Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle
Wednesday August 22, 2012:
The dark and brooding sound of opening band, The Go Roll Your Bones, channelled the likes of The Scientists and The Birthday Party, with swampy southern blues thrown in for good measure. Thundering bass lines, moody guitars, solid drumming and some brilliant wailing from frontman Geordie Cargill made these guys a fitting support for headliners, New Zealand’s Die! Die! Die!, and definitely a band to keep an eye on.
The Die!s have a reputation for incredible live performances, and they proved themselves from the get go. Frontman Andrew Wilson wasted no time bringing his brand of noisy, indie punk straight to the audience by descending to the dance floor, mic stand and all, getting the punters to provide backups to his howling vocals, which ranged from venomous screaming rants to the soft and melodic, but always a barrage of sonic noise. Drummer Michael Prain played with industrial precision and an almost tribal rhythm that held the wall of sound together, while lanky bassist Michael Logie complemented Wilson’s post-punk guitar licks with pummelling bass lines.
Opening with ‘Oblivious Oblivion’ off the new album, Harmony, the band went on to play a great selection from their back catalogue. Highlights were the screamer that is ‘Ashtray Ashtray’; the epic and formidable sounding ‘We Built Our Own Oppressors’; and the chant-along belter ‘A.T.T.I.T.U.D.’. This was the first night of their Australian tour and one could sense the band’s disappointment in the small audience. But a Wednesday night in Newcastle is always a tough gig and Japan’s Zoobombs, in the next room, probably stole a few punters. But in saying that, the New Zealanders delivered the goods with a solid, huge sounding set that was very well received.
Reviewer: Mark Snelson
Photography: Kristen Wright
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