HALLOWEEN HYSTERIA // Brisbane’s Loudest Ever Party

Halloween Hysteria was one of the best rock ‘n’ roll festivals to hit Brisbane. Yeah, we’re biased. We’re also telling the truth.

MORE: DOWNLOAD AUSTRALIA 2019: Drop First Epic Line-Up With Two Major Farewells

We packed in fans of all stripes; punk, hardcore, metal. Perhaps we converted some to their respective dark sides with the array of talent on offer. Weird and wonderful costumes floated by if what was happening on stage was too enthralling—and you’d be forgiven if you tensed a little when a rotting demon girl flashed her pearly white eyes at you. Despite some white-hot conditions, it was a white-hot festival; poised for greatness in the eyes and ears of the Brisbane scene for months, if not years, to come. If you weren’t there, you did miss out. Not gonna lie.

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Beth Lucas

The unsurprising October heat wasn’t stopping patrons from filing through the gates in full costume, ready for a day of live music and cool bevvies. The inaugural Halloween Hysteria had begun, and what better way to start your day than with the honest harmonies of our Brisbane local. Christening the Young Henrys Carpark stage, Beth Lucas‘s performance was well worth standing on the sunny bitumen. Her strong, captivating voice and lyrics carried well out of The Jubilee but for those standing front and centre, the large carpark stage became an intimate acoustic session—Beth’s lyrics pulling you in and putting into words feelings I didn’t even know I had. Treating us to her big hits as well as a few new songs, if you gravitated to Beth’s set you certainly weren’t leaving until it was over! // Louise Inkster

He Danced Ivy

First band of the day—nervous, fellas? If local prog/alt/metal act He Danced Ivy were, we  were none the wiser. Even as the humidity and heat reached fever pitch, out they popped in the Hysteria Beergarden, the stage raised a step over everyone else. Dressed in hippie long sleeves and even longer hair, they laid down a funky, jazzy groove that drew in passers-by. The beer can wait. Question began as performance art. We got a bit of slam poetry before digging into hot and heavy riffs, twisted with fusion jazz timing and rhythm. Get these blokes on a bill with fellow-Brisbanians Caligula’s Horse or Dead Letter Circus. They’ll go far. // Tom Valcanis

Hey Baby!

Brisbane’s very own Hey Baby! Kicked off the festival in Kick Out the Jams Upstairs. The Indie Punk Rock band maintained an energetic vibe and atmosphere with their stage presence. With a very fast paced tune and a surf punk style of sound, everyone could not help but jiggle and move on their feet. Hey Baby! Brought to Halloween Hysteria a bit of fun, laughter, and overall a positive energy. // Allysha Bianco

DisKust

Relatively new to the local Brisbane metal scene are DisKust. They’ve been rising through the ranks very quickly and today, they showed the Halloween Hysteria crowd what they are made of, as they took control of the Kick Out The Jams stage, its gathering crowd was moshing in no time. Full of energy and clearly ready to party, they belted out their brand of metal with no holds barred and by the end of their set they definitely had some new ‘maniacs’ recruited to their fan base. // Michelle O’Rance

AViVA

When AViVA hit the stage, she hit it hard! From the first song—where evidently oxygen is optional—until the end of the set, the heat at the Young Henrys Carpark stage was second place to the heat radiating off AViVA’s every move. Every inch of the stage was covered as she threw herself into each song, belting out her biggest hits including GRRRLS and Hushh.

Bakers Eddy win best on ground. Every festival should book them.

