wanted to miss.
Once local powerhouse Reliqa hit the stage, it was clear that Monique and Co. were here to stake their claim as one of the best acts of Good Things 2024. With Highly Suspect closing out the stage for the day, there was a lot of happy punters that decided to avoid the main acts to get their fill from this amazing bill of talent.
Aussie rockabilly legends The Living End hit the main stage to massive adoration. And its not long before we are all transported back to the Homebake days with massive tunes like Second Solution and West End Riot to really get the nostalgia moving. As 2025 sees the anniversary of Roll On approaching, they bust out the title track to an incredible roar from the crowd.
With no shelter from the sun, Chris, Scott and Andy dig deep to close their set with Prisoner of Society and put every bit of themselves into making sure every punter has lived a true The Living End experience. Bring on 2025 and the revival of rockabilly with these local lads.
If you haven’t been to a Frank Turner show before, boy are you in for a treat. The sheer energy and passion he brings to his sets is other worldly. Couple this with his incredible band, The Sleeping Souls, and it’s a recipe for one of the highest energy, sweat inducing times that you could hope to have at a festival.
Giving every bit of himself to the crowd, Frank and the lads deliver the most outstanding sets of theirs I have seen to date. Even getting Jaret from Bowling For Soup up to assist on harmonica duties on I Still Believe, this was a show for the ages. Well done lads, can’t wait to have you grace our lands once more.
Up next hitting stage 1 is prog metal veterans Mastodon. Australia is no stranger to the Atlantean quartet. Having toured here seven times now, Mastodon have become a staple favourite for us Aussies. Opening with Crystal Skull from their 2006 album Blood Mountain, it’s instantly made aware just how much of this crowd are here for this much-loved band.
The set is heavy with Leviathan tracks, as they have been playing the album in full across their most recent tour, but they split the set half-half with tracks from Leviathan such as Iron Tusk and Seabeast and sprinkling in some newer tracks like Pushing the Tides, and deeper cuts like Mother Puncher from their 2002 album Remission. Closing out the set with Blood and Thunder with chorus synchronised pyro it further heats up the already smoldering weather.
Transporting all of us back to our emo days (it wasn’t a phase, Mum!), Sleeping With Sirens hit stage 4 with Break Me Down. Standing at the back, I realised just how loud the crowd was – they matched the volume of vocalist Kellin Quinn over the PA, and it became apparent how many people knew every single word.
Playing iconic songs like A Trophy Father’s Trophy Son and If I’m James Dean, You’re Audrey Hepburn, Kellin’s voice didn’t disappoint once.
Turning down the energy levels for a brief moment, we got a sing-along of the Goo Goo Dolls’, Iris. Potentially one of the loudest songs with every single person singing ‘I just want you to know who I am’, it was a nice breather – Closing with a song that anyone who grew up listening to emo or metal in the 2000s would know, If You Can’t Hang, we knew it was almost time for the final acts of the night. Drawing out the bridge and the very famous “I met a girl at 23…” line, the moment Kellin screamed ‘imagine that’, thousands were up off their feet.
Violent Femmes. There is only one, accept no substitutes. While the young among us are over at Stage 3 reliving said emo days, the ones of us that were 70’s and 80’s babies staked a claim at the main stage to relive our childhood with one of the most eclectically visual bands that we all grew up with.
Even if you don’t know their hit Blister In The Sun, you DO know at least one of their other fantastic tracks. So, the question here is, how do you cater to the Aussie fan base and still keep the show a visual spectacle? Well, you add a Weber BBQ to your percussion section (what the actual hell??).
Not to be outdone, the design of the bass guitars was incredible, perhaps a little tricky to play, but indescribable to anyone that didn’t witness it themselves. Closing out their set with American Music, there was so many aging rockers that were left very happy with this show. Brilliant to see these guys still doing what they love on such a grand scale.
Cue the metal god that is Kerry Fucking King! Make no mistake, put Slayer to the back of your mind, because it is now the Age of the King. Tearing through a set that would put even the most seasoned guitar virtuoso to shame, Kerry smashes out not only his solo material, but also throwing in a tasty treat of Raining Blood and of course, the King staple that is Killers.
This guy is absolutely legendary and there are so many fans of Slayer here that came just to see the man himself bust out his highly anticipated solo works. I for one honestly can’t wait to see him back on our shores for a well-deserved headline tour.
