Metalise column with Josh Nixon
Dare we stand and drink? We dare? We have a new venue in Civic too? Serious? Do we have gigs on the horizon that necessitate a shave and perhaps ensuring our jeans have been washed since prior to lockdown? Really? Holy shit, we ARE living with Covid!
Bloodmouth released a hideous anti-carnist grind mantra in the form of last year’s Unamanned record. For obvious reasons they didn’t play a launch for it.
Well, this Thursday, February 24 at sideway, 72 people will have the opportunity to bust out the balaclava and celebrate the collapse of the industrial farming sector for free. Yes free. Facecutter and Blight Worms also will be in attendance.
The Transit Bar finally got to open their new doors on Bailey’s corner. I’m not sure if it’s the first but among the first of the heavy shows to offer a structural integrity test will be Kid Presentable who traverse the boards Friday, 4 March.
Their Modern Living Fear tour kicks off locally with Trench Knife, Facecutter and Thantu Thika to help test some of the lower frequencies in the Transit PA. Welcome back Transit.
Friday, 11 March at Transit Bar will build upon the structural integrity test and hope all worked well as Thy Art is Murder return for their oft delayed regional tour this night.
The lads reissued Hate back in November thinking they were in for a summer tour. And well… here we are. To The Grave, Vengeance and The Wandering are down to riff also, so if brutal breakdowns are your raison d’etre you know where you need to be.
If a more traditional metal fare is your speed, The Basement hosts shredders Temtris, also on Friday, 11 March. It’s a 4-band bill that is 20 bucks pre-sale or 25 on the door on the night. Adding value to the proposition are Chariot Arcana, Endless Grin and Taliesin.
Temtris are airing out the material from the Ritual Warfare record so be sure to get along from 7pm for that one. It’s nice to be spoilt for choice!
On Friday, 18 March, Chain Tombstone & The Dead Men have a launch party for their Realm of Pain release and have a stellar supporting cast in tow with Wretch and AtrocitA. It’s an early start, doors at 7pm and only $20.
For something a bit different, and the shot at a helluva opportunity, Saturday, 9 April is the Wacken Metal Battle Australia heat at The Basement.
The winner of this heat will represent Canberra in the national final in Melbourne. The winner of that go on to play at heavy metal valhalla, Wacken Open Air in the European Summer. Not sure if due to Covid the dates for entry etc changed, check out metal-battle.com for the details.
I know we have a punk column, but I’m excited my bros the Hard-Ons are in town on Thursday, 31 March at The Basement to kick off the live experience for their new album Sorry Sir, That Riffs Been Taken. They’re really happy and have a spring in their step. Gonna be a good one.
Actually, there’s a bit of an Aussie ’90s feast at The Basement in that week with Custard on Saturday, 2 April and The Meanies on the Sunday, 3 April. But I’m getting into several other columns territories now. Blackie and Ray’s other band will be back in town in April as well.
Sunburn will strike landfall on the 29th and 30th of April. The stoner doom festival features a plethora of the best of the genre in the country. Alphabetically (or in any other taxonomy) the bill is huge, Amammoth, Astrodeath, Atolah, BØG, Bog Monster, Burn the Hostages, Butterfly, Creep Diets, Dr. Colossus, Droid, Frozen Planet 69, Futility, Ghostsmoker, Golem, Hekate, Holy Serpent, Kitchen Witch, Lucifungus, Master Leonard, Mountain Wizard Death Cult, Mourners, Nunchukka Superfly, Piston Fist, Planet of the 8s, Pod People, Religious Observance, Smoke Witch, The Balls, White Horse and Yanomamo.
That’s a lotta riffs, and The Basement will need both nights to fit them all in.
Pretty sure the Canberra Metal Fest replacement date is looking like the first weekend in July. We shall endeavour to keep you abreast of the movements and any line-up changes as they come to light.
So here we are. Living with Covid. And seeing what that is going to bring to an industry two years into its greatest challenge. I really hope to only have to advertise these shows once this year and it is great that we have a new centrally located venue to talk about them at.
Let’s see what the year brings!
