Image credit-weareunified.com.au

2013 is shaping up to be a big year for Buried in Verona. With a new album in the pipes and their East Coast Rampage with Prom Queen less than a month away, they managed to set last Friday aside for a hometown show. The date marked the one year anniversary of their 2012 effort ‘Notorious’ and they invited along Sydney’s Sienna Skies to join in the festivities.

Unarguably one of the hardest working bands in the Australian music circuit, Sienna Skies have managed to fit a relentless gigging itinerary into the first half of 2013. Following up their tour of New Zealand in February, they landed themselves on the bill for Silverstein’s national tour and more recently supported US post-hardcore outfit Vanna for their Sydney show. Add to that a number of local and interstate club shows and you’ve got a band that obviously doesn’t place much importance on R&R.

With the crowd still filing into Sphere Nightspot, the six piece launched into Groundwork, a track from their latest release, ‘The Constant Climb’. One of the most well received tunes from their 2012 album, it hit all the right notes. With a captivating riff and plenty of opportunity for crowd participation through the repeatedly screamed “overlooked”, they had the audience onside from the outset.

With the small but growing crowd already enticed, the synth intro of Game Changer sounded. Utilising the classic formula of screamed verses and clean chorus, it was the perfect opportunity for a chorus sing-along and the crowd happily obliged. It also proved that Steve Faull had no problem delivering vocals of studio standard, live.

After playing a heavier track in Directions, the band delved into their back catalogue, playing Part with Pride and Heartquake from their debut album, ‘Truest of Colours’. While they’ve no doubt picked up some fans with the release of their sophomore album, judging by the number of mic grabs during their two older tracks, there are plenty that have been following the band from day dot.

The band closed out the set with two more tracks from their latest album- Realizer and Achiever. In between the two tracks, the frontman sent out a heartfelt reminder that everyone should “be themselves and be proud”- a pretty direct message to forget those that would see you fail and believe in yourself. This short speech was the most moving moment of the night and showed a band of the most humble breed, who even thanked those who turned out to see the headliners but had given the supports any morsel of attention. The subsequent round of applause from the crowd was almost surreal- no cheers or whistles, it was an appreciative round of applause for a band that epitomise a passion for music.

They say practice makes perfect and the saying rings true here. Sienna Skies constant touring saw the fans reap the reward- an impeccably tight and exciting performance from one of Sydney’s top bands.

With Sienna Skies wrapped up and now manning the merch table, the notorious BIV took to the stage. No doubt brimming with home-inspired energy, the fivesome opened up, as they often do, with their venomous number, Maybe Next Time.

This track is the sort that is open to individual interpretation. While the band has never publicly named and shamed the individual behind the hate fuelled tune, you can rest assured that when the crowd screamed “if I found you burning, I wouldn’t stop to piss on you” each and every person had some assholes face in mind. Whoever the subject, the opening track of their set got bums off seats and got the crowd well and truly riled up.

The next fifteen minutes saw a barrage of tracks from their latest album. Every set of hands clapped the intro of The Descent while Forget What You Know and Perceptions showed that Buried in Verona fans take lyric-memorizing homework seriously.

Four tracks in and the band made good on their promise- the premiere of their new single I am Hate. With fast paced riffs and a heavy breakdown, you didn’t need to know the words to this one- the energetic aura it gave off was enough to have the most placid of concert goers diving headfirst into the ruckus.

Finally it was time for a track from ‘Saturday Night Sever’. The biggest track from their sophomore album and arguably the most recognised of their discography, Hangin’ Hoes By Their Toes remains a crowd favourite. Despite a stylistic change in the band that has been widely embraced, there’s no denying that when the band acknowledge their metalcore roots and rip out a heavier track, the mosh finds a new gear. And Hangin’ Hoes was no exception. With crowd surfers surging towards the stage, they belted out their iconic track as the crowd screamed right back at them. With its massive breakdown and memorable catch-line “your face looks better bleeding”, this track knows no bounds and will no doubt remain on high gigging rotation no matter how many albums they put out.

After two more songs from Notorious, Miles Away and Four Years, the band headed off stage to the usual chants of “one more song”. There were no prizes for guessing what the encore would be- what else but their track about but being young, drunk and reckless. Couldn’t Give 34 Fucks is your classic party anthem, the sort of track you want to listen to during a big night. With its overindulgence in profanities and unbridled aggression, the track saw a massive stage invasion complete with stage dives and mic grabs- an intimate and fun way to cap off a hometown show.

A couple of conclusions need to be drawn from this show.

