Thrice @ Northcote Theatre
Here For The Artist In The Ambulance 20th Anniversary Tour.
Review and photos by Brittney McCarthy of BM Images
It’s my second night at Northcote Theatre to see Thrice, and the line for this sold-out show is buzzing with activity just like the night before. Ticket holders were wrapping around the corner 30 minutes before doors opened. I eavesdropped on debates between friends about which songs will be played aside from those on The Artist in The Ambulance. “Deadbolt is a non-negotiable”, one girl says to the person next to her; “If they don’t play Long Defeat I’m punching on!” they reply.
I overheard a Sydney-sider striking up a conversation with a guy in the line behind me who was waiting for friends. The Sydney fan had travelled alone to see the Melbourne show - unthinkable to miss since all other shows had sold out. He mentioned that music had only piqued his interest in the last couple of years and began listing out some bands he’d recently been smashing, asking if he’d heard of them.
I loved hearing him gush over these bands that, to me, were the evolutionary factors shaping my musical tastes and impacted everything from my style to the lifelong friends I’ve made. He threw out a list of his recent discoveries — Thursday, The Used, Braid, and Mineral. He spoke about these bands with uninhibited fascination and asked the other guy for recommendations, showing genuine curiosity. It reminded me of how significant music was when I first discovered my own ‘taste’ outside of what my parents listened to. I don’t know who this person was, but overhearing their enthusiasm was really sweet and the nostalgia heightened my anticipation for the show.
I’ve managed to catch Sunshine Coast’s Wifecult three times this week. Each time I found something more to love about their sound and energy. Bassist Joseph Keating struts around on stage doing intense head jerks with eye contact daring the audience to let go and rock out with him.
Singer and guitarist Jarith Hughes introduces Seeing Double by offering some insight into the meaning, saying “The song is about checking yourself… actually, it’s about checking Myself.” Wifecult have just wrapped up their AU/NZ tour with LaDispute. Despite this, their performance still felt fresh and they put everything into this set. Replacing their drummer Brad Vander Lugt for this show was drummer Jamie Owen Gordon from Bakers Eddy which is fair enough since he was playing two outstanding sets a night for the La Dispute tour.
Once again, Hughes remarked how unreal it was to support one of his favourite bands, showing that dreams can come true. With these two major tours under their belt, I’m excited to see what’s next for Wifecult.
House music began to slow and distort as the venue lights faded into a dark blue. With zero introduction required, Thrice got straight into it, opening up with Cold Cash And Colder Hearts, the first track from The Artist in The Ambulance. This song showcases guitarist Teppei Teranishi’s phenomenal skills and singer Dustin Kensrue’s dynamic and seemingly effortless vocal range. It’s hard to tell where the singing ends and the screaming begins; he is so relaxed and effortless with everything he does.
The lighting tech was doing the Lord’s work. One moment that really fired up the room was during Under a Killing Moon. As Kensrue screamed ‘And watch the witches burn… Burn!... Burn!’ the rear lights switched off, and the front lights were left casting blood red onto his face.
From the outset, the crowd sung every word. However, it was Silhouette that the energy in the room really surged, with those in front starting to move with each other, arms outstretched towards the stage. Kensrue ends the song by miming the act of slitting his throat.
The physical interpretation of lyrics carries over into Stare At The Sun. For the line “Do I trust my heart, or just my mind” he places his hand on his heart and points to his head. The drum rolls from drummer Riley Breckenridge in this song are impeccable.
My personal favourite track off the record is Paper Tigers. Seeing them perform this live was an absolute fucking joy. I closed my eyes during the song to focus on the music, and if it wasn’t for the constant cool blast of aircon hitting my face, I would have been transported home, comfortably listening to the recorded version. I was plonked right in front of bassist Eddie Breckenridge. The entire time I watched him, all I could think was that he’s a beast. His tone is absolute insanity and the passion when he screams in this song is intense. Again the lighting tech was astoundingly good at their job, switching to blood-red lights as “With our blood’ was screamed out throwing us into darkness as the song ended. At this point, I almost passed away from happiness - the very reason I go to shows.
Kensrue thanked the crowd for coming out to celebrate the album with them as if there was ever a chance we wouldn't be there. He then gave a shout-out to Hot Water Music who they toured with on their first visit to Australia in 2004.
Don’t Tell and We Won’t Ask marked the end of Artist in The Ambulance, the song tapering out with atmospheric guitar and gorgeous light.
This year might celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Artist in The Ambulance, but last year it was The Illusion of Safety. They played two off this record: Where Idols Once Stood and Deadbolt. The latter was devoured by the crowd, I heard a group behind me chanting for it several times before it was played.
The song that made the entire band explode with energy and move around on stage was Firebreather. At the end of The Long Defeat, the crowd sang along, the only noise in the room being a collective of fans in harmony.
Despite knowing there was an encore coming, they left the stage for so long I wasn’t sure they’d return. Black Honey and Earth were the two final songs to close out the night. Thrice’s sound, both live and recorded, is flawless. The band is blisteringly talented and tight; every element of a song can be heard. If you have the chance to see them live, just like our friend in line felt, it would be illogical to miss their show.
