With the Sydney leg of Soundwave all done and dusted for another year, the following few days is all about the sideshows. Sydney was blessed with many of the 90 acts sticking around for shows which also meant, a lot of clashes. (Yesterday all over again!) but for the true metal faithful, there was only one place to be tonight and that was seeing the almighty Slayer.

Slayer shredded it at the Big Top in Luna Park last night with Anthrax and Kingdom of Sorrow in support at this MAMMOTH Soundwave Festival Sidewave. Photos from Dan Turner.

With a co-headlining pop punk tour featuring New Found Glory and Taking Back Sunday, we already knew these boys wouldn’t disappoint. Fans filled Sydney’s famous Luna Park in anticipation for the doors to open, preparing themselves for a kick ass night.

Tonight at the Big Top in Luna Park was a night that was a showcase of all things Metal. First up Sydney Melodic thrashers Darker Half hit the stage and wowed the small yet appreciative audience. As the band tore up their 30 minute set, they proved without a doubt that they indeed belong on a stage as big as this. Lead singer Vo Simpson garnered particular interest and in a strange way reminded me of the master Ronnie Dio

The 2011 edition of the annual Jameson IF Awards took place at Luna Park last night and was dominated... by a dog.

Koko, the shining star of Australian film Red Dog, and his supporting cast took home seven IF awards including the Event Cinemas IF Award for Best Box Office Achievement and the Showtime IF Award for Best Feature Film – a massive success for what has been one of the most talked about Australian films in quite some time.

As I followed the crowds of Tattooed kids down to Luna Park, I was greeted to a massive 300m line. Only two years ago The Amity Affliction were playing to a 100 people in small venues, now they are selling out the Big Top; almost 3000 people busting down the doors to see the national heroes! What an achievement!

Ok. We all know about the controversy over this event. The cancellation of Soundwave Revolution due to the unnamed second headliner pulling out. Rumours of poor ticket sales and headliner Van Halen also pulling the pin. But in a few short weeks they managed to create this mini punk festival Counter Revolution. And even though it went from over 60 bands to under 20, it's still Soundwave and it'll still be good!

R&B is somewhat of a hit and miss genre nowadays, with a large part of it leaning on the miss side (I prefer to call this watered down, almost unbearable drivel “RnB,” as the tweens like to call it) - I cannot overstate my disdain for the current state of RnB in terms of both the artists and the fans, but it wasn’t always like this, it wasn’t always just one big shallow, awkward joke.