Five Acts You Don't Want To Miss At Soundwave 2015

20 August 2014 | 4:07 pm | Daniel Cribb

Say hello to your soon-to-be new favourite bands

When Soundwave 2015 rolls into town you’re likely to find yourself among the masses catching Faith No More, Soundgarden, Slipknot, and will probably hear about much-hyped acts such as Antemasque – the new project from Mars Volta’s Omar Rodríguez-López - and US metallers Ministry, who are touring their final ever record.

Perhaps hyped for the wrong reasons, Soundwave regular Marilyn Manson’s visit in 2012 was questionable, so he’ll have the attention of punters, while rock lovers will be treated to Judas Priest, Godsmack and Papa Roach.

But what about those acts lower down on the bill? There are so many bands playing each year that it’s almost impossible to cover every act. We trolled through the list and found five must-see acts.

The Swellers

There are so many reasons to check out Michigan-bred punk rockers The Swellers, but the main one is because it’ll likely be your last chance to. They announced via Facebook back in June that after 12 years of pumping out music and touring the world that they’d be calling it a day after a few final shows. An article by drummer Jonathon Diener on the band’s decision to break-up went somewhat viral, and caught the attention of promoter AJ Maddah, who descried the situation as “heartbreaking”. They first came to the country in 2011, opening Soundwave’s Counter Revolution to a select few able to get through the door in time. You know how you might see a band you don’t know at a festival, then a few months later they become your favourite band and you’re spewing you didn’t know them at the time? That’s these guys, and you don’t want to be feeling that way a few months after their last visit Down Under. They’re putting the punk back into pop punk, and here’s a banging track from last year’s The Light Under Closed Doors.

 

The Treatment

Start at the top of the line-up and work your way down.. all the way to the bottom, where you’ll find English rockers The Treatment. As recent developments confirm, Gene Simmons is kind of arsehole, but he got something right when Kiss opted for these guys to open their tour with Motley Crue back in 2012. They also toured Europe opening for Slash last year, and have supported the likes of Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy, and dropped their second LP, Running With The Dogs, earlier this year. Perhaps we’ll see Slash side of stage? They’ve got a headline tour of the UK in October before bringing their new material to Australia. Let the good times roll..

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The Bennies

They scored an opening spot on the Melbourne leg of this year’s Soundwave after a few Tweets, and absolutely packed out the tent at their stage. It’s been a massive year for Melbourne party ska punks The Bennies, and all their hard work has paid. They’re spent a lot of time abroad promoting their second full-length this year. When the line-up went live, they were genuinely appreciative of their inclusion, and it seems they’re out to prove their worthy. They’ll provide the perfect party vibes, as evident in their  tour video for Hold On. They’re locals too, so if you dig their set, you’ll have plenty of future of opportunity to catch them live.

 

And something a little more upbeat:

Gerard Way

Okay, so you might already know Gerard Way, but the Australian live debut of his new project isn’t something you want to miss. Former My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way delivered the second taste of his new solo project this week with a music video for the track No Shows off the forthcoming Hesitant Alien record. Its big vocals and overbearing guitar were meant for the festival stage, and Way’s presence on the bill is somewhat of a consolation for punters who were disappointed by MCR withdrawing from the festival in 2010. What we’ve heard of Hesitant Alien so far sounds pretty identical to Way’s past efforts, only a little more poppy. It’s not the most original direction, but that’s not a bad thing, and with a backing band in tow, the charismatic Mr Way will no doubt put on a smashing show.

coldrain

They were the first act confirmed for Soundwave 2015, so the name coldrain might ring a bell. Other than that, the Japanese metalcore band might be an unfamiliar name to many, but they’ve been kicked about for seven years, making their international debut this month with their third record, The Revelation. Having supported contemporary titans and Soundwave regulars Bullet For My Valentine, Crossfaith and Miss May I, and spending some time on the festival circuit in Japan, as well as renowned festivals abroad, they’ll be right at home and in fine form at Soundwave 2015.

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