Having caught Basement at their energetic show with Turnover in Sydney a few years ago, I couldn’t pass up the chance to watch them again co-headlining with The Story So Far, a band I’ve always planned to see but never did until now. Supporting at the Roundhouse at UNSW were two Sydney locals, The Dead Love and Endless Heights, our own homegrown heroes.
Self-professed “shitty grunge” dudes The Dead Love kicked off one of the biggest co-headlining concerts of 2019 so far. The punk trio were a great choice as warm-up, as their groovy blend of genres was perfect to get tipsy to. Cheap burgers, chips and drinks really set the tone that the Roundhouse is making a comeback as a top venue in Sydney.
Taking the stage next with a soundcheck that felt longer than the actual set were Endless Heights. With a majority of fans up the front singing along and trying to get a hold of the microphone, the rock band showed that they are Sydney’s next Trophy Eyes, but they also need a bit of work on vocals. From the bar it felt like the set would never end, so it was a great opportunity to sink a few drinks before Basement.
When the lights eventually dimmed down it was time for the first international act of Good Friday, Basement. Without introduction Basement kicked things off with ‘Disconnect’, and straight into ‘Aquasun’, a huge crowd pleaser. They continued to jump between songs from their four fantastic albums, creating a well rounded set featuring a good range of tempos, from ‘Pine’, ‘Be Here Now’ and ‘Spoiled’. Basement, without a doubt took the cake for most energetic performance of the night, with every member of the band and audience throwing themselves into every lyric, note and melody. The passion coming from off the stage and towards it was huge. Emotionally drained by this point, Basement sent the crowd into a applause and exited the stage as quickly as they entered.
Following on from Basement is a tough for any musicians, and it proves very difficult task for headliners The Story So Far who look like they’re still jet lagged. Opening with ‘Empty Space’, it’s not a shock to see so many of the kids in the crowd singing every word that frontman Parker Cannon is delivering. With the least amount of energy I’ve seen on a stage (excluding black metal), the onstage antics that I’d witnessed in YouTube videos are almost as dead as the Parker Cannon’s dropkick memes. The band don’t look too excited, but with that being said, the lack of energy onstage is at a complete contrast with the crowd. Sounding better than ever before, with even the new songs coming across extremely well to the audience, The Story So Far ended the night with ‘Nerve’, showing that pop punk shows have some of the wildest crowds in music.
Photos – Ivan Souriyavong
Review – Robert Tannous
