Dead Letter Circus, Closure In Moscow, Sleep Parade @ The Metro Theatre, Sydney (05/09/2013)
On the back of their recently released album The Catalyst Fire, Dead Letter Circus have once again embarked out on a headlining tour of Australia. With almost every show of the twelve show tour either sold-out or very close to it, it is clear that Australia still holds a soft spot for the Brisbane local alternative rock band.
First up, Melbourne locals Sleep Parade took to the stage in front of the rapidly filling theatre and despite their early timeslot, kept the crowd’s attention for the entirety of their set.
They played a tight set full of crashing drums, synth overtones and relaxed and atmospheric rock stylings, topped off with Leigh Davies smooth vocals and energetic stage presence. With quite a few fans amongst the crowd, their mix of songs from their latest LP and several older tracks were well received. Even those who hadn’t heard the band before were starting to sing along by the end of the set.
Known for their energetic performances and rather eccentric outfits, Closure In Moscow were second up for the night and well and truly lived up to their reputation.
Singer Chris de Chinque’s frilly shirt and pink psychedelic plaid patterned blazer is surprisingly not the most outlandish outfit I’ve had the pleasure to see him perform in, but is definitely one of the more memorable.
The majority of the night’s set came from their 2009 album First Temple, with the opening song A Night At The Spleen and Vanguard getting the biggest crowd responses. Happy Days and Pink Lemonade, both tracks from their upcoming album Pink Lemonade and previously unheard, were exciting and very well received by the audience.
However, the highlight of their set was definitely the rocked out cover of Gregory Porter’s jazz single1960 What?. The “ain’t no need for sunlight, ain’t no need for moonlight” call and response with the audience lifted the crowd’s energy for the rest of the night.
Finally, it was time for Dead Letter Circus to take their place on stage with a thumping heartbeat and synth mixed intro song and the cheering of an almost sold out Metro Theatre backing them as they walked out.
Blasting straight into their set with The Cure, it was clear from the first note that this show was set to be a massive night. Kim Benzie commanded the stage throughout the whole night with the authority and passion of the lead singer of a headlining act that has well and truly earned their place on stage.
His moving vocals and captivating stage presence were rivalled by the energy and passion of each member on stage and the continuous cheering and singing from almost every person in the crowd.
Their set picked out the absolute best of their discography and kept fans old and new on their feet for the whole night. The Mile, as one of the oldest songs of the set, drew a massive crowd response as their fans recognised the song from the very first notes.
The tracks off their newest album The Catalyst Fire had the majority of the crowd singing along and saw the band really letting go on stage. Insider and Say Your Prayers were both crowd favourites of the night, with the drums and chugging guitars creating a much heavier sound than that of the album tracks. Their set drew to a close with Lodestar and The Veil, before the band left the stage with chanting for their encore already begun.
As with any headlining band, the night cannot be finished without an encore of the band’s best songs, and Dead Letter Circus’ set was no different. Starting off with Here We Divide and then following up with the biggest song of the night Lines saw the energy of the band and crowd alike reaching a peak of thrashing, jumping and moshing.
Next In Line, the final song of the night, was a perfect end and left every member of the crowd panting, sweating and calling for just one more song, which unfortunately was unanswered.
Bethany Williams
First up, Melbourne locals Sleep Parade took to the stage in front of the rapidly filling theatre and despite their early timeslot, kept the crowd’s attention for the entirety of their set.
They played a tight set full of crashing drums, synth overtones and relaxed and atmospheric rock stylings, topped off with Leigh Davies smooth vocals and energetic stage presence. With quite a few fans amongst the crowd, their mix of songs from their latest LP and several older tracks were well received. Even those who hadn’t heard the band before were starting to sing along by the end of the set.
Known for their energetic performances and rather eccentric outfits, Closure In Moscow were second up for the night and well and truly lived up to their reputation.
Singer Chris de Chinque’s frilly shirt and pink psychedelic plaid patterned blazer is surprisingly not the most outlandish outfit I’ve had the pleasure to see him perform in, but is definitely one of the more memorable.
The majority of the night’s set came from their 2009 album First Temple, with the opening song A Night At The Spleen and Vanguard getting the biggest crowd responses. Happy Days and Pink Lemonade, both tracks from their upcoming album Pink Lemonade and previously unheard, were exciting and very well received by the audience.
However, the highlight of their set was definitely the rocked out cover of Gregory Porter’s jazz single1960 What?. The “ain’t no need for sunlight, ain’t no need for moonlight” call and response with the audience lifted the crowd’s energy for the rest of the night.
Finally, it was time for Dead Letter Circus to take their place on stage with a thumping heartbeat and synth mixed intro song and the cheering of an almost sold out Metro Theatre backing them as they walked out.
Blasting straight into their set with The Cure, it was clear from the first note that this show was set to be a massive night. Kim Benzie commanded the stage throughout the whole night with the authority and passion of the lead singer of a headlining act that has well and truly earned their place on stage.
His moving vocals and captivating stage presence were rivalled by the energy and passion of each member on stage and the continuous cheering and singing from almost every person in the crowd.
Their set picked out the absolute best of their discography and kept fans old and new on their feet for the whole night. The Mile, as one of the oldest songs of the set, drew a massive crowd response as their fans recognised the song from the very first notes.
The tracks off their newest album The Catalyst Fire had the majority of the crowd singing along and saw the band really letting go on stage. Insider and Say Your Prayers were both crowd favourites of the night, with the drums and chugging guitars creating a much heavier sound than that of the album tracks. Their set drew to a close with Lodestar and The Veil, before the band left the stage with chanting for their encore already begun.
As with any headlining band, the night cannot be finished without an encore of the band’s best songs, and Dead Letter Circus’ set was no different. Starting off with Here We Divide and then following up with the biggest song of the night Lines saw the energy of the band and crowd alike reaching a peak of thrashing, jumping and moshing.
Next In Line, the final song of the night, was a perfect end and left every member of the crowd panting, sweating and calling for just one more song, which unfortunately was unanswered.
Bethany Williams