The crowd was enthralled as she sang straight into our souls, sharing her fiery passion and holding our attention until the very last second. If stage presence is your highest priority at a show, then AViVA is the singer for you. // Louise Inkster

Radolescent

Ooft! A few bloody whistles never go astray when making a catchy track. Radolescent do just that, getting all their members to synchronise. About ten minutes later, people are still walking around whistling their melodies. For a band that finished before most had even entered the venue, that’s a hell of an achievement. // Jonty Simmons

Apate

Over at the Hysteria Beergarden stage, local lads Apate take the afternoon heat in their stride as they drop some anvil heavy, beat-down inflected tunes on the fest crowd. New single Jackal gets a look in, as well as cuts from recent EP Spit You Out. There’s a definite nu metal vibe going on here, from the Korn-esque panic chords and the booming snare cracks, to vocalist Zakk Ludwig wearing a faded Slipknot tee. Just to give you an idea of the demographic cross-section going on today, we also spy the Slipknot nonagram tattooed on some bloke’s calf, another dude with the cover of Frenzal Rhomb‘s A Man’s Not a Camel emblazoned on his arm and a young lady with Lisa Simpson as the ‘Lizard Queen’ immortalised on her skin. Festivals are weird. // Owen Morawitz

From Crisis To Collapse

Byron’s own From Crisis To Collapse are heavy. Damn heavy. These take-no-prisoners slammers swirled up pits with a distinct Swedish flavour—think Dismember or Entombed on that front—inspiring some frenzied pit action in the process. If you love your riffs thick, leads juicy, and pits pulsing with blood, FCTC are for you. In fact, we need more FCTC in our lives. Expect big things. // Tom Valcanis

Bakers Eddy

Bakers Eddy win best on ground. Look, I saw Outright too. Sorry Melbourne hardcore, I think I might have actually fallen in love. Every festival should book them. Doesn’t matter if you’ve got utes or side fringes, these boys could rock the hell out of any stage they’re given. “Well of course you’d say that”; I’d literally never heard of them before today. That’s how much they wowed in their tight timeframe. We gave them an outside platform and they managed to fuck it up in about 20 minutes, mic stand on the ground and all. As if we could be mad: hell, that’s what it’s there for. Fun and frenzied, this is the exact type of band this festival stands for. // Jonty Simmons

Falcifer

Picking up where Apate left off, Adelaide quartet Falcifer dial the heaviness up to 11 for the Hysteria Beergarden stage with some downright menacing metallic hardcore. Playing a set that functioned essentially as one gargantuan beatdown, vocalist Steph Marlow stalks the stage like a caged animal with rabid intensity and commanding presence, screaming wildly with every coarse verse and pit call. Attempting to answer said call, there’s one lonely mosh lord whose efforts to activate the pit—while no doubt well intentioned—stay firmly in the realm of a solo activity. With their inclusion to next year’s UNIFY Gathering (and also donating half of their performance to Girls Rock Melbourne; what a bunch of total legends), Falcifier leave the fest crowd wanting more and they’re definitely a crew to keep your eyes on for the future. // Owen Morawitz

Deraign

Thrash is alive and well in the SEQ scene and Gold Coast reliables Deraign are here to bring a solid dose of it to Halloween Hysteria. They continue feeding the energy on the Kick Out The Jams stage upstairs. They are uncompromising and brutally pummel the crowd with their brand of thrash, forged from influences such as Havok, Venom, Kreator and Slayer. Many a neck was wrecked in the Deraign pit. // Michelle O’Rance

Bad Juju

It’s the hottest part of the day and Bad Juju aren’t getting the love they deserve. Their debut EP Hidden Desire is one of the standouts of the year and Brisbane haven’t shown up to hear it. That’s alright though; call it a learning experience, and the few that hear golden tracks like Rejects and Bloom are rewarded in kind. Just hold it as a memory in a few years when they headline and you can smugly say you were onto them at Halloween Hysteria 2018. Because by that stage we’ll have booked Tool or someone crazy right? A man can dream. // Jonty Simmons

