Live Review: Hellions

It’s looking like the release of Rue will prove to be somewhat of a hallmark LP for Sydney band Hellions as Brisbane fans are treated to an intimate screening of the new tracks in the first of a trio of sold out album launch shows. 

DJs rile up the crowd with a sea of pop-punk bangers as punters cram into Brisbane’s home of the heavy and limber up for a night at the Hellions’ circus. 

Because of the size of the venue, we struggle to see over the mass of heaving bodies but when the band take to the stage all hell breaks loose as the entirety of the room is converted into a cult of moshing Hellions worship. 

Ringmaster Dre Faivre orchestrates the chaos from centre stage (“let’s light this place on fire”) as they traverse the peaks of Rue, opening with (Blueberry) before the expectedly massive response to X (Mwah) turns things up to 11. Smile is both a highlight of the record and the live set - it appears a simple appearance of this would have been enough to satiate a large handful of attendees. 

The limited space wasn’t going to halt the extreme moshing but signs plastered around the venue and on the band’s social media confirm that this is a safe space and we are all welcome. 

Longtime fans are given a nod with a smattering of tunes from earlier releases and we can’t help but get swept up by the empowering message that spans the band's discography. Leave your ego at the door, this is all about the music.

Closing with Thresher it’s clear that Hellions are on a swift trajectory of onwards and upwards. Future shows at bigger venues are a given but for now what the band has done with their fourth release is something to celebrate. It’s a bold move and one that is best experienced live and loud.