Live Review: Soundwave Festival, Day Two

A full and already boisterous crowd greet Melbourne punks The Bennies when the four-piece tear on stage with their usual gusto.

Main man Anty is a sweaty, spandex clad ball of energy, jumping all over the place and telling us this is “the best day of their lives”. Favourites Sensi-mi, Heavy Disco and Knights Forever whip the full crowd up to boiling point. It all bubbles over when the first clanging guitar riff drops for the fun ska-filled Highrider.

Melbourne’s prog metal miscreants Ne Obliviscaris are near faultless in their steamy early arvo slot. Some of the guys’ technical abilities get a bit lost in the mix in Devour Me, Colossus Part 1: Blackholes, but for a fairly complex set-up – six guys, violin, harsh and clean vocals – the sound is spot on. Clean vocalist Tim Charles is mesmerising when he picks up that violin in Pyrrhic, and their time-change filled closer And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope has every blissful note in its place.

Mexican garage punks Le Butcherettes bust out an intense and riveting set to the humble amount of bodies wisely in attendance. Leading lady Teri Gender Bender in her customary apron get-up pops and grinds between guitar and key duties, absolutely tearing apart senses with newbie Demon Stuck In Your Eye. Her moves, her kitten-to-hellcat voice are simply mesmerising throughout, but Bang!, The Leibniz Language and I’m Getting Sick Of You make this young trio a distinct standout.

Hail To His Majesty gets things warmed up down the front where bodies are packed in then spat out under a retina-challenging light show.

Gerard Way and his band have bravely suited up on the mainstage with the full force of the sun upon them, but hey, a pair of specs, nifty pink tie and his usual bleached mop seems to put the ex-My Chemical Romance singer in the right frame of mind. He plunges his players into The Bureau. The energy is lacking here and there, not surprising in the heat – Way acknowledges his faithful following sweltering in the pit – but the poppy dirge in Zero Zero and No Shows bump things back up.

What a sight Al Jourgensen is. After a 20-year absence, the Ministry boys are back on our turf and the leading man is as offbeat as ever, weighed down by that mop of dreads and a cloak of denim and metal. Hail To His Majesty gets things warmed up down the front where bodies are packed in then spat out under a retina-challenging light show. Punch In The Face and Life Is Good round out some of the newer material, but it’s when N.W.O. and Just One Fix present themselves that things amp up.

Things are already a little cray cray in the pit before Lamb Of God front up. The thrashy groove metallers ramp the chaos up further with more recent favourite Desolation, leading man Randy Blythe taking to the foldback like a reverend spouting gospel. For all the intensity and sweat flying he very well could be. Set To Fail, Hourglass and Vigil are highlights, but it’s when the guys take a quick break and return with Redneck and Black Label that an impressively large paddock of circle-work opens up.

Carley Hall

A piss-weak crowd turns up for the mighty Godflesh, but that doesn't stop them from giving an impassioned performance that does not lack the least in abrasive force. Though there's only two members on stage, it's quite amazing how much damage they can do. It's a set devoid of any latter material, but nobody looks as if they'd even dream of complaining. Classics such as Streetcleaner, Spite, and Crush My Soul bring the goods with the heaviest of assaults. It's been a hell of a longtime but it was worth the wait.

It's good to know that Antemasque are here to carry the torch and light the void left by the disbandment of The Mars Volta. All the energy is present and then some as they inject their songs with a liveliness that surpasses the studio recordings. They break into free-form jams on a number of occasions, and it's simply electrifying. Few bands on this bill demonstrate a flexibility and... that comes anywhere near this unit.

After a disappointing performance when they were last here for Big Day Out, Soundgarden return to show that they can still summon that magic they had in their heyday.

A screen display counts down from two minutes and builds the anticipation of Incubus' arrival. Opener Wish You Were Here is a lacklustre start, but they make quick work of getting into more funky territory. Anna Molly, Adolescents, and Absolution Calling demonstrate the power and precision of their latter material, and from there on in it's a roller-coaster ride with a quality soundtrack. In the Company Of Wolves is a nice inclusion, and finally Sick Sad Little World brings the highlight when the band momentarily slips into a cover of The Beatles' I Want You (She's So Heavy).

After a disappointing performance when they were last here for Big Day Out, Soundgarden return to show that they can still summon that magic they had in their heyday. It's a blistering set filled with less conservative picks that one would expect. Flower, Ty Cobb, and Kyle Petty, Son Of Richard, to name just a few, beam with a brightness that was long thought gone. By the time the monolithic closer, Slaves And Bulldozers, finishes molesting ear canals the set has proved to be a mighty success and then some. Being that they're now in this good a form, the proposition of a new album is actually quite exciting.

Day two headliners Faith No More serve up a nightcap that has the ability to knock even the most grounded of punters right of their toes. Caffeine, The Gentle Art of Making Enemies, and Surprise! You're Dead! are potent shots that invite a flood of excitement all over, and new cut Superhero lays to rest any concerns that came creeping in with the release of the second-rate Motherfucker. They bring this indulgent celebration of the '90s to a stunning close and make it all feel as relevant as ever.

Jake Sun