Driven Fear

Ripping into the Scenstr Deckbar stage, Brissy boys Driven Fear are certainly no strangers to today’s heat and they do their best to make the sweats worth it. Vocalist Tim Hyde cheekily says, “Let’s have a boogie,” and with the upbeat, melodic punk rock and hardcore on offer, the fest crowd is more than happy to oblige. While the mix isn’t the greatest and we lose some of the harmonies from guitarists Chris Hyde and Rhett Joseph, the vibe is strong and everyone is having a ‘spoopy’ sweaty time. Heads are banged, limbs are flailed and tracks from 2016’s Freethinker record, such as the raging Fireball (Mr. Sinister), go down a treat. // Owen Morawitz

Seraphic

The third band to hit the stage upstairs were the melodic piano-driven metallers from Brisbane, Seraphic. Seraphic is a five-piece female fronted band that truly lives up to the meaning of their name, angelic. With sublime vocals resonating throughout the ornate room, lead singer Sam Wolstenholme effortlessly projected vocals like a new wave Amy Lee from Evanescence. Seraphic was a great feature on the line-up for Halloween Hysteria 2018; a unique addition to the festival. // Allysha Bianco

Kill The Apprentice

Kill The Apprentice brought every crust punk in Brisbane to the pit in the Beergarden. They were so DIY, the bassist wore a mullet and overalls and not much else. Pocket rocket Kristy on vox, sort of like a Debbie Harry before her A&R minders press ganged her into singing lessons, put in a boisterous performance from top to bottom. KTA had a monster Motörhead swagger, tempered by a Black Flag or Poison Idea style fury. Fuck cops, fuck the man, fuck the government, fuck everything.

Outright frontwoman Jelena Goluza was our fearless leader as she delivered an amazing performance while reminding us all of the power we each hold to make a change in this world.

A girl in a slender, flowing dress remarked halfway through, “If I had a chance to live my life again, I think I’d wanna do this.” Yeah, put me down for that, too. Play it loose and play it raw; that was the Kill The Apprentice way. They’re an anarcho-punk band for fuck’s sake, what did you expect? A shit ton of rules? // Tom Valcanis

Resist The Thought

Taking to the Hysteria Beergarden stage at 5.30pm, this Sydney metal outfit had the punters front and centre for some serious head banging. After Resist The Thought‘s return to the metal scene with a fresh line-up and a new take on their sound, the crowd was itching to see what this new Resist would bring to the festival—and they were not disappointed. Owning the stage, each member delivered contagious energy that had the mosh pit growing with every song. A perfect mix of the old classics like Resurrect The Reaper along with the bands’ most recent release Awakened Salvation, had fans from all eras throwing up the devil horns and embracing everything that Resist The Thought was bringing. // Louise Inkster

Earth Caller

“I want to see blood! I want you to fucking DIE in this pit!” Actual calls for moshing until expiration by frontman and dynamo Josh Collard right there. In the blazing heat, Queensland hardcore has internals of steel—and jet fuel can’t hope melting those beams. Stomping, raging, slashing throats with fingers, Earth Caller is a devastation machine disguised as a bunch of dudes. After a few turns of punishment, we saw blood trickle from heads. A bald bloke and his string bean mate collide, and if it was a sport they’d have been sent off thanks to the Blood Rule. A stagger around and a swig of beer later, they’re arm in arm, bent double over moshing once more. See them shouting along as Collard dangled the mic into the pit, catching more than his share of hyped-up pit dogs. As a Melburnian, I couldn’t have felt prouder. // Tom Valcanis

VOIID

Switching things up and moving out to the Young Henrys Carpark, we find a slice of shade to take in local lasses VOIID, who describe themselves as: ‘A four piece of hellish girl-shriek guaranteed to make your face melt and your boyfriend cry.’ Uh oh. Speaking of melting faces though, we’re super stoked on frontwoman Anji Greenwood’s impressive Baboo Yagu costume (if you know, you know), but she must be roasting in there. With Greenwood channelling some Celebrity Skin-era Hole energy half-way through a set of roaring, grunge revival barn-burners, VOIID walk that fine line between sass and surf-punk, with a collection jangly riffs and unapologetic fem-power lyricism. Get it ladies; girls to the god-damn front, indeed. // Owen Morawitz

