Music Down Under

by Dylan Hewitson-Bevis

What's the local scene like in Australia?

I'm sure that the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Australia is spiders, snakes and other stuff that could kill you. I'm here to tell you there's more to my country than deadly animals, and that the Australian music scene is thriving more than you might know.

While I may have only joined the scene in mid-2016, it should be known that kids have been throwing fists to their local bands since as far back as 2003. I'm not too sure if bands like Parkway Drive and Amity Affliction are household names outside of my country, but here they were and still are the litmus tests for kids dipping their toe into hardcore and melodic hardcore.

I can attest to this. I begun my journey into the pit of my local youth club with Amity Affliction's Let the Ocean Take Me, and from there developed and grew further into the genre. Unfortunately, by the time I felt ready to leave my shell and join the antics of the live scene, the biggest all ages venue in Brisbane, known as The Lab, had shuttered. This meant my first show was at Foundry Records, a little record store and bar in The Valley, and I can remember this gig incredibly fondly.

This show starred four (four!) local Brisbane acts and one act traveling up from south of the Queensland border. The boys from Stepson, The Comfort, Vitals, Satellites and Grim Indiana gave me my first ever look into what the live scene was like for local Brisbane acts, and it was insane to say the least. The venue only had a capacity of around 80 but the space felt huge, with people hanging off the ceiling girders and forming huge mobs around the enthusiastic singers.

At the time, I was only 15 and was absolutely terrified of how aggressive those in the pit were. Moshing consisted of swinging elbows and clawing at the mic, so you could be the one to belt out the line before a breakdown. It was intense, sweaty and even though it scared me it had me fascinated. As I went to more and more shows, I grew older and more confident, and began joining in with the crowd, getting to know the familiar faces and getting to know the bands that had grown into me.

I, like many others, hold the Australian local scene near and dear to me. I don't think there's a better form of catharsis when it comes to the release of adrenaline you get during a particularly rough breakdown in the pit. I don't think there's a better way to gain confidence and come out of your shell more than getting to kick back with band members.

The only shame is that it seems we're slowly running out of all ages venues in Brisbane. The passion project known as The Phoenix Arts Theatre had to be closed some time last year due to the council being dicks about noise. Foundry Records decided to stop hosting massive all ages shows. We broke the floor of the Wooley Mammoth during a very enthusiastic Hockey Dad show. I have full faith, however, that the big names in our scene, the promoters and the photographers, will band together to find another space for us kids to hang out and jam out. You can't ever stop the music down here.

In closing of this article, I'd like to offer some brilliant bands down here that deserve your attention. The Comfort, who are accomplishing so much as a melodic hardcore act. Stepson, who put so much heart into their work that seems to have come from genuine pain. Sleep Talk, who have a place in my heart for the best live performance I've ever had the privilege of watching. Hindsight, who are the coolest and funniest bunch of lads. Little Brother, the side project of the dude from Trophy Eyes. Give them your love, they deserve it!