CONCERT REVIEW: Ides Of March (Venue: Underground @ The Beachcomber Hotel, Toukley, New South Wales, Australia, 15 March 2014) by Collin Brophy

Venue: Underground @ The Beachcomber Hotel, Toukley, New South Wales Australia

Guest include: October Rage. Rise of Avernus. Troldhaugen. Toehider. Caught Out. Pagans Realm. Apparitions of Null.

I arrived around 15 minutes before the first band played. Wasn’t sure how many people would turn up due to a massive thunder storm around 1.5 hours before the doors opened.  The rain pounded down on my way up to the venue. Quite a few people had arrived before I did which was really good.  A good crowd had turned out by the time Null started playing, and the crowd continued to come in all night.

Apparitions of Null. (Sydney NSW Australia)  

Genre: Progressive/Melodic/Technical Metal

Band Members:

Dale Robinson - all vocals.
Sam Maher - Lead, Rhythm and Acoustic Guitar.
Chris Rosiak - Rhythm, Acoustic and Classical Guitar.
Jamie Harrison Brown - Drums and Percussion.
Dwayne Murray - Bass.

Set list is:

1. Kaleidoscopes.

These guys are brilliant.  If Pink Floyd was a metal band, then this is what they would sound like. The vocalist’s vocal range just amazes me, from harsh death to very soft tones.  The bassist and guitarist are just amazing to watch live, and the drummer well you have to see him live to believe it yourself.  Even though they only played one song which went for around 30 minutes, the crowd that was there loved it and with plenty of loud applause once they finished.  I spoke with the vocalist after their set and he said that they are hoping to have an EP out by June or July. I can’t wait for the EP launch as I would definitely be there for that. Theses guys are for anyone who likes all genres of metal.

Pagans Realm. (Warnervale, Central Coast, NSW, Australia)

Genre: Viking/Pagan Metal

Band Members:

Randall Black - Guitar, Vocals.
Brendan Frame – Vocals.
James Mudd - Bass, Vocals.
Scott Greentree – Drums.

Set list is:

1. The March of the Wolf's Head Bannerman; 2. Battle Star; 3. An Ale to a Winters Sun; 4. Lay My Flesh to the Fire; 5. Tell Your God to Ready for Blood.

Holy crap these guys are bloody awesome! Both the bassist and guitarist were insane as was the drummer.  The vocals from both bassist and guitarist were a perfect fit for the genre of music they play.  The crowd lapped up every song, and the vocalist from Lycanthrope and Pitchfork also lend their talents to a couple of songs with high approval from the crowd and band.  The bassist / vocalist was dressed as a bad ass Viking which looked really cool.  They had a couple of very minor issues during the set, which meant that there was time for some jokes presented by the band and the vocalist from Pitchfork. I spoke with the vocalist after their set and he said that they are hoping to have an EP later this year, and to have EP launch for when it comes out, which I am definitely be going to. If you like Amon Amarth (Sweden) and Turisas (Finland) then give Pagans Realm a listen.  You won’t be disappointed.

Caught Out. (Singleton, Newcastle, NSW, Australia)

Genre: Metalcore

Band Members:

Joshua “Stu” Stewart – Vocals.
Joshua “JC” Childs – Guitar/Vocals.
Anthony "Billy" Mitchell – Guitar.
Buddy “Bud-Lite” Edwards – Drums.

Joshua “BigBird” Sampson – Bass.

Set list is:

1. I'll give you 5; 2. Glassheart; 3. Inception; 4. A shot in the dark (a day to remember cover); 5. Survive; 6. Transform; 7. Worthless.

Usually not a big fan of metalcore, but these guys restored some respect that I lost with this genre, due to the repetitiveness of the whole metalcore genre.  These guys are just plain out and out crazy, jumping all over the place, off the stage and they even got the crowd moving.  The energy these guys displayed was unreal and it was very obvious that the stage wasn’t big enough for all them. I had never heard of these guys before and I had decided to keep an open mind before watching them, and now I am a new fan of these guys. I would recommend these guys to anyone who likes A Day To Remember (USA), Buried In Verona (Aust) and The Ghost Inside (USA).