After Touch

We feel a little bad for Shellharbour, NSW group After Touch (formerly Easy Life). We’re not sure if it’s the mix, or the heat, but their set in the Hysteria Beergarden is just a bit off. Vocalist Max Pasalic seems to struggle to hit his notes, coming off flat in new tracks from EP You Wish This Was About You. Instrumentally, the band’s moody post-hardcore/alternative rock sound has some interesting dynamics, but the reliance on backing tracks for layers of atmospherics made the set feel artificial and mostly underwhelming. // Owen Morawitz

Bare Bones

Oh man, Bare Bones know how to stir up a party. Those hot n’ heavy riffs with a whisper of country twang were just what we needed in the fading twilight hours. Red hot faces sipping their fiftieth beers would’ve liked nothing more than a lie down and a pat on the head, but belter Thick As Thieves banged its fists on the table and demand you take notice. That rock swagger, man. That’s what we’re missing these days. Well, we were, until BB came along. Hot damn! // Tom Valcanis

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Drown This City

Over at the Deckbar once again, Melbourne metalcore maestros Drown This City are all smiling faces and power stances, clearly stoked to be here in the Sunshine State. Formidable frontwoman Alex Reade is a little pocket dynamo, whirling around the stage with a fierce growl and high vocal range. The group have a fairly short set today, but recent singles like Third Law and tracks from their EP False Idols feature plenty of double kick, operatic vocals and some good ol’ breakdowns for the body rockin’ types out there. // Owen Morawitz

Blind Man Death Stare

Blind Man Death Stare had patrons falling over themselves trying to squeeze into the packed out Kick Out The Jams stage. With their fast paced riffs and catchy as hell lyrics—Spike My Drink But Don’t Take My Kidneys was the fans battlecry for the rest of the evening, the Melbourne misfits were playing the party anthems we all wanted to get revved up for the rest of the night. // Louise Inkster

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Outright

When Melbourne hardcore group Outright stepped onto the Scenstr Deckbar stage in full Wizard Of Oz costume, there was no turning away. Bursting onto stage with an energy that made you question if it was really that hot, the packed out pit was instantly onboard with everything Outright was giving them. The final show of their 7” Holler launch tour, there wasn’t a single thing lacking from their set—the vocals, kicks, rhythms and breakdowns were meeting the highest standard and the crowd was loving it. Frontwoman Jelena Goluza was our fearless leader as she delivered an amazing performance while reminding us all of the power we each hold to make a change in this world. Even a solitary Nazi-sympathiser who made himself known during Outright’s Defeat / Repeat couldn’t diminish her words as she put him in his place with a single middle finger—not long before our wonderful seccy’s removed him for behaviour that is never welcome in Outright’s space. My pick for best performance of the day AND best costumes, if you hadn’t heard of Outright before Halloween Hysteria 2018, you sure as shit know about them now! // Louise Inkster

The Wrath

Don’t tell the Belmont Family (from Castlevania. No? Look it up, millennials) but Dracula is here and he’s playing upright bass for psychobilly punks The Wrath. Commitment to the bite lies at the heart of The Wrath, as our singer is dressed up with nowhere to go (that’s Oingo Boingo now – yes, I am old) except to pelt us with hard-rockin’ and big rollin’ tunes holding fast to rollicking Chicago blues. Crusty punks, now steaming with sweat and beers, moshed it up with the best of them. Leave some energy for Hard-Ons, maybe? Nah, fuck that. Right now is all we got. // Tom Valcanis

EXHIBITORS

If you wandered into the Kick Out The Jams Upstairs stage during EXHIBITORS set, you’d be forgiven for thinking the band were old hats at the melodic hardcore game. Forming in 2012 and travelling from their Singapore hometown for a string of Australian shows, EXHIBITORS gave a new meaning to the word TIGHT (get your minds out of the gutter!). When the opening notes of Blue Devil, the bands newest track which dropped just days earlier, hit our ears it was all over. There were goosebumps, there were jaw drops, there was head banging and moshing from wall to wall—everything you would expect from a band that is absolutely killing it in every way possible. // Louise Inkster

