-

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Review: Soundwave Festival 2015 @ Sydney (Day 2)


Review: Soundwave Festival 2015 @ Sydney (Day One)

It's Day Two of Soundwave 2015 at Sydney!
Able to see a dozen of great bands on day one. So I expected more or less the same or better on day two.Well, today got Slipknot, holy shit! And relieved that I was able to recover just in time for a more adventurous, unpredictable weather gonzo and the crazy crowd.

Here's all bands I've seen on the final day, in sequence:

1. The Wonder Years

The first band of the day. Sounded like Taking Back Sunday. They got that similar vibe. Which is cool to me.


2. Fucked Up

Are they family members? A fun set. A hyper-active and funny front-man running around the venue.


3. Lagwagon

Another vets performing. At this stage, it was still a warm-up to me. A very good afternoon warm-up. indeed.


4. Killer Be Killed


And the day really kicked off with this super-band Killer Be Killed. Members from Soulfly, The Dilinger Escape Plan, ex-Mars Volta and fronted by one piece of Mastodon. Their music was not that exceptional but nevertheless, it was still great seeing them altogether on one stage.


5. Tonight Alive

Not seeing this set much but able to see them covering Rage Against The Machine which was quite awesome. Jenna controlled the crowd so well.


6. Godsmack

The highlight of day two: Godsmack. Surprisingly amazing all around. THAT drum-off, especially. Plus the brief heavy cold rain made it more memorable.


7. Crossfaith

Second time seeing them and again they nailed it. I joined the mosh (my first and the only) and it was crazy. Japanese pride!


8. Papa Roach

I was still suprised that I got to see them live. Never thought of that but I did it. Papa Roach! Saw them performing Last Resort. Wow. Unbelievable. Brought me back to previous decade.


9. Marilyn Manson

The craziest set + crowd, if not Slipknot's. This guy is truly an enigma.


10. Mayhem

My first taste of live black metal music. A perfect setting: obedient unmoving crowd in the indoor venue. So satanic.


11. Of Mice & Men

If not the best, one of the best sets throughout the festival. The dual vocals dynamically complimented each other. One for the mosh.


12. Slash

Supported by Miles Kennedy from Alter Bridges. A lot of Guns and Roses classic songs heard.


13. Slipknot

And here came Slipknot. The haunting intro, over the top props, some fire here and there, and... Corey Taylor! Amazing scene 360 degree. It's just that I was far away from the stage it sounded quite not clear. So I left early for...


14. Fall Out Boy

Ending my first Soundwave with a bit of Fall Out Boy, but still managed to see them performing some hits like This Ain't a Scene, Dance Dance and newer singles. They are good live, anyway. And there was Big Hero 6 montage too.

***

And that's it. Finished. Just like that. Two days but it still felt brief. Need more! So I guess I have to come again next year;)

All in all, everything was great; the bands, the venue and stages, the accommodation provided (a 10-minute walk back to hotel), the crowd (not too crowded, just nice), the weather, the free water station, etc. I miss the atmosphere.

Thank you, Soundwave!

5 best bands of Day Two: Godsmack, Of Mice & Men, Crossfaith, Marilyn Manson & Fall Out Boy.

5 best moments of Day Two: Marilyn Manson's crazy crowd, the brief heavy rain during Godsmack, drum-of during Godsmack, moshing at Crossfaith & seeing Slipknot live!

Worst band of Day Two: -


Later~