3 days with Dark mofo 2022
In 2020 I had trips planned. In 2021, I had trips planned. 2022.. I felt there was hope. Then Katatonia was announced to headline one show and one show only at Dark Mofo 2022. I had one trip booked, and it was Dark Mofo 2022.
The last few years of travel has been, well, interesting to say the least. I personally had not had a proper holiday since late 2019. Tasmania has been on my radar for what felt like forever, so this was well overdue. Winding down on what has been an insane wedding season on the back of being sick on and off since getting the old spicy cough back in January. Flying into this gorgeous state was exactly what i needed. Jumping off the plane feeling that optimal temperature of around 10 degrees hit me in the face i made my way into Hobart grabbed my first amazing coffee of the week then met up with fellow lens wizard Nathan Goldsworthy of Odin Imaging fame dumped my bags and start clocking up those kms.
Hobart’s Insane. I can’t think of another place in Aus that has more cafes, bars, pubs in close proximity that here. I could probably do another post on where i ate and drank but this isn’t the blog for that.
First night before heading into Hyms for the Dead we had round 1 at the feast. If you’ve been you don’t need me telling you. If you have not been this alone is worth coming down for. You’ve seen the photos rows & rows of seats surrounded by neon red crosses we stuffed our faces and headed up to the Odeon Theatre.
Dark Mofo 2022’s Winter Feast
4 bands, 1 which i knew. I don’t know about you but i still love walking into a show not knowing who half the bands are. This is also the first show i have been to in about 4 years where i have not had shooting access.
Darkestrah from Kyrgyzstan. “Epic Shamanic black metal” was the quote i read when doing my research on them after the fact and it was bang on. Hypnotic & atmospheric throughout the set bringing in a range of traditional instruments to blend in with blasts beats and vocal shreeks let everyone know what this night was about.
Montreal’s CHTHE’ILIST make their way to stage unfortunatley though were let down by some horrible sound (with all respect to the soundy) a huge change of pace from Darkestrah here i found blast on blast on blasts and more hair than i’ve ever had myself. I got heavy Cannibal Corpse influence and it’s a damn shame all most of us could hear was bass & leads from guitarist Phillippe Tougas who was crushing those solos every time they came up.
Enter Krypts who were hands down the biggest suprise of the night. The heavily hazed room was treated to some of the best Death & Doom i’ve heard in a long time i don’t know how these guys slipped under my radar but they’ll be on heavy rotation from here on out. Krypts could have headlined this show easily, you could feel the wave of people falling in love with these guys at the end of every song and with the sudden rush to the merch desk after these fins won them selves plenty of new fans tonight including myself.
Finally. Triumph of Death! It’s history time kids. Formed by extreme metal legend Thomas Gabriel Fischer who you may know from is current project Triptykon (who i unfortunatley missed the night before) formerly Celtic Frost & Hellhammer. Named after the same Hellhammer song Triumph of Death played, you guessed it Hellhammer songs. This is one of those sets i can say is like watching a part of metal history and for a bit over an hour they ripped through songs Messiah, horus agressor & revelations of doom like they were nothing. 58 year old Thomas still has such a presence on stage it was something to behold. If you ever have the oportunity to see Triumph of Death make sure you do.
Photos from Hymns to the Dead by Odin Imaging
The following day tourist mode engaged. I jumped on the ferry & headed to Hobart’s dark gem MONA. For anyone that has been before i think you’ll agree MONA you experience you don’t wander through like any old museum and i was lucky enough to have it to myself for about an hour. Partly because i was on the first ferry out and partly because i’m pretty sure i walked it backwards accidently. I was able to experience it like not a lot of people can say they have and will never forget the time i had in some of those installations. Following the ferry ride back i was able to also head around and catch most of the Dark Mofo installations ranging from weird to incredible
Last day was filled by much of the same. Coffee, Eat, drink, Repeat before heading to Sancte Noctis. The whole reason i was in this beautiful state. Serveral glasses of Pino down i swagger into MAC2 ready to bath in the doom and gloom that was this incredible bill and kicking off the night was Kilat fronted by High Tension power house Karina Utomo. Raw & brutal the trio ripped through tracks off their soon to be released record Ranti Penjinak.