Press Club

Having not seen Press Club before but being well aware of the hype surrounding the young Melbourne band, we were definitely excited to check them out today. And woah boy, they did not disappoint. Whipping into their own unique brand of Aussie-flavoured punk rock, the group bash out tunes from their debut album Late Teens. During raw cuts like Headwreck and Suburbia, frontwoman Natalie Foster practically pulsates with unfettered energy, captivating the fest crowd with raspy vocals and hypnotic charisma. // Owen Morawitz

Stepson

Emo hardcore for the masses. With a huge stage to command, Stepson make sure the crowd know the sad bois have come to play. Mic issues plague singer Brock, quickly recovering and treating the front row with mic grabs a-plenty. A new album next year you say? Well well well, that we can absolutely do with. Unfortunately tonight we say goodbye to Twelve and TV but sometimes we have to let those we love leave. If they ever drop Never Mind Me from the set, we’re never booking them again. It’s probably a hollow threat but let’s pretend it’s legit for now shall we? // Jonty Simmons

Hammers

Atop the Scenestr Deckbar, Hammers are large. “If you’re seeing technicolour lights … a couple of tinnies will fix it,” says frontman Fish. Serving up thick hairy selections from Homeblokes, a lashing of down and dirty Southern rock anchored in a ballsy stoner edge meant the riffs were fat. Any fatter they’d struggle fitting through the speakers.

With over 30 years as one of the countries leading musical exports, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Hard-Ons sound might come off as dated, but you’d also be completely wrong.

Taut and terrific vocal harmonies felt a little bit like the ghosts of Lynyrd Skynyrd haunting the souls of Kyuss. There was something everyone could not only like, but absolutely fall in love with. Especially that Rage Against The Machine cover. Oh my. They didn’t miss a beat, and the crowd rewarded them with rapt, rowdy, attention. // Tom Valcanis

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Massic

With a packed room upstairs on the Kick Out The Jams stage, Massic is responsible for many a sore neck after the headbanging that went on. Giving us maniacs a show that left us gasping for air, Massic truly delivered on every level. Even a couple of days after the festival, those who experienced Massic kept saying if you didn’t see them, you should have massic-ly big FOMO. (I couldn’t resist – Ed.)

Fireballs

The millisecond Hammers last note decayed, psychobilly heavy blues unit Fireballs booted up. A fair few punters were milling about before they started, too. This assortment of spiky haired gadabouts played undiluted rockabilly; 12 bar blues laid on tar-thick, all bathed in red. This was the real deal; pistons firing and revving up the crowd. Joey Phantom on the upright bass glistened with sweat, flicking beads of it off his strings and on to the foldback. Agitating the crowd with anti-boss rhetoric between cuts, the real focus was the music. Mesmerising with uncut lines of blues and psychobilly riffs, it felt like the devil himself inhabited every note. // Tom Valcanis

Alpha Wolf

Alpha Wolf have the whole package just figured out. Clearly they’ve made a huge impact with promotion considering one of the biggest crowds of the day gathered to watch their set. Imagine if guitarist Sabian Lynch ditched the classic mask and black ninja get up for a Billabong T-shirt and Dickies three quarter pants. Now that would’ve been a costume for the ages. They open with goddamn Failvre which threatens to break the stage apart. Don’t even try telling us that breakdowns won’t get you anywhere. They’ve finally got on an outdoor stage at night time and it improves the AW experience by tenfold. We’re even treated to a new track that makes the flight up worth it. Just give me breakdowns and strobes forever and we’re good I say, and closer Black Mamba confirms that life philosophy. Join the CVLT and you won’t regret it. // Jonty Simmons

