Words and Pics: Ben Hosking – www.hoskingindustries.com.au
We were shocked to see no line up for tonight’s show, just moments before opening time. There were literally 15 people waiting patiently in front of Sydney’s HiFi, with crowds of soccer fans streaming past at from Allianz Stadium wondering what these scruffy metal heads were doing out in public on a Sunday evening. Thankfully though, all this lack of early enthusiasm proved to be was a more mature, clever kind of music fan that clearly hates waiting in lines.
By the time Sydney’s own Nunchukka Superfly were around half way through their crunching set of jam-room super grooves the HiFi was more than half full – as if a couple of busloads of punters had miraculously all arrived at once. Their insistent, explosive riffing got the early crowd moving, with spasmodic, jagged physical contortions on stage reinforcing the powerful movements of the music. Be sure to look for the band’s forthcoming album “Open Your Eyes to Smoke” being launched at Valve on December 21 – their first since 2008.
Continue reading Live Review: Melvins + Helmet + Nunchukka Superfly @ Hi-Fi Bar, Sydney – December 15, 2013
Steel Panther have graced Australian shores numerous times over the last handful of years, each time moving to larger and larger stages around the country. However, when we first heard about the mock-hair metal band’s move to Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion for their ‘Spread the Disease’ tour, we thought it might have been a little optimistic.
Tonight’s line up at Sydney’s Metro Theatre was nothing if not unique. 
Contemporary Australian metal was on show in a big way tonight at Sydney’s Bald Faced Stag Hotel in Leichardt. The small room has played host to a surprising number of high-profile acts over the last couple of years, including some of the last shows by Suicide Silence before Mitch Lucker’s untimely passing and a recent show by UK noise merchants Rolo Tomassi. Tonight, Melbourne djent exponents Circles hit the joint, promoting their debut full-length album, ‘Infinitas’.
Having witnessed Poland’s blackened death metal legends Behemoth slay everyone in attendance on their Sydney date of their last Australian tour in 2010, you can bet we were more than a little excited when we learned of their upcoming 2013 tour dates. Fast forward to Saturday October 26 and we arrive at Sydney Uni’s Manning Bar to find that several hundred other excited Behemoth fans were already lining out the door and around the corner. 
As we arrive at Sydney’s Metro Theatre to a line of punters that stretches down that little side street and around the corner, we realise this will be one of this year’s more special musical events. The range of fans waiting patiently for Steven Wilson’s gig are as mixed and varied as the artist’s back catalogue, with young and old, male and female, overtly metal and overtly not… 
Ahh, the annual Soundwave cavalcade. A time for sunburn, aching legs, aching livers and severe tinnitus. For those with average bank accounts, Soundwave is usually a choice between the main festival and the many and varied accompanying ‘Sidewave’ shows.