Soundwave Festival 2012 @ Sydney Showgrounds (26/02/2012)
Ninety-five bands, eleven stages, six cities, one day each. Soundwave has been lauded one of the best festival line-ups of 2012. Worldwide. And why wouldn’t it be? Promoter AJ Maddah dropped names like it was going out of fashion, what with recruiting bands such as System Of A Down, Slipknot, Bad Religion, Steel Panther, and Marilyn Manson. Such a flawless line-up only leads to the stresses of fulfilling the high expectations of fans and critics alike.
Like any festival, the day was full of highs and lows. You had the artists that bombed out and the dodgy stage acoustics along side the spectacular performances and an ambience that overwhelmingly positive. A surprise appearance of Slash during Alter Bridge’s performance and Slipknot’s revolving drum-kit were some definite highlights.
The demographics were surprisingly diverse – you had the saggy-skinned Soundwave veterans decked out in intense clothing passing by one minute, and in the next you saw twelve-year olds adorning Slipknot shirts and innocent faces. I was surprised at the amount of gym-junkies that made an appearance at such a heavy festival. Maybe they didn’t realise Future Music is next month? But overwhelmingly, there was the sense that if you dressed like a normal person, you were immediately abnormal. It was unusual to see someone without dark eye makeup and/or black studded clothing and/or various tattoos and piercings – the minority became the majority. Personally, this is one of my favourite parts about the festival that shapes an awesome day every year without fail. It’s Newtown on steroids and a place for the freaks to come out and play.
Now, on to said music. First up for the day is Attack! Attack!. It’s always hard for the bands that get the early time slots but the Welsh band pulled a decent crowd of fans nonetheless. The band itself had a great energy that they were clearly eager to infect their audience with, encouraging them to chant lyrics and deemed to have a connection with their Sydney audience in particular, stating they came from “Old South (of) Wales”. In terms of acoustics, the day started off to be pretty dodgy. The vocals truly suffered at the metaphorical hands of the guitars whose sound was – for the most part – clear and coherent. Moving on to the next band, I said a silent prayer that this wouldn’t become a trend.
Unfortunately, I was yet to have my prayers answered. Fellow Welsh brothers to Attack!, Lostprophets had the benefits of being in the main arena and therefore had more people paying attention to their sound, though this could not suffice. Whether it was the skull bandana around his mouth, sheer laziness on his behalf, or a dodgy mic set-up, the beginning of their set was somewhat muffed and incoherent. Things did turn around, however, and it ended up being a fantastic show. Ian Watkins and Co. were clearly enjoying themselves; playing a vast selection of both newer and older tracks. Their song choice was perfect for such a large crowd, with tracks such as ‘Where We Belong’, ‘Burn, Burn’ and ‘Rooftops’ making it an obligation for fans to sing loud and proud. The energy from the band was reflected in the Pit and – as corny and clichéd as it sounds – you couldn’t help but think you were a part of something awesome. The Lostprophets set was also the first of many appearances from the Cookie Monster, Batman, and Luigi and Mario moshing alongside diehard fans whose pics are sprawling across the Internet as this is written. Gentlemen, I tip my hat to you!
It seemed the Roman Gods of Rock were finally on our side. A Day To Remember took to the main stage for a 40 minute set, returning to Soundwave once more after their 2010 appearance. Back then; the verdict was overall negative for a band that had just broken in to the limelight. Two years on, and it’s blindingly clear to see and hear just how much they have matured their performances in order to be worthy of Stage One. It’s hard to tell how they developed their performance but whatever their technique, it’s working. The mosh went crazy and the crowd extended right back to the seating area as McKinnon belted out song after song from a collection that spanned the course of their musical career, including slower numbers such as ‘Have Faith In Me’. It’s safe to say A Day To Remember redeemed themselves in the eyes of the Soundwave regulars.
It would be great to say the Soundwave Gods remained on our side for the remainder of the festival but alas, what goes up must come down. It was time to head to one of the few local acts on the bill – Tonight Alive. To play at Soundwave would no doubt be a huge feat for such a newly formed band. Couple that with the fact that Sydney is their hometown, and you’d expect their place on the line-up to be held in some esteem. But no, the quintet was shoved onto Stage 3A. The show itself was acceptable, drawing a substantial crowd regardless of the vocal’s struggle against the bass. Jenna McDougall interacted with the crowd through an energetic performance that she was keen to uphold for the full slot. It was obvious to hear the Paramore influences in the band but then McDougall took it to a whole new level by adopting an American accent when speaking to the audience. Really?
