Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle
Saturday June 8, 2013 :
It’s Saturday night at the Great Northern Hotel and the room is slowly filling up. There is a sense of anticipation in the air, and as I look around I see Mammal, Cog and Preshrunk shirts on a number of people in a charcoal grey colour that only comes from repeated wash and wear. It seems I am not the only one who has followed the past chapters of the musical lives of The Nerve members.
Marlow took to the stage and through the set I felt they were a good fit for the night. Lead vocals were unique and the music itself was great, someone I will be eager to follow, and to see live again. Despite bad mixing at times making the vocals challenging to hear, it was a well-played set by the band. I enjoyed watching the lead vocalist going out into the crowd a few times, anything that is a bit out of the ordinary is nice to see. They had a sonic influence reminiscent of At The Drive In and Sparta, these guys showed promise.
The room continued to fill up and it wasn’t long before The Charge began. With a sound at a heavier level than the band before, I was not completely taken by them. There were still issues with hearing the vocals properly but I got a good feel for the band. Harking back to the hallowed days of classic Aussie stoner rock, The Charge remind me of Rollerball and Forte, or messiahs of the stoner genre QOTSA.
I was lucky enough to be welcomed to stand side of stage for The Nerve’s set. The Great Northern was full, from the stage all the way around the bar. I am proud of Newcastle stepping up to witness these exceptional musicians whilst in their infancy. The Nerve opened with ‘Down There’, their newly released single instantly stamping their authority as the new kings of the Australian live music scene. The crowd moved, jumped and moshed along with the band as they played this set for the fifth time, and the band was tight.
Vocalist Zeke commanded the stage and the attention of the audience with his signature swagger and vitriolic vocals. Complimenting the health of the Newcastle music scene, Zeke dedicated ‘Saved’ to the children of each of the band members, reminding us of their longevity and supremacy in the industry.
Glenn Proudfoot’s blistering riffs are comparable to some of Dimebag’s finest work, and The Nerve show all the signs of becoming the stuff of Aussie music folklore. The chemistry between Davarj Thomas’ bass lines and Lucius Borich’s tight beats combined with Zeke’s vocals are absolutely absorbing.
The crowd was pumping as they ended their set with ‘Witness’, the first clip released to an awaiting audience. As their set came to a close the crowd cried out for more. With five shows to follow before heading to South America and Europe to tour, Novocastrians will be eagerly awaiting their return to our stages.
Reviewer and Photographer: Courtney Laura
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