Brisbane’s pop-punk upstarts Two Times Shy are soaring lofty heights as they let loose their …
DON BROCO w/ Storm The Sky + The Comfort
Thursday 7th December 2017 – The Brightside, Brisbane
Pulling in to The Brightside on a Thursday is a mixed affair. There’s a foam party going on outside, which sounds equal parts curious and terrifying, and it makes for some interesting characters mistakenly walking into the band room, only to be let down by the lack of bubbles.
MORE: Our interview with guitarist Simon Delaney, just before the Oz tour.
Opening tonight’s mid-week fun is Brisbane two-piece, post-hardcore outfit The Comfort. Guitarist Liam Holmes and bassist Dom Harper (formerly of She Cries Wolf) bring some rich vocal interplay to songs from 2016’s Love EP. Tracks like Everstone and Love & Other Drugs land perfectly to the small but dedicated crowd, with great stop-start dynamics and fantastic lead guitar passages. Rounded out by touring members Marcus Parente and Nic Osbourne on guitar and drums, The Comfort hurl through their EP tracks and give a rousing performance featuring soft croons, confident choruses and quick bursts of mid-range screams. Everyone seems to enjoy what they’re hearing, and when the band unveils a brand-new song, from a soon-to-be-released debut album, we overhear some bloke standing next to us say ‘Man, that sounds heaps good.’ And he’s not wrong. Stay tuned to The Comfort in 2018 folks.
The Comfort // By Tracie Tee Live Events
Next up is Storm The Sky, who on paper, seem like the perfect fit to a tour package like this one, yet appear to be somewhat at odds with themselves on stage. Effectively shedding their proto-metalcore tag with the release of their 2016 album Sin Will Find You, the band roll in to tracks like Jaded Ghost and Medicine with a certain degree of hesitation. Vocalist and frontman William Jarratt has a hard time being heard over the post-hardcore/alternative din of the band, and he’s wearing a somewhat-distracting, full-length pinstripe suit jacket complete with white collar wing tips. Don’t get us wrong: he rocks the absolute shit out of it, but it feels like he feels he’s in a different band. Our friend standing next to us, double fisting some beer-in-plastic-cups, remarks that Jarratt almost looks like Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas, and we chuckle before turning our attention back to the band.
Storm The Sky // By Tracie Tee Live Events
When Storm The Sky move into more upbeat tracks and run through a smattering of older songs from 2015’s Permanence, there’s almost hints of old My Chem’s raucous energy—Jarrat even delivers an occasional scream here and there—but overall their set just lacks intensity and chemistry. The rest of the band look mostly disinterested, and the crowd stands around, clapping politely between songs and eagerly awaiting the headline act.
Don Broco are consummate professionals and made this venue crowd feel like a packed stadium.
When the lights dim, and UK four-piece Don Broco take to the stage, The Brightside erupts into a sea of cheering and adoring fans. The Bedford boys are a big deal overseas, headlining sold out tours and playing to stadium crowds, but this is their first time Down Under and from the outset their determined to impress. Musically, the band is a bit of an oddity. Is it pop? Yes, but also no. Is it heavy? Not really, but they do have mad riffs. What Don Broco is however, is undeniably catchy. Songs like Everybody, Automatic and Superlove work the crowd into a frenzy, with crunchy guitar, smooth bass lines and harmonised vocals.
Don Broco // By Tracie Tee Live Events
While The Brightside certainly isn’t at capacity tonight, Don Broco are consummate professionals and made this venue crowd feel like a packed stadium. Everyone’s jumping up and down, waving their arms around, and even the people up the back are having a cheeky little boogie. New tracks like Technology and Stay Ignorant from their forthcoming record get a run through, and garner some of the biggest sing-a-longs of the evening.
Their choruses are out of control, and they type of shit you’ll find yourself sub-consciously humming in the shower. Guitarist Simon Delaney spins and hardcore punk-jumps his way around the stage, adorned in an oversized shirt emblazoned with Data from Star Trek: TNG’s mug. Lead vocalist Rob Damiani smiles like a mad man, finger pointing and pelvic thrusting himself across stage. Closing with veritable ear-worm T-Shirt Song, Don Broco manage to make the sweat worthwhile, as half the crowd goes shirtless and start whipping their clothes around like drenched helicopters. It’s fun, it’s mildly sexy, and it’s a hell of a great time.
Don Broco Remaining Tour Dates (All Shows 18+)
Friday 8 December – Corner Hotel, Melbourne VIC
Sunday 10 December – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney NSW