As the afternoon turns to evening, the big guns are getting ready to come out and after walking around for ten minutes it’s kinda easy to see that about 60% of the population are wearing Marilyn Manson and Slipknot merch. The Pit and main arena was slowly packing out as fans got ready for Limp Bizkit, Manson, Slipknot, and System Of A Down.
This was the second time Limp Bizkit has played at an Australian festival since that infamous Big Day Out more than ten years ago that resulted in the unfortunate death of sixteen-year-old Jessica Michalik. The band paid their respects, unveiling a massive backdrop with the girl’s name on it. You’d almost think Fred Durst had some decency about him at this point. Then he opened his mouth and unfairly slammed Big Day Out and their promoters. Of course, he blamed everyone – Big Day Out, security, even his fans – bar himself even though he knowingly went ahead with the 2001 show after people were being pulled unconscious from the crowd. Musically speaking they were okay, though too many people were too pissed off to give a fuck about the music after Durst’s rant.
From then on in, the Pit was packed out. Fans flocked to Stage One to welcome shock rocker Marilyn Manson back to the stage for the first time since his 2009 High End Of Low tour. As much as it pains me to say it, their performance was overwhelmingly negative. It seems like Manson was either oblivious or nonchalant about the fact that his reputation as a performer was at stake. The once pillar of energy and theatrics was replaced by a drunken fat dude who was too trashed to keep in time with the music nor keep himself on his feet. The relationship between the frontman and Twiggy Ramirez was, however, one thing that fans could rely on. It was clear to see the bromance between the two and with Twiggy decked out in his once iconic sundress there was a strong nostalgia reflective of their Antichrist Superstar Era. The jury is still out on whether Manson’s hey-day is gone forever. Belting out crowd pleasers with the likes of ‘mOB SCENE’ and ‘Personal Jesus’, teenage girls didn’t hesitate to show flash Manson and fling their bras at him.
Away from the main stages, The Used pulled an astounding crowd despite clashing with Slipknot. Bert McCracken screamed and sung and shouted to no end, fueling an intense mosh and a Wall of Death of awesome proportions. He brought himself, his band, and his fans sky-high with their hardcore edition of Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’, and a song preview from their upcoming album, due out in March. In response, the audience sung happy birthday to the thirty-year-old and – get this – it was in perfect unison with only a simple drumbeat to keep the tempo. I was thoroughly impressed.
So now the evening was coming to an end but not before legends System Of A Down had the last word. Some were skeptical as to whether Serj Tankian could deliver what was necessary to be the closing act after the eighteen-year-old band only reunited from a hiatus last year. The stadium was packed out in high anticipation for the Armenian-American band; the day was full of highs and lows and everyone knew this would make or break the festival. And then they appeared. The quintet was lead by Tankian who looked like an attractive Jesus with his dark beard and white clothes. And if Jesus could sing, slaughter guitars, and bash drums, Jesus would be System Of A Down. The noise started at 8.30 and did not falter for another ninety minutes as the quintet performed more than twenty-five songs; each to perfection and each a work of art. It’s one thing to interact with the audience through dialogue between songs, but to do it through the music is quite another. System Of A Down has played at countless venues in a myriad of countries but still they play both for their fans and themselves. You can tell they’re enjoying themselves and this euphoria is only magnified throughout the arena. SOAD performed their most popular songs including ‘Chop Suey’, ‘Toxicity’, and ‘Lonely Day’. It’s impossible to pick a single highlight of their act because, as clichéd as it sounds, the full hour and a half was one massive highlight.
It was a flawless end to an overall fantastic day. Facebook was flooded with positive statuses proudly boasting their sunburns and lost voices. For the Soundwave regulars, this was one of the best Sydney shows they had seen in a long time. With a slew of sideshows taking place in venues across Sydney this week along with four more major cities to be dominated by early March, the Roman Gods of Rock are clearly taking care of their devoted believers. It was a year of risky choices, disappointment, but ultimately redemption for Soundwave & Co.. However as the festival leaves another city, one question is on everyone’s mind: how the hell will AJ Maddah top this one next year?
