Live Reviews : Bring Me The Horizon, Of Mice & Men and Crossfaith @ Festival Hall, Melbourne

Images: Scott Boelson
Words: Jonty Simmons

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Despite attending Festival Hall countless times in the past four years, never has the line to get in been as long as the serpent which protruded from the Dudley street complex for an all ages concert boasting the blockbuster bill comprised of Crossfaith, Of Mice & Men, and Sheffield headliners Bring me the Horizon.

Kicking off the evening, Crossfaith managed to prove their worth, and then some. From the word go, the Japanese tourists managed to compel over half the floor into mammoth circle pits, which refused to end at the conclusion of each song. It would not be an understatement to say that an opening band, on only the second tour of Australia, has not had such a warm reception at Festival Hall in years. Of course, playing songs about drinking, as with ‘Jagerbomb’ and covering one of the most famous dance tracks in recent history, The Prodigy’s ‘Omen’ is a significant part of their appeal, but the sheer energy produced on stage cannot be forgotten as an integral factor. Crossfaith are on a path to world domination, and are absolutely loving every moment of it; if an opportunity arises to see them in any capacity, it would not be a mistake to purchase tickets in a heartbeat.

Following on from the high-energy performance of Crossfaith was always going to be a tough gig (pardon the pun). Of Mice & Men made an attempt to encourage the band to participate in circle pits, and the first wall of death of the night; however, besides a legion of teenage girls screaming at Austin, the band failed to match the opener in crowd participation. Despite this, it would be remiss to fail to mention the showmanship of frontman Austin Carlisle. When a swing of the mic around his neck produces a wall of female adulation, and suggestive mouth gestures cause a feverished pitch of wails, then it can only be stated he is a born performer. Praise must also be given to Aaron Pauley for his clean vocals, who can match pitch with the best of those in the genre. But hey, if an entire room sings about your desire to be famous cements your position as a rockstar, as during crowd favourite ‘Second and Sebring’ then Of Mice & Men have proved themselves worthy.

“If you get on stage, I’ll give you a blowjob”. With a quote like this, and the sea of crowd surfers that obliged, there’s no question as to the power of the almighty Oli Sykes in controlling a crowd. A single light going out above the crowd incited a mass struggle towards the front, with each individual attempting to secure a spot to watch their frontman idol in action. It can be stated that Bring me the Horizon have weathered possibly the most criticism that a band can endure, but from their performance, it would be wrong to insult them in the same tired ways as before. Focusing heavily on their new material from the critically acclaimed Sempiternal failed to faze the crowd, who screamed every single lyric back at the band. The introduction of Jordan Fish has been a god-send to the band; by providing clean vocals, synth parts and interludes, his quiet contribution deserves the highest of commendations. The true surprise of the evening took the form of Oli’s ability to sing his parts without resorting to screaming or allowing the crowd to take over.

This is now one criticism that can no longer be leveled at the band, with the singer more than holding his own with some notably difficult vocal arrangements during surprises ‘And the Snakes Start to Sing’ and Sempiternal bonus track ‘Deathbeds’. Whilst blazing through 2013’s ‘Can You Feel my Heart?’, ‘Empire(Let them Sing)’, ‘House of Wolves’, ‘Go to Hell for Heaven’s Sake’ ‘Shadow Moses’ ‘Antivist’ and set closer ‘Sleepwalking’, each song was accompanied by at least three separate pits around the venue.

Old favourite venue destroyers from Suicide Season ‘Chelsea Smile’, ‘Diamonds Aren’t Forever’ were also heard side by side with There is a Hell’s ‘It Never Ends’ and ‘Blessed With A Curse’. Bring me the Horizon are surely destined to become legends of the genre, and are no longer restrained to small venues and teenage bedrooms; as the band has matured, their appeal has increased significantly, and no hesitation should be made in catching them the next time they return.

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