The lineups for this rock/metal/punk festival have always impressed me. There's never really been much that floats my boat enough for me attend in the past, but I always though that Soundwave always managed to get a lot of great acts for the sort of festival that it was. Anyway, this year a lot of the acts really impressed, so I bought a ticket and was not disappointed by a great day of music.
The first band I heard on the day was Canada's The Creepshow, who opened proceedings on Stage 1 (there was a band before them on Stage 2, a last minute replacement for Closure in Moscow I guess, but nobody knew who they were). I didn't actually see The Creepshow, as I was standing on the Stage 2 side for a good spot for Sunny Day Real Estate, but of course because of the typical two-mainstage festival setup, I did hear all their set. They seemed pretty interesting, playing some catchy female-fronted psychobilly that seemed to get their fans on the other side of the arena dancing and singing along with great enthusiasm.
Legendary early 90s emo quartet Sunny Day Real Estate just reformed last year, with all four members from their original lineup - Jeremy Enigk (vocals/guitar), Dan Hoerner (guitar/backing vocals), Nate Mendel (bass, yes, the Foo Fighter) and William Goldsmith (drums, also ex-Foo Fighters). It's the band's second reunion, but the first time since 1994 that all original members have played together, and for the first time ever, they were playing in Australia - suffice to say, for the small but passionate crowd assembled in front of stage 2, this was a very special moment. The band walked onstage to a heroes' welcome, and when the song chosen to open the set was Seven, you could feel the happiness in the air. They were the first out of the three reunited bands performing at Soundwave today, and they set the bar high. Naturally, the set consisted mostly of songs from the cult classic Diary, along with a surprise inclusion of b-side 9, and J'Nuh from the Sunny Day Real Estate album. The band played their songs extremely well, with Enigk still singing very well after all these years away from the band. Goldsmith's performance was also particularly impressive; during the more intense musical moments he became a whirlwind of energy, absolutely pummeling his kit and working up a very noticeable sweat. The band closed with Sometimes, and the crowd were left wanting more due to the 40 minute limit on their set, but the band looked extremely happy to finally play in Australia and I wouldn't be surprised if we see them again, perhaps after they release their long-awaited new album. (Sunny Day Real Estate score 10/10.)
SETLIST
Seven
In Circles
48
Song About an Angel
9
J'Nuh
Sometimes
Next up was the tail-end of US stoner sludge metallers Baroness, in the festival's more "metal" stage, which was unwisely located INSIDE on a 34 degree day. Anyone who went in there knows what I'm talking about - it was just HOT. And with only two doors the side and two at the back open, there was a serious lack of ventilation. Thankfully, I didn't have to stay in there too long, at least not for this band or the next (Isis) as I'd seen them both the night before at their sideshow.
So I made my way back to the mainstage for Eagles of Death Metal. We were informed by Taking Back Sunday (playing the preceding set on the adjacent stage) that they were "very handsome man" and that the ladies "will probably be pregnant by the end of it". As expected, Jesse "The Devil" Hughes did inject a hell of a lot of swagger and sex appeal into the band's set, mostly with his between-song banter, but unfortunately once the songs were being played, his voice seemed to falter a little bit. I'm going to assume perhaps it might have been something to do with partying too much the night before or something - he did admit that he had been at Cherry Bar the night before and was keen to return that night, so yeah. A good set though featuring most songs you'd expect such as Wannabe in L.A and I Only Want You. It was just the fact that his vocals were a bit poor meant I didn't quite enjoy it as much. Which was a shame because I'd really been looking forward to seeing them after I missed them last year. (EoDM score 7/10.)
Next up it was back to the ever-increasingly hot sauna that was Stage 4, for a bit of good ol fun-time stoner rock, and who better to deliver it than Clutch. I didn't know a lot of the songs they played, but I stayed for the whole set anyway, and how could you not? The band's songs were inspiring some serious crowd energy down the front, no small feat considering the band were playing in the Soundwave oven as it were. "I thought when I woke this morning, that I was excited when I heard we'd be playing indoors!" commented frontman Neil Fallon. Yet despite the heat, the band didn't let up for a second -the riffs were monstrous, Fallon's vocals were right on the money and the crowd - including I - loved it. (Clutch score 9/10.)
