SLEEPING WITH SIRENS // Go Go Go (Somewhere Else)

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS with Chase Atlantic, Lower Than Atlantis & The Faim
UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney
Saturday 21st April, 2018

There was a damn near inhuman amount of hype surrounding the return of Sleeping With Sirens.

It’s been almost three years since the Floridian pop-moshers tore the UNSW Roundhouse up. Hot off the heels of their monumental Madness album, the quintet erupted with insuppressible energy, a crowd packed from wall to wall losing their tiny minds over the most animated iteration of a band that had flawlessly transitioned from breakdowns to pop hooks.

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The vibe has remained unrivalled since, and so with a new—and arguably better—album to their name, we were beyond hyped to see where Sleeping With Sirens would take their dynamic disarray on the Gossip tour.

But something’s happened to Australia’s love for high-spirited post-hardcore in that three years. Set in the heart of Sydney’s deteriorating, yet still loveable Luna Park, the Big Top is a lofty theatre wielding an impressive 3,500-punter capacity. And it was maybe a quarter full, at best, when tonight’s headliners raced onto its stage. Even standing at the back of their crowd, we were never more than a dozen or so rows away from Kellin Quinn and his army of sonic assassins. Their largely preteen fanbase didn’t seem to care all that much, fists raised high for every thumping kick and searing hook—ear-rattling wails subsequent on cue. But the band clearly felt that sting.

Sleeping With Sirens // By Britt Andrews

It took them all of one song to shed their theatrics, Quinn brandishing his neon pink mic with a blank face for the remainder of the show while bassist Justin Hills and guitarist Nick Martin stood lifeless in their stature. Jack Fowler was our saving grace on lead guitar, meeting every caustic riff with the dance move to suit and making punters. Lethargy struck him not once in the band’s hour onstage, but there was a saccharine artificiality to his showmanship; from the way he begged for attention to his edgy-but-inoffensive aesthetic (surely the product of an A&R sketchboard, slicked-back hair and denim vest adorned with Misfits and NOFX patches), Fowler just screamed, “Every step I take is scripted.” It couldn’t have felt more inauthentic if he had a stagehand instructing every pick-throw with cue cards.

Sleeping With Sirens // By Britt Andrews

Ditto for all of Quinn’s misaligned attempts at banter. It was hard to feel moved by his uplifting speeches when they were delivered so impassively–at one point, he noted how grateful he is to be playing shows with the kind of apathetic expression one has after pulling an all-nighter to work on a soul-sucking uni essay. There’s also something a little unnerving about having a crowd of 12 and 13 year olds cheer so reverently to Quinn declaring, “I love to drink alcohol,” especially when it’s mumbled out in a quickfire montage of vaguely relatable one-liners like, “I fuck with tacos mad heavy,” “I love pizza” and, “My favourite word is fuck.” Quinn is 32 now, how the sweet hell is he so feverishly in a mid-life crisis!?

At one point, he noted how grateful he is to be playing shows with the kind of apathetic expression one has after pulling an all-nighter to work on a soul-sucking uni essay.

All of this isn’t to say that Sleeping With Sirens performed badly. Despite all their shortcomings, we’d be lying if we said the band weren’t in top form with instruments in hand. Quinn’s voice was goddamn angelic from start to end, every high note crisp and every faux-growl tinged with just the right amount of rasp. Martin and Fowler played with the kind of painstaking precision that only 1,000 hours of Warner Bros-funded rehearsal can unlock, and especially on fan-favourites like James Dean and If You Can’t Hang, they reminded us why Sleeping With Sirens popped up on our radars to begin with.

Sleeping With Sirens // By Britt Andrews

Sure, we could make the argument for rock music being enhanced by imperfections in the live environment—that’s what makes it feel so human, after all–but Sleeping With Sirens aren’t the type to put on rock shows anymore. Their fans expect note-for-note perfection, and when they have the ability to deliver that, why wouldn’t they? The formula was nailed down to a T, right down to their set running a perfect 60 minutes. The 15-track setlist was built largely on Gossip and Madness cuts, with the tried and true acoustic interlude sandwiched in-between. The band made a conscious effort to focus on their poppier songs (all but one track of the first ten were pulled from the aforementioned two albums), so by default, the new material was an effortless fit.

Sleeping With Sirens // By Britt Andrews

All things considered, the set was more unsettling than anything–Sleeping With Sirens lack of stage presence and their crowd’s lack of atmosphere fused into a double-whammy of wasted money, and though their talents were on full display, they were muddied by the inauthenticity with which the band showcased them. For those not completely brainwashed by Quinn’s boyish charm, Sleeping With Sirens’ long-awaited return Down Under was a trainwreck—a pitch-perfect trainwreck, but a trainwreck nonetheless.

Catch Sleeping With Sirens on their remaining dates with special guests Chase Atlantic, Lower Than Atlantis & The Faim:

Tuesday 24 April // Fowlers // Adelaide
Wednesday 25 April // Capitol // Perth
Friday 27 April // Eatons Hill // Brisbane

Tickets available here.