Rise Against, Sick Of It All, Break Even @ Festival Hall, Melbourne (21/07/2011)
Last Thursday marked the return of Chicago’s politically charged punk rocker’s Rise Against to Melbourne’s Festival Hall. Bringing along for the ride their good friends Sick Of It All and home grown hardcore kids Break Even, the lads blasted out a show that I will surely be talking about for years to come.
Perth lads Break Even did a champion job of stirring up the crowd early in the evening, with frontman Mark Bawden’s constant pit calls prompting an abundance of bobbing heads and pumping fists, as well as duel circle pits and the occasional crowd surfer.
New York hardcore veterans Sick Of It All kicked it up a notch with their dense, angsty 25 year old punk rock. Vocalist Lou Koller’s growling holler amid the hasty grinding of angry guitars awakened a beast among the crowd, spawning a multitude of circle pits and a gnarly wall of death. Joining the band on stage to belt out the end of ‘Built To Last’ was none other than Tim McIlrath himself, which sent fans into a screaming frenzy. As the boys wrapped up their set, the atmosphere shifted and excited nerves filled every corner of Festival Hall.
After a wait that felt like an eternity and a short sing-along to Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name’, the house lights dimmed and the crowd erupted. Any energy that crowd goers had been holding on to until now was about to be forced out of them as the sea of Rise Against fans started to violently pulsate and shake as one being.
As the first chords of ‘Chamber The Cartridge’ soared through the air, I realised how being the height of most men’s armpits could come as a disadvantage for me in a situation like this. But any worries I had were dismissed as rapidly as they had formed as I lost myself in the glory that is Tim McIlrath’s voice.
The band’s infectious energy grew with the crowd as they tore through favourites like ‘Survive’, ‘The Good Left Undone’ and ‘Heaven Knows’ as well as newer material like ‘Satellite’, ‘Re-Education (Through Labor) and ‘Make It Stop (September’s Children)’
After a solid 10 or so songs, the boys then toned it down for moving renditions of ‘Swing Life Away’ and ‘Hero Of War’, giving everybody a break to catch their breath, sway with lighters in hand and let it sink in that they were actually in the presence of Rise Against.
Never have I screamed so hard in my life when ‘Ready To Fall’ ripped through the venue, especially when McIlrath kept tricking us launching from the bridge to the final chorus. Just as I wondered if I might pass out from heat exhaustion, the lights dimmed and the band shuffled off stage, immediately triggering emphatic chants of ‘RISE AGAINST, RISE AGAINST!’
It didn’t take long for the lads to return and shred ‘Entertainment’ and an extra long, show-stopping version of striking crowd favourite ‘Savior’. As the show neared its end ‘Give It All’ proved to be the perfect closer, inciting numerous mosh pits and some of the most emotional wailing I’ve ever heard at a gig.
Finally having experienced the sheer intensity of their music in person, I’m proud to call myself a part of the Rise Against family. Australia will ‘sing for change’ until they grace our shores again.
Jordan Pearce
Perth lads Break Even did a champion job of stirring up the crowd early in the evening, with frontman Mark Bawden’s constant pit calls prompting an abundance of bobbing heads and pumping fists, as well as duel circle pits and the occasional crowd surfer.
New York hardcore veterans Sick Of It All kicked it up a notch with their dense, angsty 25 year old punk rock. Vocalist Lou Koller’s growling holler amid the hasty grinding of angry guitars awakened a beast among the crowd, spawning a multitude of circle pits and a gnarly wall of death. Joining the band on stage to belt out the end of ‘Built To Last’ was none other than Tim McIlrath himself, which sent fans into a screaming frenzy. As the boys wrapped up their set, the atmosphere shifted and excited nerves filled every corner of Festival Hall.
After a wait that felt like an eternity and a short sing-along to Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name’, the house lights dimmed and the crowd erupted. Any energy that crowd goers had been holding on to until now was about to be forced out of them as the sea of Rise Against fans started to violently pulsate and shake as one being.
As the first chords of ‘Chamber The Cartridge’ soared through the air, I realised how being the height of most men’s armpits could come as a disadvantage for me in a situation like this. But any worries I had were dismissed as rapidly as they had formed as I lost myself in the glory that is Tim McIlrath’s voice.
The band’s infectious energy grew with the crowd as they tore through favourites like ‘Survive’, ‘The Good Left Undone’ and ‘Heaven Knows’ as well as newer material like ‘Satellite’, ‘Re-Education (Through Labor) and ‘Make It Stop (September’s Children)’
After a solid 10 or so songs, the boys then toned it down for moving renditions of ‘Swing Life Away’ and ‘Hero Of War’, giving everybody a break to catch their breath, sway with lighters in hand and let it sink in that they were actually in the presence of Rise Against.
Never have I screamed so hard in my life when ‘Ready To Fall’ ripped through the venue, especially when McIlrath kept tricking us launching from the bridge to the final chorus. Just as I wondered if I might pass out from heat exhaustion, the lights dimmed and the band shuffled off stage, immediately triggering emphatic chants of ‘RISE AGAINST, RISE AGAINST!’
It didn’t take long for the lads to return and shred ‘Entertainment’ and an extra long, show-stopping version of striking crowd favourite ‘Savior’. As the show neared its end ‘Give It All’ proved to be the perfect closer, inciting numerous mosh pits and some of the most emotional wailing I’ve ever heard at a gig.
Finally having experienced the sheer intensity of their music in person, I’m proud to call myself a part of the Rise Against family. Australia will ‘sing for change’ until they grace our shores again.
Jordan Pearce