Story of the Year, Left for Wolves, Clowns @ 170 Russell, Melbourne (29/06/2014)
Like the S.S. Anne in Pokemon Red, I always seemed to miss Story of the Year. So with news that the Page Avenue anniversary tour would feature their entire first album in full, I wasn't as nostalgia stricken as some of the others I knew. But still, Story of the Year are an important part of modern hardcore. And where else to honour this than with the anniversary tour of their most important album?
First up is bayside punks Clowns, fresh off the back of guitarist Joe's appearance on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. The band are midway through recording their second album, so the set was mostly unfamiliar to the whole of ten people who knew them previous. But despite that, Clowns manage to be one of the funnest bands in Melbourne. Giving his best octopus impression, vocalist dives to the floor of the 170 and oozes along, all while still screaming. But after 30 minutes, Australia's answer to Trash Talk left the stage. Did you know that Game of Thrones Gregor Clegane had a metalcore band? Until Left For Wolves took to the stage, I had no idea either. Now, metalcore hasn't exactly been bursting with new ideas of late, and this is no exception. Though maybe I'm being a bit harsh. After all, it looked as though the guitarist was certainly up to something other than the usual open palm mute so synonymous with the genre. Not that any of that could be heard in the mix. Ending on a long predicted breakdown, the metalcore ends, and the three kids in the pit sigh at the end of their space to show off their awesome high kicks. |
Story comes on to a hurrah from the crowd and launch into And the Hero Will Drown, the intro to the album being celebrated. And does the crowd celebrate. Fists refuse to leave the air until long after the last note rings out. Over the course of the night the band play every track from the celebrated album, along with a few special cuts, such as a melody of The Used, Taking Back Sunday, Yellowcard and MCR. Overall the set is tight and sure to be a delight to any hardcore fan or someone who was a sad teenager in 2004.
This tour is pretty much fanfare, but really, what else is expected from an anniversary tour? The band are pretty relaxed as they're playing, despite missing a guitarist (well, technically bassist, but covering up a missing bass track is a bit more difficult than a second guitar), joking with the crowd routinely and just having a dang good time. Still, unless you're a massive Story fan, these shows don't bring much new to the table. The band's brand of post-hardcore was a breath of fresh air back in the day, but after ten years of continuous imitators the edge the band once had has been lost. But as the band winds things down with the final and most well-known Page Avenue track Until The Day I Die, you can tell the crowd has had a good time being 14 just one more time.
Ben Spencer
This tour is pretty much fanfare, but really, what else is expected from an anniversary tour? The band are pretty relaxed as they're playing, despite missing a guitarist (well, technically bassist, but covering up a missing bass track is a bit more difficult than a second guitar), joking with the crowd routinely and just having a dang good time. Still, unless you're a massive Story fan, these shows don't bring much new to the table. The band's brand of post-hardcore was a breath of fresh air back in the day, but after ten years of continuous imitators the edge the band once had has been lost. But as the band winds things down with the final and most well-known Page Avenue track Until The Day I Die, you can tell the crowd has had a good time being 14 just one more time.
Ben Spencer