Olivia Fusca
Like any festival, the day was full of highs and lows. You had the artists that bombed out and the dodgy stage acoustics along side the spectacular performances and an ambience that overwhelmingly positive. A surprise appearance of Slash during Alter Bridge’s performance and Slipknot’s revolving drum-kit were some definite highlights.
The demographics were surprisingly diverse – you had the saggy-skinned Soundwave veterans decked out in intense clothing passing by one minute, and in the next you saw twelve-year olds adorning Slipknot shirts and innocent faces. I was surprised at the amount of gym-junkies that made an appearance at such a heavy festival. Maybe they didn’t realise Future Music is next month? But overwhelmingly, there was the sense that if you dressed like a normal person, you were immediately abnormal. It was unusual to see someone without dark eye makeup and/or black studded clothing and/or various tattoos and piercings – the minority became the majority. Personally, this is one of my favourite parts about the festival that shapes an awesome day every year without fail. It’s Newtown on steroids and a place for the freaks to come out and play.
Now, on to said music. First up for the day is Attack! Attack!. It’s always hard for the bands that get the early time slots but the Welsh band pulled a decent crowd of fans nonetheless. The band itself had a great energy that they were clearly eager to infect their audience with, encouraging them to chant lyrics and deemed to have a connection with their Sydney audience in particular, stating they came from “Old South (of) Wales”. In terms of acoustics, the day started off to be pretty dodgy. The vocals truly suffered at the metaphorical hands of the guitars whose sound was – for the most part – clear and coherent. Moving on to the next band, I said a silent prayer that this wouldn’t become a trend.
Unfortunately, I was yet to have my prayers answered. Fellow Welsh brothers to Attack!, Lostprophets had the benefits of being in the main arena and therefore had more people paying attention to their sound, though this could not suffice. Whether it was the skull bandana around his mouth, sheer laziness on his behalf, or a dodgy mic set-up, the beginning of their set was somewhat muffed and incoherent. Things did turn around, however, and it ended up being a fantastic show. Ian Watkins and Co. were clearly enjoying themselves; playing a vast selection of both newer and older tracks. Their song choice was perfect for such a large crowd, with tracks such as ‘Where We Belong’, ‘Burn, Burn’ and ‘Rooftops’ making it an obligation for fans to sing loud and proud. The energy from the band was reflected in the Pit and – as corny and clichéd as it sounds – you couldn’t help but think you were a part of something awesome. The Lostprophets set was also the first of many appearances from the Cookie Monster, Batman, and Luigi and Mario moshing alongside diehard fans whose pics are sprawling across the Internet as this is written. Gentlemen, I tip my hat to you!
It seemed the Roman Gods of Rock were finally on our side. A Day To Remember took to the main stage for a 40 minute set, returning to Soundwave once more after their 2010 appearance. Back then; the verdict was overall negative for a band that had just broken in to the limelight. Two years on, and it’s blindingly clear to see and hear just how much they have matured their performances in order to be worthy of Stage One. It’s hard to tell how they developed their performance but whatever their technique, it’s working. The mosh went crazy and the crowd extended right back to the seating area as McKinnon belted out song after song from a collection that spanned the course of their musical career, including slower numbers such as ‘Have Faith In Me’. It’s safe to say A Day To Remember redeemed themselves in the eyes of the Soundwave regulars.
It would be great to say the Soundwave Gods remained on our side for the remainder of the festival but alas, what goes up must come down. It was time to head to one of the few local acts on the bill – Tonight Alive. To play at Soundwave would no doubt be a huge feat for such a newly formed band. Couple that with the fact that Sydney is their hometown, and you’d expect their place on the line-up to be held in some esteem. But no, the quintet was shoved onto Stage 3A. The show itself was acceptable, drawing a substantial crowd regardless of the vocal’s struggle against the bass. Jenna McDougall interacted with the crowd through an energetic performance that she was keen to uphold for the full slot. It was obvious to hear the Paramore influences in the band but then McDougall took it to a whole new level by adopting an American accent when speaking to the audience. Really?