Arteries

In what can be described as the peak crossroad moment of the event’s evening, the full force of Newtown band Arteries took to the upstairs stage like a wild boar cornered – delivering a scorching set of frenetic metal and core brutality. These blokes don’t hold back when it comes to keeping things tight and in the pocket, with every single song building on the last, aiding to transform the privileged punters before them into swirl of flying heads, fists and beer. Intelligent music performed with pure craft and real purpose, delivered with the swing of a fine-tuned hammer. Are we going back for more? Impossible to resist, we say. // Luke Sorenson

Hanny J

With the heat gone and the evening drinks flowing freely, we’re stoked to see hometown girl/Clowns bassist Hanny J up on the stage again. Tonight’s set is certainly a change from watching her pour her heart out with acoustic sets at Crowbar, but with her Clowns alumni helping to flesh out the instrumentals, the full band sound fits her like a glove. Tracks like Thumbs For Breakfast and Trying To Get By from her new EP Possessions have people right up the front, yelling back the choruses with their empty glasses in the air as Hanny J gives an impassioned and heartfelt performance. // Owen Morawitz

Hard-Ons

It’s been at least a decade since I’ve last seen Aussie punk-rock legends Hard-Ons, and while time certainly has us feeling worse for wear, the Sydney unit destroy the Jubilee like a couple of angsty teenagers. With over 30 years as one of the countries leading musical exports, you’d be forgiven for thinking that their sound might come off as dated, but you’d also be completely wrong. Everything about their set tonight is fun, urgent and above all, real: a little bit punk, a little bit hardcore, a little bit metal—and everything in between. Above all, the Hard-Ons mostly just want to have a good fucking time, and as we look at these smiling, inebriated fest patrons (including The Wrath double bassist ‘The Count’, whose vampiric get-up has us all fucked-up with envy), that’s exactly what they got. // Owen Morawitz

In Ashes

In Ashes, a five-piece melodic hardcore band from the Gold Coast were one of the last bands to perform for the evening, certainly making sticking around all day worthwhile. In Ashes maintained a strong ambience throughout the set with their melodic sound, big sing-along choruses, and hopeful messages. No strangers to the scene, In Ashes always know how to bring back that original hardcore sound. // Allysha Bianco

Valhalore

Valhalore! DELIVERANCE! You could not have forgotten them if you tried. Dressed in metalhead approved battle paint and Viking garb, replete with gauntlets and all. Taking cues from Eluveitie or Korpiklaani, the Brisbane metal force boasted a real live flutist and mandolin player, adding a bit of pomp to proceedings. Diving right into Celtic folk melodies (think doing a jig on crack) driven by the original metal instrument, a flute, they evoked green landscapes soaked in the blood of ancients; arcane lands and fantasies of yore. And the Witcher. Because Geralt would get down to this ish no doubt. Inspiring the craziest pit of the night so far, there were real moments when their symphony of riffs and sublime melodies carried us away; such as Winter’s Tale, a thrashier song none too removed from Ensiferum or Wintersun. You’d forgive yourself if they were a decades old Scandinavian export; they assembled themselves like true folk metal veterans. // Tom Valcanis

We Set Signals

Headlining Kick Out the Jams Upstairs stage, We Set Signals closed the evening and displayed the perfect blend of pop-punk and metalcore. The four-piece rock band from Brisbane hit the stage with a unique presence and sound. Harmonising choruses fused with abrasive vocals performed by lead vocalist Nicholas Wilkinson had everyone in the feels. We Set Signals are not just commendable musicians, but really know how to bring all the emotions all at the same time. I think I speak for everyone when I say we can’t wait for the next time we see this band hit a stage – let’s hope it’s soon. // Allysha Bianco