I checked out the first few songs of Anvil, finding them quite amusing in a good way. They wouldn't have anywhere near the audience they did had they not realeased that movie (which I really must get around to seeing), but those that were in attendance certainly did enjoy the chance to see these true purveyors of speed metal do their thing.
Next up was the headfucking metal madness of Swedish five-piece Meshuggah. I met a few friends of mine outside before heading back in, and one remarked, "That name sounds Yiddish" - of course, it actually is; it means "crazy". Which is really a very good name for these guys - their music is chaotic, unpredictable, and yet extremely precise. Despite the increasing temperature in Stage 4, the Swedes worked the crowd into a frenzy as they tore through their polyrhythmic math metal numbers with great abandon. Guitarists Martin Hagstrom and Fredrik Thordendal were an absolute pleasure to watch as they bashed out complicated riffs and intricate solos together, holding it all together. And frontman Jens Kidman has one of my personal favourite metal voices. Their set included plenty of well-known numbers from across their career, from newies such as Bleed and Combustion to older favourites like Rational Gaze and the closing Future Breed Machine. Brilliance. (Meshuggah score 10/10.)
SETLIST
Pravus
Bleed
Rational Gaze
Combustion
Lethargica
Future Breed Machine
It was time for something considerably more low-key, but no less exciting, so I headed in the direction of Stage 1 for Jane's Addiction. As the second of today's reunited bands, many were wondering just how they'd cut it, especially considering the hard-living lifestyle they were all known for back in the day. Of course, they put on a great performance on the day, full of energy and enthusiasm for the songs they were playing. Perry Farrell's voice sounded great too; he faltered a few times but it was far better than Jesse Hughes' performance earlier that day. Dave Navarro delivered some typically ripping solos, and the rhythm section of Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins was spot-on. Farrell's banter tended to tread the fine line between amusing and ridiculous, but all in all, it was great to see these guys live at least once. I must say, I was disappointed by some of the songs being played in different keys - I know, a bit pedantic, but if you're used to a song sounding a certain way, it's a little weird to hear it otherwise for the first time. Anyway. The ending of the set was a nice touch - Navarro and Avery traded their electrics for acoustics, while Perkins played percussion at the front of the stage, in a lovely version of Jane Says. (Jane's Addiction score 9.5/10.)
SETLIST
Up the Beach
Mountain Song
Three Days
Whores
Been Caught Stealing
Ain't No Right
...Then She Did
Ocean Size
Summertime Rolls
Ted, Just Admit It...
Stop!
Jane Says
After that I spent a bit of time wandering searching for some mates, finally meeting them over at Stage 3 just after Anti-Flag's set. We decided to have a few final beers and sit in the stands and catch up on the day's events - but unfortunately Escape the Fate were on. I do NOT understand what it is about this sort of music that attracts people. It seemed absolutely boring and generic and for some reason, the crowd in front of that stage loved it. Meh. Thumbs down to mates for suggesting this spot to meet :P
FINALLY, the night drew to its brilliant conclusion - Faith No More came from out of nowhere, with a performance that was typically epic and aggressive. From all accounts their gigs in this land of sunshine have showed that they are certainly not suffering a midlife crisis, and the thousands of fans' reaction showed that still indeed care a lot for this band. Their performance - with a helluva lot of classics, Mike Patton madness, and even some random webcam chat to some unsuspecting people all accounted for - showed that at the end of Soundwave 2010, Faith No More were kings... for more than a day. (Faith No More score 10/10.) (I'm sorry, I really couldn't help myself...)
SETLIST
Don't Dream It's Over (Crowded House cover)
From Out Of Nowhere
Land of Sunshine
Be Aggressive
Evidence
The Gentle Art of Making Enemies
Chinese Arithmetic/Poker Face
Last Cup of Sorrow
Cuckoo for Caca
Easy (The Commodores cover)
Ashes to Ashes
Midlife Crisis
I Started a Joke (Bee Gees cover)
Digging The Grave
King for a Day
Epic
Just a Man
----Encore----
This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us (Sparks cover)
We Care a Lot
So, Soundwave 2010 was the first time I've attended this festival, but if future lineups are equal to this, I'll be sure to return. It's better organised and less crowded than some of its bigger counterparts and offers a wider variety of acts. The whole day really was quite enjoyable!
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