Ask any fan of punk rock their favourite bands, and more likely than not, Strung …
ESCAPE THE FATE with Awaken I Am & Between Kings
Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Wednesday 30th May, 2018
Emo is so in nowadays that it’s at ‘slight knowing nod’ status as everyone walks to the Corner. No longer total wallflowers, the midnight-clad have found their kin in Richmond tonight. The Corner is already fit to bursting with side fringes and black on black on black. Even the blokes at work would probably admit to liking at least one Escape The Fate song. Well, they probably stole your emo crush one night at a party, but that’s beside the point.
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Openers Between Kings are clearly at the beginning of their career as the echo on their vocals makes them sound like they’re playing in a high school auditorium. Drop the ‘party’ songs boys cause it’s not genuine at all. As they close out, the band manage to find their groove with more confident material. Maybe it’s the nerves that had them awkward to begin with because we’re moving by the end of the set.
Between Kings // By Jayden Pitts
Awaken I Am are a good example of how practice makes perfect. Even with the passing of their guitarist Connor Oakley only two weeks ago, the band play like they’ve all been together for years. Singer Jimmy Alexander, although only joining the band late last year, is clearly shaken as he almost breaks into tears paying tribute. Latest track Dissolution–think Storm The Sky meets Hands Like Houses – hits like a hurricane after they pay homage to their fallen friend.
Awaken I Am // By Jayden Pitts
Awaken I Am // Jayden Pitts
Escape The Fate are cheesy as hell. Drummer Robert Ortiz wears his aviators whilst playing, and the rest look exactly how you would think Escape The Fate look. That’s how we like it. Emerging like they’re stepping onto the moon, the whole room erupts. Some tracks haven’t aged well but geez is it exhilarating to hear We Won’t Back Down and know that we’ve got a whole album of nostalgia coming up. Sure On To The Next One is fun but one of the heavy hitters is right up next. Phones are pulled out even before the opening riff of Ashley elicits an uproar. ASHLEYYYY BAAAABYYYYY, you’d best believe that singer Craig Mabbitt is hitting the perfect notes right now.
Escape The Fate // By Jayden Pitts
Escape The Fate // By Jayden Pitts
Look This War Is Ours has definitely dated over the years, and sounds like it was left behind in 2008. But there’s a strange joy in revelling in a time where MySpace and fluoro arm warmers reigned king. It wasn’t like everyone had a good time when listening to this record; if anything, it was a badge of honour to feel nothing. But damn does it feel good to hear Something and have it hit some comforting neurons that’ve lain dormant for years. This Wars Is Ours (The Guillotine II) is another crowd favourite that epitomises Escape The Fate’s appeal. A ripping guitar solo from Kevin ‘Thrasher’ Gruft and arguably the band’s most well known chorus (apart from that Dying is Your Latest Fashion cut), it’s the huge dumb fun that the band have rode since their inception.
Escape The Fate // By Jayden Pitts
To their credit, the band have one of the longest and packed sets that the Corner has likely seen. Once This War Is Ours is complete, the band rip through an additional EIGHT songs after their encore. Yes, to their credit, they bounce back and forth between their latest effort I Am Human and all the way their self-titled. Gorgeous Nightmare and One for the Money pair well with 2015’s Remember Every Scar. After singing along to Broken Heart Mabbitt cheekily grins: “ahhhh ya buncha emos!” That bunch are soon rapturous with the surprise exit (again?) from the stage: are we really not getting Situations? Yes they haven’t played it since 2016, but we’ve waited seven tracks to be transported the furthest back we can go. There’s disappointment waiting because the band return and emphatically do not burst into that iconic guitar chug. However, they do rip into My Chemical Romance’s Dead! with flair. Not many bands can pull off the theatrical chops that an MCR song requires but Escape The Fate are perfect candidates. They remain on stage as the lights go up and We Are The Champions plays. Absolute hubris is on display here, but we wouldn’t want our emo idols any other way.
Catch Escape The Fate with Awaken I Am & Between Kings at the remaining dates:
Friday 1 June // Manning Bar // Sydney (18+)
Saturday 2 June // Cambridge Hotel // Newcastle (18+)
Sunday 3 June // The Triffid // Brisbane (Lic/AA)