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan takes the stage with his backing band, the Gold Coast’s own The Delta Riggs, for a more intimate, stripped-back performance featuring deep cuts, cover songs, and classic Pumpkins hits thrown in for good measure. The packed Stage 3 audience is treated to a setlist that showcases material Billy Corgan wouldn’t typically perform with Pumpkins.
Fans, myself included, are thrilled to hear deep cuts like “Stumbleine” and “Age of Innocence,” along with his unique take on the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody”, a standout cover of INXS’s “Don’t Change” as well as classic Pumpkins tracks like “Tonight, Tonight,” “1979,” and “Today”. It’s a standout set of the day, blending rare gems with fan favorites.
As I previously mentioned, there has been hurdles this year, but when Sum 41 had to drop out due to frontman Deryck contracting pneumonia, the German lads answered the Call……Boy (had to take that joke, apologies). With their drummer David Friedrich unable to perform the festivals due to illness, Sum 41‘s drummer, Frank Zummo, stepped in.
Learning the set in under 2 hours, his performance was nothing short of mind blowing. With one of the most energetic mosh pits I’ve ever seen, the crowd did not stop jumping, running in circle pits, and raising their horns to the sky. Tekkno Train was up first and hearing thousands of people screaming ‘choo choo choo choo choo choo choo choo, we’re riding on the Tekkno Train’ must be one of the most amusing things I heard all day.
Everything from the visuals, stage performance and sound was unbelievable and highlighted why they deserved to be on that main stage. From a sunny beach with the phrase Hypa Hypa in neon pink letters, to Babymetal on the screen for Ratata, it was more than a performance: it was a spectacle. Songs like Spaceman, Hate/Love and Pump It were quick to get the audience jumping and singing along.
Looking around, there were smiles everywhere and the consensus appeared to be that this was the highlight of the day for many. Closing their set with We Got The Moves, the ‘dop dop dop’ won the award for the loudest crowd of the evening. With the wigs and white vest, it was truly as if we had been transported into the music video itself.
Korn. FUCKING…KOOOOOOORRRRRRN. We all know how this is going to play out. A mass of ageing nu-metal fans screaming at the top of their lungs, and some of the most intense pits that the whole of Good Things has seen all day.
With the threat of an impending thunderstorm inbound, Jon Davis hits the stage, and the crowd erupts with chest crushing bass on the intro of Here To Stay. The feeling of the bass resonated through every inch of your body and vibrated the ear loops from every ear in the main arena. THIS was intense. With every bit of energy, ferocity and neck breaking intensity, Korn did in fact prove, that they are here to stay.
Focusing heavily on their early catalogue, the fan service they paid tonight was next level. From A.D.I.D.A.S through to Clown and even diving back to smash out Good God from the iconic Life Is Peachey.
There wasn’t one disappointed punter in the whole main arena. You know that as soon as you hear those bagpipes fire up, its time to get your Shoots and Ladders fix, brutally heavy but hauntingly groovatious (ill make up word if I want) at the same time, the sing-along to this song is incredible. Oh there is sure to be some sore throats in the morning.
With a career spanning decade, how do you truly give every fan everything they want, well, it’s simple, you can’t please everyone. But Korn did this without even breaking a sweat. Although, there was so many dreadlocks flailing about on stage that they were probably proving great air conditioning for the band.
As the main arena fills to the brim, the Bakersfield Brutality Masters smash into quite possibly the greatest encore I’ve heard in a long time. Falling Away From Me kicks it all off and if you thought the punters were all out of juice, you have another thing coming.
Everyone seemed to pull that last little bit of energy like a rabbit out of a hat and truly showed Korn exactly why Brisbane is the best place to finish this festival run.
Olidale (Leave Me Alone), off Korn III hits so well in a live setting and its easy to see why they chose to add this to the encore set. Now, what Korn show would it be without a solid closing song?
And when you make that song Freak On A Leash, then you know you’re about to make every single person in the audience regress to the first time they heard the track and every hair stands up on the back of your neck as Ra Diaz hits that opening bass chord. Fucking magic.
As that final note hits, its hard to believe that such an epic day has come to a close. But, as they say, all Good Things must come to an end.
With Good Things 2024 wrapped and a bow neatly tied on top, all our relatives better step up their game on gift giving this holiday season, because its going to take a LOT to top a gift such as this. Happy Holidays to all and keep it brutal!
– GALLERY –