Sometimes i forget 2 years ago the world was shut down due to the never ending plague that is covid19. I’d gone the whole week without it even being a thought that entered my mind but Flying into Hobart i got the news Lingua Ignoto & Deafheaven both had to cancel due to the virus so while this was devastating for me personally as i’d been dying to see Deafheaven for years good news was RUN were added to the bill. Fronted by the legend Lochlan Watt Run slotted straight in and were another personal highlight and filled the whole left by Deafheaven. Even finishing the set with a goo goo dolls cover which weather everyone admits it of not were frothing.
Following a bone crushing set by Melbourne’s Diploid Chaotic, Loud and tight as hell! These guys are definitley not my cup of Pino but would i see them again… oh hell yeah i would! The “big room” opened up. I say “big room” because the “small stage” was bigger than most we have in Sydney at least. First up was another Melbourne band YLVA which i had never heard of before i could sit here and fluff on about how great they were but all ill say is this was the most moving set i have watched in years. I can’t exactly explain it but i was mesmerised. This had moments where it felt like the oxygen had been sucked from the room followed up by a wall of sound steam rolling over you. You’ll still find my jaw somewhere on the MAC2 floor.
Following on was King Yosef now again not my thing but a lot of punters were in the mood. Industrial, noise, rap-core? i guess you’d call it It was a lot to take and i’ll admit was entertaining as hell. I think for myself as well as a few others i spoke to this was a chance for a breather in the perfect Hobart winter next to the fires lit out side.
We’re at the business end of the bill and on walked Black Sheep Wall. Sludgey posty black metal with huge breakdowns i’d only been introduced to a few months before from a mate. Vocalist (name) channels a pain and darkness few can on stage pacing non stop and finally joining the crowd in the final song of the night. I had a unique position of standing with one of BSW’s friends but also a few people who’d never heard of them before in front of us and feeling the energy from a friend who was beyond stoked to see them play one of their biggest shows ever to people frantically finding out who & where they’re from and trying to buy merch online mid set was again something that made this night one of the best shows iv ever been to & with the set coming to a close and plenty of punters who didn’t need any more reason to love these guys (singer) announces to the crowd “I consider myself a pretty depressed person but today, i’m happy” and with that an evening in a room filled with Death & Doom quickly became nothing but love. The reaction was the equivilent of a stand ovation.
I’ll start with Conjurer by this saying. WHY HASN‘T SOMEONE BOOKED THEM FOR A FULL TOUR THE SECOND THIS WAS DONE! It was pretty evident who a majority of the crowd was here to see, for the first time all night it felt packed with an exited anxiousness and The UK outfit ripped straight into it with the first single off their soon to be released record “It Dwells” the onslaught of riff and duel vocal tearing paint from the walls. With most of the bands songs creeping toward the longer end of the spectrum a wave of ebbs and flows through tracks like “Choke” & “Rot” with almost no breaks in between kept the energy pumping. With the track “hollow” giving everyone somewhat of a chance to catch their breath while guitraist/singer Dan Nightingale roars at the crowd without the mic, if i could have turned the camera at the crowd you would have seen nothing but smiles and cod faces at what they were witnessing. Let’s Hope to see them back here real soon.
Katationa. The whole reason i was here in the first place. My love affair with this band started in the late 2010’s after discovering “The Great Cold Distance” which forever be one of my favourite records of all time. So a decade later i had still not seen them live. I was ready! The set starts with the single of their latest record “Behind the Blood” followed by my first taste of the GCD tracks live “Deliberation” into "another favourite “Old Hearts Fall”. Jonas Renkse voice is untouchable hitting every note as perfect as could be with his accompanying choir (the crowd) everyone was feeling this. Through more GCD tracks “Leaders” “Soil Song” & “My Twin” i had never knew many people into Katatonia but tonight i was surrounded by 100s of complete strangers belting out every chorus like this was their first holiday in 3 years to see one of their favourite bands of all time. Finishing with “Lethean” my first experience seeing a band i’ve loved for so long was increidble, while i think we all hoped for an encore which didn’t come i’m counting down the days until i get to see Katatonia again. Dark Mofo best believe i’ll see you next year
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Katatonia live at Dark Mofo 2022
All photos by James Gough. Hymns to the Dead photos by Odin Imaging