Toehider. (Melbourne, Vic, Australia)

Genre: Rock

Band Members:

Mike Mills - Guitar and Vocals.
Amy Campbell - Bass and Vocals.
Lachlan Barclay - Guitar and Vocals.
Ricky Evensand – Drums.

Set list iTs:

1. Lie Still; 2. Old Old Old; 3. The most popular girl in school; 4. Ducksuite (Count Duckula, Quaq Quo, Darkwing Duck, Ducktales); 5. Whatever makes you feel superior; 6. Whoa!; 7. Lay Down Mara.

Straight up kick arse rock band.  Usually not into this genre of music but these guys have changed my mind.  The drummer was brilliant, the bassist was as well, whom, by the way is probably the best looking bassist I have seen, and the guitarist was amazing.  They played some sick riffs and guitar solo’s which the crowd loved and the vocalist / guitarist was just incredible. He reminded me a lot of Jack Black with his stage presence, attitude and his whole persona which was truly unique. The crowd gave them a very loud applause at the end of their set. If you love straight up crazy rock, then you will love these guys.

Troldhaugen. (Wollongong, NSW, Australia)

Genre: Wacky Folk (?) Metal

Band Members:

Reventüsk.
Meldengar.
Grädenøk.
Svarog.

Set list is:

1. Troll Gristle Promo spiel; 2. Untitled (new song); 3. Slaughterhouse Swing; 4. Trollbrawl; 5. Untitled (new song); 6.The Final Curtain; 7. Beast Wagon; 8. Swampstomper (+ "Wannabe" - Spice Girls); 9. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Troll After Midnight); 10. The Circus of Misery.

What can I say about Troldhaugen … except to say that they were totally mind blowing.  They had the crowd eating out of their hands. The vocalist is just brilliant with a huge amount of energy.  He is a very charismatic front man. It felt like being part of a carnival instead of a gig.  The bassist, guitarist, drummer and keyboard player were all down and out remarkable. I saw these guys support Korpiklaani in Sydney last year (2013) and they blew everyone away that night as well. I am so glad I had the chance to see Troldhaugen again. If you are a fan of Korpiklaani (Finland) and Trollgasm (Aust) then you will love these guys.

Rise of Avernus.  (Melbourne, Vic, Australia)

Unfortunately ROA bassist’s Daniel Warrington injured his back which has left him immobilized and unable to perform. We at BUSUK WEBZINE wish Daniel all the best a very speedy recovery.

October Rage. (Central Coast, NSW, Australia)
Genre: Rock

Band Members:
Nick Roberts - Vocals, Guitar.

William Roberts – Bass.
Kai Chambers – Drums.
John Mcmullen – Guitars.

Set list is:
1. Wayside; 2. Two-sided Blade; 3. White Walkers; 4. In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins Cover); 5. Valkyrie; 6. Black Knight / Jam (Deep Purple Cover); 7. Silver Line; 8. Reign Of Fire; 9. Set You Free (Encore).

I had never heard or seen these guys before tonight’s show, but by the end of their set, not only was I a new fan, but the people in the crowd were new fans too. October Rage were unbelievable live, with an incredible amount of energy, the stage was definitely not big enough for these guys. You have to see these guys live to see and feel how powerful their stage presence is. The four guys all complete each other in every way, from insane drumming to sick riffs from both guitarist, and the bassist went completely nuts. The band was into the music just as much as the crowd. You can’t help but to bang your head to their music.  They even did a couple of covers which got everyone pumping.  The riffs from both guitarists had to be seen to be believed.  The crowd wanted more so the band came back and played one more song to finish of what was truly an awesome night of Aussie metal. I am going to catch them again at the end of this month, and it is on a bigger stage which I can’t wait for. If you are a fan of heavy rock, stadium rock anthems and majestic ballads, Audioslave (USA) and The Angels (Aust), then get yourself to their next gig to enjoy the show.

By the time October Rage finished it was around 1230am, and no-one wanted to leave because they were all enjoying themselves and having so much fun, but due to the venue closing we had to leave. Over all, it was a great night, with some truly awesome local bands and some really cool people.  I always enjoy seeing new bands and having a listen to new genres and even genres I wouldn’t normally listen to.  Tonight I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of talent coming up through the ranks and look forward to seeing them again and getting my hands on their music.

Published by Collin Brophy