#deadweightaus

(Photo credit to Corey our guitarist and camera enthusiast)

So last weekend we took to the road for a gig in Adelaide with another Mebourne band by the name of Solis.

Playing on the night were ConexPuncher. Like their name, they played an interesting set with a good lump of banter between songs.

Second up were Solis, after playing the night before in Melbourne with A Secret Death, Encircling Sea, Snakes Get Bad Press (SYD) and Colossus, they were a tired bunch but were still able to execute a good set after the long drive. Their vocalist Kyle looking visibly dishevelled as he struggled to the end of their set, dislocating a finger and bleeding from the head by the last song. It was entertaining for sure! Thanks to Joel Patton, the guitarist of Solis for inviting us along for the journey!

After Solis were Be Calm, a hybrid screamo-hardcore trio with intricate melodies, staggered time signatures and three-part vocals that were so engaging that I personally couldn't move my eyes away or keep my head from nodding to the grooves they produced. Really emotive and enjoyable set from them.

It was then our turn to play some music. Again we had our good friend Dan Bonicci filling in on bass as our bassist is still recovering from hand surgery. Our bassist came along despite his hand damage and did his vocal parts for the set, which turned us into a 5-piece for the night. It made for an interesting set after looking over the footage we took from the GoPro cam stuck to the wall.

Closing the night were Racoon City Police Department, who have been busy of late, playing a bunch of gigs recently on their East Coast tour for their Nightlife album release. They had a unique take on a setlist where they had their song names written on paper tabs in a hat, asking people from the crowd to take one out and announce the song name for them to play; this was a cool way to play a set. Their music was captivating, emotive and intricate with guitar melodies to please any fan of music and a great use of pedal effects to penetrate the core of your ear drums, they were great to watch. Along with their different style came their attire which struck me first as unusual, all showing their midriff by tying up their shirts or just torn shirts below the chest, not to mention the Cooper brothers both sporting some figure-hugging tights. They didn't seem concerned with what they wore or looked like, which I thought was a good way of getting people to listen to their music and not be so judgmental on how bands look. If you are watching a band based on how they look and not what they actually sound like, you shouldn't be at shows. Whether this was deliberate or calculated I'll never know but that's just what I took from it.

As the night came to an end, we tipped the mattresses off the walls in Animal House and slept for a good 5 hours, waking at 5:30am to make the drive back to Melbourne.

It was a great weekend away, a huge thanks to Dan Bonicci for being the second driver and playing bass, we wouldn't have been able to make it happen without your help!

We will have a video up with some travel and show footage soon to check out, along with a bunch of photos too.

Cheers,

Pictured (From left to right) - Dan Bonicci, Adrian & Corey. 20/07/2014.

Deadweight were the first out of five bands to take the floor at a show which took place in the Grace Darling Hotel basement on a Sunday night.

The low ceiling and stone walls made for a cozy, loud set. Filling in on bass we had Dan (his silhouette pictured above) who nailed the set whilst our bassist recovers from hand surgery. Dan plays in a couple of other bands called Tigers and Pagans, don't miss out on them. Thanks for being you, Dan!

Second to the floor were Decimate, who once again brought some mosh, filling the basement and having the unwary running and ducking for cover whilst they chugged through their brand of heavy hardcore.

Thanks to Kyle from Decimate for lending his kit, everyone appreciated it I'm sure. And also for throwing me back my drumstick after losing it during our set. Cheers for that!

Also on the bill were Dog Act  (Newcastle).  A different spin to the other styles, with an upright double bass being firmly played to a discordant strumming of guitars and head-bang riffs. It made for a unique need-to-see live performance. Check them out next time they're down here!

Following up were Family Values (Newcastle) who set a positive vibe throughout the hot basement with an impressive in-band mate-ship. A very passionate bunch with furious riffage delivering a strong, hard-hitting style of hardcore. Keeping the momentum of the night steady and strong.

To close the night off were Melbourne hardcore band Southpaw playing a solid, old school style of aggressive hardcore, it got heads nodding and bodies moving, for those that stuck with it that late on a Sunday night!

Thanks to Brad from Knucklehead Bookings for putting on the show.

Our next gig will be in Adelaide with SOLIS making the trip from Melbourne too! Dan will be filling in on bass again. Details for the show can be found here.