Due to Sydney’s worsening traffic
situation, I arrived at the Roundhouse only to catch the last few minutes of Scotland rock
band Flood of Red. The song was
spellbinding, with the instrumentation being so well controlled that the sound
carries you up into the air with such tranquility, yet still being able to
maintain its ferocity. It pains me deeply to have missed their set, so I decided
to null the pain with alcohol. It worked.

Walking up the stairs to get a good view on the balcony, it was obvious
that the show had nearly sold out. The entire floor was jam-packed. Up next
were Melbourne
hardcore band Confession,led by
Michael Crafter; the most well known icon in Australian hardcore. Crafter
prowled the stage, commanding the audience like his own personal army (of scene
kids and what not), turning the entire floor into a frenzy of multiple moshpits
with “Lets Talk about Sex”. Their live show was energetic and entertaining, as
for most of the time I was watching people hardcore dance and 2-step - God, I’ve
missed hardcore. Filling in for guitar duties was Crafter’s good friend and old
band mate, Kevin Cameron, who took the spotlight with his impressive guitar
skills and stage presence during “That’s Not The Goose”.

American metalcore band Misery
Signals are one of the most underrated bands in their genre. Their style of
technical hardcore infused with abnormal time signatures make this band unique
and utterly mesmerising to watch live. Their set comprised mainly of tracks
from their third studio album, Controller, with "Set In Motion", "Weight of the World" and "Nothing" receiving the most response. However, inside sources tell
me that this would be their last Australian tour, as the band plan on taking a
break. So if you missed out on them, you might be waiting a long time.

Meeting my good friend and lover from The Drum Media, we were invited
into The Amity Affliction dressing
room. Within the first few minutes of meeting them, it was obvious they were
not the egotistical rock stars everybody makes them out to be. They were the
most down-to-earth and fun people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.

The atmosphere of the room was phenomenal, with good vibes all around. As The Amity Affliction walked on
stage, the audience’s roar was deafening. Commencing with "I Hate Hartley", the
band tore through their set. It’s amazing how the band is able to capture the
intensity of their sound on CD and convey it to a live setting flawlessly.

Highlight numbers included "Anchors", "Snitches Get Stitches", with "Youngbloods" achieving massive crowd sing-alongs to 'youngbloods just
keep on screaming'. They finished their set with two encore songs from their
previous records, including "I Heart Roberts" and "Stairway To Hell". It’s
impossible not to be struck by the bands energy and emotional rawness that
they deliver every time they’re on stage.

The audience appreciated every second
of their performance and it will be a show to remember.