Void of Vision

The Power Rangers assemble on stage, all the way from the mystical far reaches of Ringwood. But some bloke in the crowd has only gone and worn the exact same yellow costume. You actually can’t make this kind of hilarity up. Opening with Spite is a statement from VoV: Brisbane are finally treated to their first taste of Disturbia. Those who managed to miss it (you idiots, it’s been out for MONTHS) are lucky they aren’t tricked with the nostalgic treat Void sling them. Nightmare and Purge smash out through the speakers to an instant recognition of “whoaaaa” from the front row faithful. Good excuse to jump and push a few people around we reckon. The monster riff of Ghost in the Machine echoes out. That’s right Brisbane, this is what we’ve got going on down in Melbourne. Hey boss, can we bring this down south next year? // Jonty Simmons

Black Rheno

Sydney’s powerhouse of beer-fuelled riffs approach heaviness from so many vectors it’s hard to reconcile. Big fuck off doom stomps, barrelling thrash riffs, pinpoint rock ‘n’ roll leads; it’s all there, and it’s all spectacular. Tumbling and gnashing their way through track after track, it casts a spell over our senses. It’s often hard to tell where our bodies end and the sound begins. Artillery-strength lobs of riffs on No Time For Numb Nuts embodies a Cancer Bats style hardcore swagger, threatening like a coiled snake. Enter a Black Rheno pit, emerge transformed. This is what live music is all about. // Tom Valcanis

The Bennies

By the time headliners The Bennies saunter on to the Young Henrys carpark stage to Cypress Hill’s Hits From The Bong, everyone outside is well sauced and/or buzzed and ready to party. Dressed as literal 4/20’s (four dudes in white shirts with hastily written ‘20’s on them; touché gents), the Victorian heavy disco enthusiasts spice things up with their unique take on Aussie acid-punk. Frontman Anty does the job of thanking all the bands on the fest bill, as he leads the quartet through a charge of bangers all the way to their set’s very messy climax.

Youngy belted so hard a big gob of snot dangled out his nose for a good part of one track, but he battled on undeterred.

Aesthetically, it’s pretty much what you’d expect at a Bennies gig too: lots of weed socks, tie-die shirts, some errant vomit baked into the carpark bitumen, the mysterious wafting tang of Devils’ Lettuce, and a sea of stamped plastic cups drained of all delicious amber fluids. Pulling largely from new record Natural Born Chillers and 2016’s Wisdom Machine, there’s plenty of hits of ska and synth and just general sick shit for all the late-night revellers. // Owen Morawitz

King Parrot

It’s eleven o’clock. If you aren’t pissed out of your mind, your legs feel like bloody stumps, feet blistering and throbbing as you stand there. They even ache when you sit down. Each passing moment is one more second to hometime, a shower, and a return to humanity. Fuck that shit. King Parrot are on, ya bozos, it’s time to mosh your fucken guts out. That’s what happened; total mayhem at the Deckbar stage, as the entire Halloween Hysteria tilt crammed into its quadrangle of carnage. Also Youngy with hair … what the fuck? He was vicious and carnal, spitting acid words at the audience like machine gun fire. It was so brutal, Youngy’s mic came undone half way through. Do your feet hurt, princess? Are you ti-werd? Harden up, sleep when you’re dead. Thick slices of grind cut off by Toddy and the gang got us cheering so much, we couldn’t hear Slattz’ patter. These units are the loosest you’ll find, but fuck me, it’s bloody good. Easing (relative term) into Bite Your Head Off, riffs rattled our teeth and bones as Youngy threw water and clothes and all sorts of shit about the crowd. One bloke lost his shirt, flinging it up until a line of lights caught it. (He clawed it back. Eventually.)

Youngy belted so hard a big gob of snot dangled out his nose for a good part of one track, but he battled on undeterred. Home is Where The Gutter Is was the ultimate tableau of punk rock, metal, hardcore, you name it: We saw Youngy surfing the crowd as Slattz clung to a stack of amps, crazy eyes rolling into the back of his head. King Parrot is thrash—no fuck that, metal, at its absolute dirtiest and finest. Jeez, we had a good day. // Tom Valcanis

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