Live Reviews : Refused @ Palace Theatre, Melbourne 15/11/2012

Refused are fucking alive!

When Refused split up in 1998, they joined the ranks of bands breaking up before their time. “The Shape of Punk to Come”, their genre defining final album, was released only weeks before the band announced their decision to part ways during a tour of the US. Their final show was stopped abruptly four songs in by the police, with the crowd chanting “Rather be Alive”, even though “Refused are Fucking Dead” might have been more appropriate. Rather than fade away into obscurity though, Refused’s legacy only grew after the band’s demise. Not only did their music have a massive influence on the punk and metal scenes, but they have established their place in musical history among fans.

So it is that a band who few would have heard of when they announced their split 14 years ago now sells out the Palace theatre in Melbourne twice. Not only was the venue full, but it was bristling with energy and excitement, because Refused, a band many believed they would never see, had finally arrived.

Outright, the support band for the night, were a worthy warm up act. They performed a technically strong and aggressive set of hardcore music. Although not many in the crowd were acquainted with their music, they did what they needed to: built the energy and anticipation in the room for Refused.

Minutes before they were due to come out, the stage was covered with a curtain, with “REFUSED” cut out of it. The crowd were now ready to go, and thankfully we were put out of our misery as the band walked out on stage and began playing “The Shape of Punk to Come.” When the curtain fell, the crowd weren’t holding back and the mosh pit did as mosh pits do and moshed.

After the band worked their way through “Refused Party Program”, “Liberation Frequency” provided the first highlight of the night. Teasing the crowd with the opening chords in amongst white noise, the audience sang along to most of the lyrics, almost drowning Dennis out while singing “we want the airwaves back”.

“Rather Be Dead” followed, and brought home that although their set consisted entirely of songs from their last two albums, those two albums were full of amazing tracks that still sound fresh 14 years on.

The energy in the room from the band was amazing. During every song, the band gave their all. When guitarist Jon Branstromm wasn’t playing he was throwing his arms in the air and singing with all of his energy.

Refused announced only weeks before the show that when they finish this tour they are again splitting up. It felt as though this added to the intensity of the show: we’d waited for so long, and now this would be our last (or second last) chance to share this moment. The band, and the crowd, were leaving nothing in reserve.

Although energy was the main theme throughout the set, tracks like “Summer Holidays vs Punk Routine” demonstrated their softer side, and gave us the chance to step back and admire the band for a moment.

Considering these songs have been lying dormant for over a decade, the band executed every song perfectly, and Dennis was hitting notes as high and as aggressively as ever. Showing he’s not a one trick pony, he filled the rare voiceless moment with unique microphone tricks, climbing speaker stacks, pulling outrageous dance moves and making his way out into the moshpit.

The surprise for the night came in the form of a cover of the Stooges track “TV Eye” wedged into “The Deadly Rhythm”, something for the older member of the audience who were around in their first lifetime.

As soon as the main part of their set finished with “Worms of the senses/Faculties of the Skull” and the crowd left the stage, the tension in the room was electrifying. Everyone knew what was coming.

When the band returned and the intro to “New Noise” started, people screamed, cheered, raised their fists, while the moshpit spread apart and prepared itself. The words “Can I scream?” hit the crowd like a wave, and the mosh pit exploded into activity. Every word, and ‘woo’, ‘yeah’ and ‘hey’ was belted out by the audience with passion and energy. People were moshing from the front to the back, and from the mosh pit to the stands. When “the new beat” announced the end of the song, Dennis collapsed to his knees, screaming as hard and as loud as he could, leaving the audience feeling both alive and drained of their energy.

The beautiful Tannhauser and the powerful Derive finished the set. Dennis thanked the crowd, and still full of passion and energy, reminded the crowd to stay curious. If there was ever a way you wanted to deliver a message, this was it.

Earlier in the set, Dennis had said that he believed that everyone had the right to be cynical when Refused announced that they were reuniting. But on this night, no-one was questioning their motives. We were just thankful that we were able to witness one of the most amazing shows of our lives. Because this night was not a concert, it was a religious experience.

Review by Matthew Dworak

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