As the afternoon turns to evening, the big guns are getting ready to come out and after walking around for ten minutes it’s kinda easy to see that about 60% of the population are wearing Marilyn Manson and Slipknot merch. The Pit and main arena was slowly packing out as fans got ready for Limp Bizkit, Manson, Slipknot, and System Of A Down.
This was the second time Limp Bizkit has played at an Australian festival since that infamous Big Day Out more than ten years ago that resulted in the unfortunate death of sixteen-year-old Jessica Michalik. The band paid their respects, unveiling a massive backdrop with the girl’s name on it. You’d almost think Fred Durst had some decency about him at this point. Then he opened his mouth and unfairly slammed Big Day Out and their promoters. Of course, he blamed everyone – Big Day Out, security, even his fans – bar himself even though he knowingly went ahead with the 2001 show after people were being pulled unconscious from the crowd. Musically speaking they were okay, though too many people were too pissed off to give a fuck about the music after Durst’s rant.
From then on in, the Pit was packed out. Fans flocked to Stage One to welcome shock rocker Marilyn Manson back to the stage for the first time since his 2009 High End Of Low tour. As much as it pains me to say it, their performance was overwhelmingly negative. It seems like Manson was either oblivious or nonchalant about the fact that his reputation as a performer was at stake. The once pillar of energy and theatrics was replaced by a drunken fat dude who was too trashed to keep in time with the music nor keep himself on his feet. The relationship between the frontman and Twiggy Ramirez was, however, one thing that fans could rely on. It was clear to see the bromance between the two and with Twiggy decked out in his once iconic sundress there was a strong nostalgia reflective of their Antichrist Superstar Era. The jury is still out on whether Manson’s hey-day is gone forever. Belting out crowd pleasers with the likes of ‘mOB SCENE’ and ‘Personal Jesus’, teenage girls didn’t hesitate to show flash Manson and fling their bras at him.
Away from the main stages, The Used pulled an astounding crowd despite clashing with Slipknot. Bert McCracken screamed and sung and shouted to no end, fueling an intense mosh and a Wall of Death of awesome proportions. He brought himself, his band, and his fans sky-high with their hardcore edition of Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’, and a song preview from their upcoming album, due out in March. In response, the audience sung happy birthday to the thirty-year-old and – get this – it was in perfect unison with only a simple drumbeat to keep the tempo. I was thoroughly impressed.
So now the evening was coming to an end but not before legends System Of A Down had the last word. Some were skeptical as to whether Serj Tankian could deliver what was necessary to be the closing act after the eighteen-year-old band only reunited from a hiatus last year. The stadium was packed out in high anticipation for the Armenian-American band; the day was full of highs and lows and everyone knew this would make or break the festival. And then they appeared. The quintet was lead by Tankian who looked like an attractive Jesus with his dark beard and white clothes. And if Jesus could sing, slaughter guitars, and bash drums, Jesus would be System Of A Down. The noise started at 8.30 and did not falter for another ninety minutes as the quintet performed more than twenty-five songs; each to perfection and each a work of art. It’s one thing to interact with the audience through dialogue between songs, but to do it through the music is quite another. System Of A Down has played at countless venues in a myriad of countries but still they play both for their fans and themselves. You can tell they’re enjoying themselves and this euphoria is only magnified throughout the arena. SOAD performed their most popular songs including ‘Chop Suey’, ‘Toxicity’, and ‘Lonely Day’. It’s impossible to pick a single highlight of their act because, as clichéd as it sounds, the full hour and a half was one massive highlight.
It was a flawless end to an overall fantastic day. Facebook was flooded with positive statuses proudly boasting their sunburns and lost voices. For the Soundwave regulars, this was one of the best Sydney shows they had seen in a long time. With a slew of sideshows taking place in venues across Sydney this week along with four more major cities to be dominated by early March, the Roman Gods of Rock are clearly taking care of their devoted believers. It was a year of risky choices, disappointment, but ultimately redemption for Soundwave & Co.. However as the festival leaves another city, one question is on everyone’s mind: how the hell will AJ Maddah top this one next year?
Olivia Fusca