Korn‘s Jonathan Davis was so excited by ORGY that he created his own record label …
You know it’s going to be a bit of a strange one in all the right ways when the first band of the night has a main agenda of bringing to light the fact all of our world leaders are actually reptiles… in all fairness, given the current state of political affairs you’d probably be inclined to believe them.
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Brisbane based 5 piece Reptilian Civilian opened the first night of the A Night In Texas Australian Spring Tour. Playing a far from quiet set to a handful of enthusiastic people, unfortunately for them, a 7pm time slot at Crowbar is relatively unheard of, and when it is, it takes a lot for people to get behind it, rather than planted in front of the bar.
Reptillian Civiliian // By Andrew Vaughan
Thankfully, by the time 8pm rolled around the room was filling with thirsty patrons, keen for a beer and some bloody heavy music. No strangers to the Crowbar stage, Crowned In Flesh were a band for the people, giving them what they wanted, despite not even knowing the names for their own songs.
Crowned In Flesh // By Andrew Vaughan
Crowned In Flesh // By Andrew Vaughan
The highlight of the set came in the live form of their new single released in May, Masturboarter. With disgustingly guttural vocals and messy breakdowns they kicked the energy in the room up a notch and got people moving. Admitting they really didn’t have much to say, Crowned In Flesh won the crowd over with brutal honesty and equally brutal tracks, they kept their set short and sweet but was exactly what was needed to get the ball rolling for the crowd.
Hot off the back of their own headline tour, which ended in a sold out show in their hometown, Sydney boys Wraith were well equipped to handle the challenge of third support on a big bill of bands. They didn’t disappoint, playing through tracks off their debut EP The Pale Hollow. A combination a slow breakdowns and an experimental mix of riffs, Wraith are the band you probably haven’t realised you’re missing in life. For the majority of the set, most of the crowd was torn between watching two of the guitarists punch on, and trying to start a pit themselves.
Wraith // By Andrew Vaughan
Keeping the talent as close to home as possible, Gold Coast metal outfit I Shall Devour took the energy in the room to a point that felt fitting for the headliners of the night. Up until this point this night felt a little sleepy, everyone was still waking up and easing into the idea of throwing some punches in the pit. The five piece has been kicking around in the scene since 2009, so it made sense that there was another level of refined in their set, one that the crowd probably wasn’t expecting so early in the night. There was a clear change in sound between their older tracks and their newer work, but they pleased fans old and new with their latest release With Darkness that they’ve recently been in the studio filming video for.
Putting in a bit more effort than most of the supports on the bill, Perth based heavy hitters Iconoclast travelled from one hot hell hole to another to appease the people. Opening with “Howdy, howdy lets get fucking rowdy!” the room obliged almost immediately with a touchingly small pit forming. Unfortunately for the band, the room just couldn’t fully get into to, and their set fell middle of the road—not really anything to write home about but solid all the same.
Iconoclast // By Clare Molnar
After premiering their latest single only a week ago, not so long after the entire outfits resurrection, Sydney band Resist The Thought hit the Crowbar stage showing their live sets have aged with grace and they’re back with something to prove. As impressive as their new single Awakened Salvation is recorded, it somehow still pulled a fast one and surprised the crowd with how heavy it hits live. The first band of the night to have a fully engaged crowd, Resist The Thought ate it up and showed they’re coming back to the scene as a well rounded band with a big future on the horizon.
Resist The Thought // By Andrew Vaughan
Resist The Thought // By Andrew Vaughan
Resist The Thought // By Andrew Vaughan
There was a clear change in the air when A Night In Texas started sound checking … everyone grew a little more quiet, shuffled a little bit further forward and cared a little bit less what was on the screens of their phones, and a bit more about what was happening in front of them.
A Night In Texas // By Andrew Vaughan
A Night In Texas // By Andrew Vaughan
Playing a mix of their latest album Global Slaughter which was released last year, and tracks off their first album and 2013 EP the band didn’t disappoint with the crowd reaching full bloom, whatever had been missing all night had found its place and the fun was just beginning. It was an energetic and angry set from both the headliner and the crowd, but for the people who had been there from the first support, it was worth every minute to have that spot up close near the barrier.
A Night In Texas // By Andrew Vaughan
It was a set filled with the worshipping of Satan, glorious breakdowns and the clashing of bodies. A band that’s well versed in bringing the house down with their live performances, there was no holding back, setting a high standard on their first show of the tour. Standing up against the barrier with his face and mic in the crowd lead vocalist Ethan Lucas made it intimate and special despite the music being heavy and Crowbar being crowded. Not many bands can balance a large set keeping it intimate and keeping the energy up, but A Night In Texas did a damn good job of it.
Catch A Night In Texas with Resist The Thought & Iconoclast at the following dates:
Tuesday 18 Sep // Rad Bar // Wollongong (All Ages)
Thursday 20 Sep // The Basement // Canberra (18+)
Friday 21 Sep // The Workers Club // Melbourne (18+)
Saturday 22 Sep // 107 Projects // Sydney (All Ages)
Sunday 23 Sep // Frankies Pizza // Sydney (18+)
Saturday 29 Sep // Amplifier Bar // Perth (18+)
Sunday 30th Sep // Vision Studios // Perth (All Ages)
