AGAINST ME
The Arena

All ages shows at The Arena are always entertaining. Downstairs you have the kids focusing more on getting pictures with their camera-phones than the bands themselves, and upstairs you have the over 18s, drinks in hand, pointing and laughing. After enjoying this (and the heightened police presence) for a few minutes, Melbourne's Coué Method opened the show to a response somewhere between that of a funeral procession and an audience at a golf tournament, which is a shame because they were one of the highlights of the evening. Crime in Stereo came up next, and it wasn't since Comeback Kid opened for Sick Of It All that I felt this unmoved by a live band. Without the crutch of pitch correction or digital editing, the singer and bass player stuck out like sluggish/possibly jet-lagged sore thumbs, building up to the most staged fall I've ever seen courtesy of the singer, which hit the last note of the set perfectly. After a long wait, Against Me! came out to rapturous applause and played a set that treated their early albums and singles like a side-dish to their last two records. It must be said that a disappointing set from these guys is better than most bands will ever accomplish, but after seeing them twice before with much more balanced set-lists, I'd be lying if I didn't say this set was easily the least exciting. Still, these guys do what they do well, and the crowd was lapping it up. After playing an encore medley of three songs, the show was over - at 9:30pm. What the hell? Sneak some trucker speed past customs next time you visit. All in all, mixed feelings about this one (Rob S).

DJ SHADOW AND CUT CHEMIST PRESENT THE HARD SELL
The Powerhouse

Followers of hip-hop in Australia have been fortunate enough to witness the legendary DJ Shadow three times in as many years now, each time doing a drastically different set. This time around, Shadow brought Jurassic 5's former DJ Cut Chemist for 'The Hard Sell' set; a two-hour 45rpm workout that was originally developed as a one-off event at the Hollywood Bowl. After a brief hello and a wonderfully kitsch introductory video explaining the concepts at work (DJing with 7-inches only and utilising guitar-looping pedals rather than laptops), the two of them set to work, beginning with an ominous psychedelic piece that was darker and more textural than expected from the performance. Any expectations about the set being strictly hip-hop were immediately shed. Through the course of the evening, snatches of The Beatles, Foo Fighters and Metallica were thrown in among less familiar sources, often at different speeds and with overlaid samples. A large screen loomed behind the pair spinning hallucinatory images as the music lurched on. Robot jukeboxes smashed iPods, creatures emerged with records for eyes and we were taken on a tour through the mechanical insides of a giant, sprawling jukebox city. Shadow seemed to exercise more influence over the proceedings than Chemist, notably in the wealth of dark, unsettling material that came as a stark contrast to Chemist's usual bouncing beats. The closing moments of the set were particularly dark, nagging loops fraying the ears while a cluster of circles swung in and out of alignment on screen. It was a beautiful moment, and very telling of Shadow's mastery over multiple genres of music. Hopefully we see him back again next year for the fourth time in a row (Greg Reason).

FLOGGING MOLLY
The Tivoli

Home-grown heroes The Disables kicked the night off with a powerful performance, showing why they are such respected figures in not only the Brisbane, but the national punk scene. They rounded off their thunderous set with old favourite, and possibly the coolest punk rock chorus ever written, 'Girls Don't Like Us Cos We Don't Play Football'. From the moment Flogging Molly swaggered onto The Tivoli stage, Dave King and crew had the eager crowd eating from their palms. Dave King is such a lovable frontman, with plenty of charisma, humour and that classic Irish accent. To see him in full flight with this amazing group of musicians was something else. Flogging Molly kicked the set off with 'Paddy's Lament' but, although supporting a new release, they didn't shy away from their classic back catalogue, including songs such as 'Devil's Dance Floor', 'Drunken Lullabies' and 'Selfish Man'. Many of the songs carried dedications, the best surely being to the red head at the front of the moshpit. Aside from the humour, the drinking and the sheer rocking out, it was the impeccable musicianship of this band that was truly something to behold. Bob Schmidt's mandolin was definitely one of the night's highlights. The timing, precision and speed with which he belted out those Irish melodies - which are the heart and soul of the music - was nothing short of amazing. The same applies to the whole band. An encore including 'Black Friday Rule' and 'Seven Deadly Sins' capped off a remarkable night of music. I recently criticised Flogging Molly in a CD review for offering nothing new, but after seeing their live performance I realise there is no point changing their formula - they are simply brilliant at what they do (Tim Chapman).

