Billy Talent, Far Away Stables @ The Roundhouse, Sydney (10/08/2012)
What felt like the coldest, windiest and an all round miserable day didn’t faze the patient crowds out the front of the UNSW Roundhouse with some lining up from hours before the doors opened. Something big was about to happen at this uni bar.
The shows only support band was the Sydney rock band Far Away Stables. After an awkward greeting, they jumped right in with their first single A Beggar’s Plea, and while the lead singer Brendan Sheargold disappointed with his harsh vocals and not-quite-there harmonies, the crowd didn’t seem to care and kept on rocking out.
The sound quality improved with the next songs, with probably the most impressive song on the set list being The Art of Madness. This song was the only one in which the balance of vocals, volume and a plain good song was clear.
The music in general, which sounded like a more punk version of 30 Seconds To Mars, was perfect for the crowd to go crazy. They even managed to fit a cover of a cover in there, playing Skrillex’s version of Cinema (complete with bass drop) which turned out surprisingly well. In general, the band was let down with the lead singers harsh voice but the band seemed genuinely excited (and understandably nervous) to be playing what seemed to be their first big show.
A short while later and Billy Talent blew everything else out of the water. Opening with the memorable riff from Devil In A Midnight Mass the Canadian punk rockers blew the crowd away, both literally with the huge bass blasting through the speakers, as well as being in a league of their own.
The sound was loud, yet it wasn’t just a bunch of white noise, with every part being as clear as the recorded albums. The strobe lights and smoke set the crowd on what was going to be a memorable 90 minutes and every song had the almost packed out Roundhouse chanting every word.
The set list itself was well rounded, covering all 3 albums Billy Talent I/II/III and the upcoming Dead Silence. The energy never died with the band slamming out song after song to a crowd that only wanted more. The banter of lead singer Ben Kowalewicz kept the crowd excited and gave a few cheap laughs with talk of the “cold” weather and plans of coming back soon to Australia.
The guitar work of Ian D’Sa left the crow in awe after he flawlessly played the entire set, and nailing the intros of every song. Unlike a normal encore, the Canadian punk-rockers came out with not one, not two, but a three song finale, featuring Devil on My Shoulder, Fallen Leaves, and finally ending on probably their biggest song, Red Flag.
Billy Talent took this performance and ran with it, not just delivering a good show, but a memorable one and leaving the crowd looking forward to the next time Australia gets to taste the awesome of their Canadian brand of punk rock.
Liam Jarvis
The shows only support band was the Sydney rock band Far Away Stables. After an awkward greeting, they jumped right in with their first single A Beggar’s Plea, and while the lead singer Brendan Sheargold disappointed with his harsh vocals and not-quite-there harmonies, the crowd didn’t seem to care and kept on rocking out.
The sound quality improved with the next songs, with probably the most impressive song on the set list being The Art of Madness. This song was the only one in which the balance of vocals, volume and a plain good song was clear.
The music in general, which sounded like a more punk version of 30 Seconds To Mars, was perfect for the crowd to go crazy. They even managed to fit a cover of a cover in there, playing Skrillex’s version of Cinema (complete with bass drop) which turned out surprisingly well. In general, the band was let down with the lead singers harsh voice but the band seemed genuinely excited (and understandably nervous) to be playing what seemed to be their first big show.
A short while later and Billy Talent blew everything else out of the water. Opening with the memorable riff from Devil In A Midnight Mass the Canadian punk rockers blew the crowd away, both literally with the huge bass blasting through the speakers, as well as being in a league of their own.
The sound was loud, yet it wasn’t just a bunch of white noise, with every part being as clear as the recorded albums. The strobe lights and smoke set the crowd on what was going to be a memorable 90 minutes and every song had the almost packed out Roundhouse chanting every word.
The set list itself was well rounded, covering all 3 albums Billy Talent I/II/III and the upcoming Dead Silence. The energy never died with the band slamming out song after song to a crowd that only wanted more. The banter of lead singer Ben Kowalewicz kept the crowd excited and gave a few cheap laughs with talk of the “cold” weather and plans of coming back soon to Australia.
The guitar work of Ian D’Sa left the crow in awe after he flawlessly played the entire set, and nailing the intros of every song. Unlike a normal encore, the Canadian punk-rockers came out with not one, not two, but a three song finale, featuring Devil on My Shoulder, Fallen Leaves, and finally ending on probably their biggest song, Red Flag.
Billy Talent took this performance and ran with it, not just delivering a good show, but a memorable one and leaving the crowd looking forward to the next time Australia gets to taste the awesome of their Canadian brand of punk rock.
Liam Jarvis