Firstly, Sienna Skies should never again be classed as up and comers. With a stellar second album and a massive stage presence, these guys should be on everyone’s radar. Second, Buried in Verona manage to mix penis banter and professionalism delightfully well while putting on an unforgettable performance. And last but not least, local or hometown shows almost invariably provide a better experience than massive venue concerts.

Rating: 9/10

Luke Sutton Photography

Many Silverstein fans have been waiting over two years to see the boys from Burlington Canada play again. After releasing their latest record This is How the Wind Shifts, Melbourne’s favourite venue the Corner Hotel played host to fans eager to hear some fresh Silverstein in a live setting. But really, most were hanging out to their old stuff and to recreate the nostalgic feeling they had listening albums like Discovering the Waterfrontduring their teenage years.

Sydney-based metalcore outfit Sienna Skies  opened for the main act. I really liked the band as a whole; they had a really good live presence and put on a really great show. They are a bit generic though, their sound and lyrics is very reminiscent of Memphis May Fire and the keyboard player even dressed and had the same haircut as Matt Mullins (minus the bright red hair). They were still very entertaining and had the crowd buzzing for Silverstein.

The Corner Hotel has a curtain that hides what the crew are doing on stage beforehand. I really like this about the venue; it makes the intermission a little less distracting. They opened the curtains and the boys walked on from the side of the stage and blasted On Brave Mountains We Conquer. Straight away, the energy they put into the first song was awesome. Vocalists Shane Told’s movement around stage while keeping his vocals perfect was really impressive; almost as impressive as guitarists Josh Bradford’s curly moustache that sat upon his constant smile

 I really liked the combination of new and old Silverstein the band played. The songs from This Is How the Wind Shift kept the night fresh and new whilst the old songs really got the crowd moshing. Your Sword Vs My Dagger, Vices and Massachusetts were received the best during the normal set.

In the second piece of exciting partnership news for Radar, we’re stoked to announce that we’ve hooked up with Sydney party club kings Hot Damn! to offer an exclusive offer for Radar readers.

As we reported last month, the notorious club on Oxford Street will “pop up” at Wollongong’s Hostage X Nightclub on May 19, for a special club night. The “Hot Damn Wollongong Roadtrip” will see local hardcore heroes Another Days Remains reform specially, with Sienna Skies and Graves also on the band lineup.

Hot Damn! have graciously given Radar fans cheaper entry for the night – just say “RADAR” at the door, for $12 entry! Yes!

Spread the word around, tell your friends – say “RADAR” at the door on May 19 at Hostage, to get cheap entry. With drinks just $4 on the night, simply by saying RADAR will essentially get you a free drink. It’s that easy.

For more details, hit the Facebook event.

HOT DAMN ROADTRIP
w/ Sienna Skies, Another Days Remains, Graves
Hostage X Nightclub
May 19th
$12 if you say RADAR at the door

Paramore may be back and firing on all cylinders, but the frayed pop-punk super unit have some new competition on the music scene. Straight from Aussie shores are one of the hottest new bands on the block, striving to reach their full potential both at home and in the United States is the Sydney-based punk-rock outfit, Tonight Alive. They first came to fruition in 2008 when guitarist Whakaio Taahi and bassist Cameron Adler joined up with the then-just-sixteen Jenna McDougall to create a powerhouse sound. Although, it wasn’t until the joining of Jake Hardy (rhythm guitar) and Matt Best (drums) that they knew they really had something special.

Although their success was not instant, their 2010 debut EP All Shapes And Disguises, was well received and the single Closer was even featured on the hit television show The Hills. Later that year they were contacted by Mark Trombino (whose genius has worked with such bands as Silverstein and Blink-182) who was interested in helping the band produce their first full length record. In the November of 2010, they embarked on their first national Australian Tour with fellow Australian band, Sienna Skies.

If 2010 was a big year, 2011 was due to blow it straight out of the water. Tonight alive opened for Simple Plan on the Melbourne leg of their Australian Tour (McDougall joining the band on stage to sing their live rendition of the hit song, Jet Lag) Their debut full-length album, What Are You So Scared Of? was released in October 2011. The lead single, Starlight, was revealed as a teaser in July and received national airplay across Australia. The album featured guest vocals from Blink-182′s Mark Hoppus. They recently toured across the US and were signed to Fearless Records (who also produce MayDay Parade and The Maine). Jenna and the boys are also set to feature as a part of the Soundwave Music Festival for 2012.

Tonight Alive are one of the hottest new bands to come out of Australia in the last five years. Not only are they reminiscent of an early and enthusiastic Paramore, but they bring a passion to their music that is not found in everyday songwriting. They are one of those very few bands that I can honestly say that their live show is just as good as their studio sound. All in all, they’re young, passionate, driven and overflowing with talent, I just cannot wait to see what they do next….