Sunk Loto @ The Factory Theatre
Surreal reunion show in Sydney was beautiful in every way.
Review by Natasha Christian photos James Gough
When a friend asked if I wanted to see Sunk Loto, my memory of the early 2000s Gold Coast alt-rockers was patchy, at best. It’s been almost 20 years since Between Birth and Death dropped a giant bomb on my Eminem-loving Queensland surf-town teen mind. A few months later, Slipknot unleashed Subliminal Verses and officially paved the path to the 30-something metalhead I’ve become. While Slipknot stayed in the front of my mind as “the band that got me into metal”, Sunk Loto unfairly fell into the back of it until now. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got to their sold-out Factory show, but it turns out those dragged-up memories are fond. And I wasn’t the only one feeling warm and fuzzy about this reunion. On the way into Marrickville, a mate said he heard some of the Melbourne crowd the night before “were in actual tears”.
I thought he might be embellishing, but anything’s possible when seeing a band that called it quits 15 years ago. From the minute Sunk Loto stepped on stage with all four original members, a smiling crowd of middle-aged millennials became Nu Metal-loving teenagers again - myself included. Opening with the first 3 tracks from BBaD - 5 Years Of Silence, Fall Apart and Empty and Alone - it was like no time had passed at all. A friend described it as “surreal”, and yeah, I do think it’s strange that we were both able to easily shout all of the lyrics when I can’t remember my passwords or partner’s phone number. What’s even more surreal is that this is a band that up until recently, hadn’t spoken to each other for 12 years. “If you had asked me in December last year if it were ever gonna happen again, it would’ve been a no way,” Drummer Dane Brown shared in a recent interview.
A few months later the band were back together and committed to a sold-out tour. As a long-lost fan, I didn’t know I wanted this either but I’m very glad we got it. Dane was joined on stage by his vocalist brother Jason Brown, Luke MacDonald on guitar and Sean Van Gennip on Bass. And while the black hair dye is long gone and the Chino Moreno goatees shaved off, Sunk Loto’s energy as a band hasn’t changed at all. After a scorcher of an opening act, we’re taken back to 2000’s Big Picture Lies with Shiver and Human Ashtray. And by the time we hear the “Ha Ha!” of Everything, Everyway the crowd becomes an absolute lovefest. The band continues to hit us right in the feels with Sunken Eyes and Burning Bridges and this continues to the tail-end of the set when we’re treated to BBaD closers Erased and Soul Worn Thin.
In the end, we’re sent home on an Aussie metal high with Vinegar Stroke. As the crowd wanders out, I overhear a guy saying that he flew in from the US just for the show. He has no regrets. A few minutes later in the bar line, a guy confirms my friend’s tale about Melbourne when he tells me he “couldn’t stop crying”. I guess that’s the power of nostalgia and Sunk Loto clearly had it in their hands for this tour. Hopefully, they don’t make us wait another 15 years for the next one. As for this show, I wouldn’t change a thing cause it was beautiful in every way.
Photos by James Gough.
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