PENNYWISE
The Riverstage

The rain cleared just in time for what was potentially the most anticipated punk rock offering of the year. Bowling For Soup started the night with their catchy and comedic pop-punk. They only played a short set but the small group of fans at the front were treated to some of their favourite tunes, not to mention some really cool guitar-pick tricks. The Vandals rocked through a solid set made up of some of the best material from their back catalogue, which now goes back some 25 years. '4,3,2,1,0,-1' and a cover of the 'Team America' theme were a highlight as the crowd began to swell in anticipation for Sum 41. The Canadian rockers came bounding out and launched into a fast-paced set featuring classic tracks from old to new. The feeling among punters was that Sum 41's best work was their 'All Killer No Filler' stage, and this was clearly highlighted when the crowd erupted to the opening riffs of 'Fat Lip' and 'In Too Deep'. Their show was packed with theatrics and humour, and left the crowd on a high and the stage set for punk gods, Pennywise. Pennywise kicked things off with new track 'As Long As We Can' and kept the tunes pumping along at a furious rate, never seeming to let up. The new tracks sounded great but it was the classic punk anthems like 'Fuck Authority', 'Society' and 'Perfect People' that had the moshpit in a frenzy. The crowd proudly chanted along when Jim Lindberg started an 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie' call and 'Land Down Under' and 'Bro Hymn' provided possibly one of the greatest endings to a set ever. The chorus of the closer was continued by the crowd all the way out the gates (Tim Chapman).

HENRY ROLLINS
The Tivoli

After catching Rollins' brief yet powerful stand-up set at the 2006 Big Day Out, I was curious to see what he would deliver on an occasion where the sole focus was on him. From the moment he stepped out onto the stage, he assaulted the crowd with a barrage of witty and thoughtful dialogue, doing so with all the vigour of a man on a mission. He eased into the set with some of the most light-hearted humour of the night and then descended towards deeper, more confronting waters, while every now and then coming back up for a breath of fresh air to then repeat the cycle again. The great variety of topics included bestiality, George Bush's usage of the term internets, the primate level-mindedness of Van Halen fans, America's invasion of Iraq and much, much more. The Rollins that stood on The Tivoli stage seemed to be an ever wiser man, whose great deal of travel and experience has helped him grow over the years. A lot of important points were brought to the front, with the whole performance seeking to motivate the audience towards moral responsibility and positive action in everyday life. Rollins' ability to move over the various terrains of humour and social issues of a more serious nature, without any awkward transitions, is simply incredible. The way he juxtaposes these two polar opposites to the benefit of his routine is even more impressive. A three-hour set that focused singularly on one of the extremes would not nearly command the same level of power. And who better to command that kind of power than a short bulky guy with no neck? (Jake 3)

HARDGRAFT PRESENTS: GARAGE PRESSURE
The Underground Bar

Hardgraft, Brisbane's original dubstep promoters, dusted off their rather large bass bins and pulled it together in support of the national Aquatic Lab launch. Aquatic Lab is Australia's first ever dubstep label and is owned by Sydney's Garage Pressure, who were headlining the night. But it was the local line-up which that impressed, with scene stalwarts Frosty (the man behind Hardgraft), Monster Zoku Onsomb (minus the Onsomb - aka Nam Shub of Enki), and original Rudebwoy Erther, alongside some of the younger emerging talent such as Hobbeldehoy, the Dank Morass DJs and Suckafish P Jones. Once I had passed through the unfamiliar and overzealous security of the Elephant and Wheelbarrow, the descent into the Underground Bar assured me I was in the right place. The sound system was absolutely heavy, splurging out proper face-shaking, chest-rumbling frequencies. The turn-out was encouraging and the crowd were eager. The Dank Morass boys set the tone with a solid set of abstract hip-hop and beats. Suckafish continued in the same vein, adding some bass to the equation and Erther stepped up to roll out some quality dub flavoured drum and bass. With cheap pints on offer, the night soon turned into a messy affair for all, and the crowd were well up for it by the time locals Hobbeldehoy stepped up for a live performance. These boys stole the show with an awesome set of sonically enhanced hip-hop, heavy bass frequencies and synth lines that tore my head open. Garage Pressure then took straight to it and dropped some exclusive dub plates that rinsed the system proper; however one half of the duo was definitely out-performing the other, leaving the set feeling lopsided. A heavy night that was proof of the legit talent Brisbane can produce (Richard Buck).

