New Found Glory, Bayside, The Wonder Years @ The Factory Theatre, Sydney (27/02/2015)
While Soundwave Festival is more often known for the massive metal bands it brings to our shores, the pop-punkers and punk rockers that join them make up some more than impressive sets and sidewaves.
Festival veterans New Found Glory and their guests at Sydney’s Factory Theatre made sure that no one forget about their place in Soundwave with an unforgettable night of festival anthems and pop-punk classics The Wonder Years took to the stage, starting off the night with a bang. Their upbeat pop-punk sound was a perfect start to the night that got fans and new listeners alike dancing along. In fact, since their cancelled tour last September it was clear that the band and their fans had been waiting far too long for this show. Playing through some of their long-time classics, the atmosphere of the factory theatre was nothing short of ecstatic. It was definitely a night for Hopeless Records fans with Queens locals Bayside hitting up the stage next. With six albums filled with punk rock hit after punk rock hit, they had no problems keeping the steadily growing, and drinking, crowd on their feet and enthralled for their jam-packed set. Jack O’Shea’s flawless guitar solos during Montauk and The Walking Wounded were definite highlights for me, with his precision perfect playing highlighting just how talented these men are. |
Finally it was time for New Found Glory to take the stage, but the long night did nothing to dampen the spirits and energy of the crowd waiting with baited breath for their first notes of the night. After seeing their set at the 2013 Vans Warped Tour, much like the rest of the fans, I couldn’t wait to see them go off on stage again. And disappoint me they did not! From the moment they set foot on stage, not once did they pause of lose an ounce of energy, with Jordan Pundik’s onstage antics the front of this.
With drummer Cyrus Bolooki staying at home to look after his new baby (Congrats!) Mike Ambrose, previously of Set Your Goals, is filling in for the Soundwave festival run. Even as a touring drummer, Ambrose fit in perfectly on stage and seemed like he was made for those songs.
While their set included songs from across their discography, including Selfless, Resurrection and Stubborn from their 2014 album Resurrection, it was clear the crowd was waiting to hear their old favourites. Hit or Miss was the first of the classics and saw the whole crowd signing and clapping along with Pundik. And of course they included their incredibly popular cover of Sixpence None The Richer’s Kiss Me, which had couples throughout the crowd, and working behind the bar, turning to each other and singing before stealing a few public kisses.
Unfortunately the night had to end, but New Found Glory’s four-song encore almost made up for the fact that they were finishing up for the night. Starting off with Anthem For The Unwanted, they quickly drew the crowd back up into a frenzy of jumping and singing before heading straight into a long-time favourite of my own Head On Collision. Their night ended with Intro before jumping straight into All Down Hill From Here which had everyone, bar staff included, singing along with Pundik to the very last word.
Bethany Williams
With drummer Cyrus Bolooki staying at home to look after his new baby (Congrats!) Mike Ambrose, previously of Set Your Goals, is filling in for the Soundwave festival run. Even as a touring drummer, Ambrose fit in perfectly on stage and seemed like he was made for those songs.
While their set included songs from across their discography, including Selfless, Resurrection and Stubborn from their 2014 album Resurrection, it was clear the crowd was waiting to hear their old favourites. Hit or Miss was the first of the classics and saw the whole crowd signing and clapping along with Pundik. And of course they included their incredibly popular cover of Sixpence None The Richer’s Kiss Me, which had couples throughout the crowd, and working behind the bar, turning to each other and singing before stealing a few public kisses.
Unfortunately the night had to end, but New Found Glory’s four-song encore almost made up for the fact that they were finishing up for the night. Starting off with Anthem For The Unwanted, they quickly drew the crowd back up into a frenzy of jumping and singing before heading straight into a long-time favourite of my own Head On Collision. Their night ended with Intro before jumping straight into All Down Hill From Here which had everyone, bar staff included, singing along with Pundik to the very last word.
Bethany Williams