Aussie post-hardcore/metalcore legends Behind Crimson Eyes are just a few days away from wrapping up their final tour. But before one last hurrah in hometown Melbourne this weekend, they bid a fond farewell to the River City, tearing up The Brightside with a little help from friends Nervous Light, The Last Martyr, and Patient Sixty-Seven.
Brisbane locals Nervous Light opened the show with a set that felt ripped straight out of the early 2000s emo playbook. That’s a huge win in my personal book, and I’ll be keeping a close eye on their socials for more opportunities to catch them live.
The Last Martyr were up next and I’ve made no secret of my love for this band in the past. Energetic and with a big stadium sound in even the smallest of venues, the Melbourne metal foursome remain a band to watch. Seeing someone in an inflatable t-rex costume (complete with a Behind Crimson Eyes tee) bopping to their cover of “Freestyler” will, quite happily, live rent free in my brain for some time.
Perth’s Patient Sixty-Seven wrapped up the supports, with magnetic frontman Tom Kiely making a huge effort to draw the crowd forward and get them pumped for the main event. Their brand of metalcore fit the tone of the night well, and I kinda regret not snapping up their tee featuring a particularly majestic cat.
Confession time: I got into Behind Crimson Eyes far too late. The first time I caught them was during their support run with Story of the Year last August, during which they revealed they’d be calling it a day. In my defence, I didn’t grow up here, so my non-American genre reference points are a little different, but I’ve made the most of it in the interim. Plus, I brought a couple of friends who consider debut album A Revelation For Despair a teenage touchstone along for the last ride, so at least one of us was guaranteed to get truly in their feelings.
It’s a blinder of a set from start to finish, and while frontman Josh Stuart could be forgiven for diving into the sentimental stuff between every single song, the focus remained on putting on a hell of a show. Opening with “Sometimes Forever Means Never”, the energy was up right until the encore double header of “The Black Veil” and “Shakedown”.
Forgoing my spot in the pit and stepping off to the side was a blessing. Not because the crowd was particularly rambunctious, though they were clearly having a good time, but because it afforded an opportunity to watch fans interacting with what for many of them was a formative band. It was a poignant reminder that the music we hear as teens often shapes our musical tastes going forward, and as a mid-30s emo getting to see many of her favourite bands touring albums that are 20 plus years old, it was kinda nice seeing the love the musicians get to see, even if it is a little bittersweet knowing that, for Behind Crimson Eyes, it’ll be for the last time.
If this is what the last show in Brisbane looks – and feels – like, the Melbourne hometown shows this weekend are going to go OFF.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Behind Crimson Eyes wrap up their final tour with two shows in Melbourne this weekend:
- Friday 2nd May – Stay Gold Melbourne – tickets HERE
- Saturday 3rd May – Stay Gold Melbourne – SOLD OUT
Support from Patient Sixty-Seven, The Last Martyr, and Ghostseeker (Friday show only).
