Silverstein,

So the New Year is in, new bands are coming, and one of the greatest punk/hardcore bands ever to live (in my opinion) were coming to Perth. So it was with no hesitation that I headed down to capitol to see Set Your Goals, for their first ever show in Australia.

Arriving at Capitol, I got a nasty shock. Carpathian and Deez Nuts weren’t on the lineup anymore, which was a huge disappointment. Hailing from Melbourne, Deez Nuts have produced some great local hardcore tracks, and after seeing Break Even and Miles Away the week before, I was pumped for some more similar action. However this was not to be the case, and I was left to sample two of Perth’s up and coming bands….Anime Fire and Elora Danan.

Anime Fire kicked off the show, and true to form, produced a very entertaining show. The lead singer has amazing vocals, and managed to sustain a piercing shout/scream for the full 30mins of the show, which I thought was a great effort, considering how hard he was going. Marty, the bassist, is always one to put on a good show, and his constant jumping around stage brought their sound to life. One thing that Anime Fire do that not many other bands have, is included sampling in between songs. This adds another element to their already successful musicianship, and I wish them all the best in their future efforts of breaking into the big-time hardcore scene.

Next up was Elora Danan, a band which I have seen many a time, and have had reserved judgment on. Their stage presence is mighty, but in my opinion, the music lacks a little. This doesn’t mean by any shade of light that they don’t have what it takes, you only have to see the following of supporters in Perth to realize that these guys have shot to fame in a short space of time. However, seeing them up against the might and power of hardcore bands doesn’t do enough for their image, and a different lineup would be better suited to them.

After this it was the moment I had been waiting for, for a very long time. Fast drumming, frantic jumping on stage and lots of energy packed the room for the next 40 minutes. With 3 guitarists, a drummer, and two singers, they were never short of excitement. Opening the set with their hit Mutiny, the show rolled on with a massive circle pit, and I found myself with my arm around the neck of the one and only Mark Bawden, singer of Break Even. It was a real shame when they played their last song, but I made sure I made my way to the merch store and picked up a Set Your Goals t-shirt to remember the occasion.

Last on were Silverstein. Don’t get me wrong, I am a massive fan of this band. But something was lacking tonight. The audio just didn’t seem full enough, and a lot of the music was lost in the open cavities of Club Capitol. Never the less, they played a very good set, and rounded off a good night with some of my favorite songs. Hopefully they will be back soon, and I can get another taste of Silverstein, and more to the point, hopefully Set Your Goals come with them!

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