KORN
The Riverstage

Bloodsimple started the evening strong with a set jam-packed with tracks off 'A Cruel World' and the more recent 'Red Harvest'. Playing to their first ever Brisbane audience, the band (featuring ex-Vision of Disorder vocalist and guitarist, plus the brother of Mastodon's Troy Sanders on bass) certainly got the punters amped up for the artists to follow. Throwdown took to the stage next and ripped through tracks off their latest album, 'Venom & Tears', commanding the moshers up front to turn around and give the grass-sitters the bird before instructing them to then run through those sitting down, all the way to the beer-tent fence. Chaos erupted, followed closely by a good laugh (Mel). I had wanted to see Chimaira for so long, and holy shit did they deliver. Everything from the opening onslaught of 'Pure Hatred', the classic 'Severed', the epic 'Nothing Remains' and the new 'Resurrection' pummelled the growing gathering of fans. Easily the performance of the night; possibly the year. For me, Biohazard was all about getting a real life glimpse of Tera Patrick (a porn star that my wrist has pretended to be for many a year), so seeing her strut around the stage filming the band was great. So was Biohazard. I mean, they sounded all right, but my deviate mind was in other places (Zac). Korn arrived on stage as a solid seven-piece unit and brought the pain immediately with 'Right Now'. They essentially played through a greatest hits set, surprisingly only playing two tracks, 'Hold On' and 'Evolution', from their latest 'Untitled' album. Along with 'Life is Peachy' rarity 'Ass Itch', these were among the few moments that would help to distinguish this from your typical Korn show. Standouts 'Falling Away From Me', 'Here to Stay' and 'Somebody Someone' all sounded monolithic. Not quite as devastating as their last tour, but still an impressive display that put the imitators to shame (Jake 3).

PORCUPINE TREE
The Tivoli

A solid sound helped Melbourne's Sleep Parade deliver a satisfactory support set for what would have been a tremendously daunting task, considering who was to follow. People from all over the map gathered anxiously for Porcupine Tree's last stop on their long-awaited debut Australian tour. It was apparent from the get-go they weren't about to fall short of their legendary reputation. Steve Wilson commanded a mighty stage presence from front of stage as he guided his incredible band through a set that focused heavily on the latter half of the band's career. 'Fear of a Blank Planet's long-form centre piece, 'Anesthetize', came early on and demolished everything in its path; the heavy sections hammered with a bludgeoning intensity and the transcendental final section seeped deep into the soul as waves swirled and crashed into one another on the huge screen above. At times the show seemed to be equal parts cinematic experience and live music performance. The poetic marriage of audio and visual worked perfectly to further implant the intent of Porcupine Tree's confronting art, and also aided in pushing the level of the experience to a far greater extreme. 'Hate Song' made for an enthralling journey, a rare performance of 'Sentimental' was a lovely treat, and the verses of 'Blackest Eyes' were completely monstrous. 'Way Out Of Here' hit home with all the power of your dreams and then 'Sleep Together' brought the collective dream to a close on an extremely epic note. One last trip down the rabbit hole was had via the encore of the classics, 'Trains' and 'Halo'. Now all that's left is grand memories and those spontaneous moments of profound clarity that are triggered from the messages implanted deep down in the subconscious (Jake 3).