Devin Townsend Project 

w/ Contrive
Billboard, Melbourne – 14th March 2010

Having a band like the Devin Townsend Project hit our shores opens up support spot opportunities for those bands who are just that bit too quirky, creative and varied to fit onto the usual metal tours. Well, in my eyes, that chance was wasted on Melbourne’s Contrive. They were an obvious choice no doubt with Devin having mixed their new album and whatnot, but that didn’t make the announcement any less disappointing. Now, being the Devin fan that I am, I took advantage of the ability to see him multiple times and headed up to Sydney. I got their early, claimed a great spot up the front, figuring it would be worth waiting through the support to be up there for the main act.

I skipped Contrive at the Melbourne show.

Now I hear you say, how could I skip a band that I’m supposed to be reviewing? Well I think that’s pretty much a review in itself isn’t it?

Contrive are the type of band that don’t have overly interesting nor catchy melodies, the riffs are often quite bland, and vocals that bit flat, but with a great mix (like that which Devin has given their new album) they can sound pretty good. On the live stage however, without the wall of sound, and being only a three piece, the power that saves their music is completely absent. Andrew Haug’s drumming was the highlight in every single song, which makes it a shame that the music surrounding such a varied drum approach doesn’t give it justice. And while the band tried their hardest to warm the crowd up with some between-song banter and a bassist that was trying a bit too hard to look ‘metal’, the crowd response was mediocre at best, which was no surprise.

Down in Melbourne, I wandered in just in time to hear the last bit of what I’m assuming was Devin’s personal choice of PA music (including the Vengaboys, Beyonce, and that damn Barbie Girl song) and see the man himself storm the stage once again. Cutting such a vast yet consistently fucking awesome discography would have been a challenge for sure, but despite the few personal favourites that everybody would have liked to hear, it was a near flawless choice of tracks. Starting with two tracks of his recent ‘Addicted’ album then kicking straight into some heavier material with “Kingdom” ensured that the show started with a massive amount of energy from both crowd and band. In fact, it seemed even during the quietest moments of the show, there was this buzz of energy and excitement throughout the entire venue that you don’t feel very often. The surprising choice of “Deadhead” sounded absolutely spectacular and was quite easily one of my favourite live moments, ever. Ziltoid’s presence in the set was at large with 5 tracks, apparently as practice for his upcoming performance of the whole album over in Europe. I’d always wondered how any Ziltoid material would come across live due to its clinical sound and machine-gun drums, but the band pulled it off, with no complaints from me. The almost ten minute “Earth Day” kept ‘Terria’ fans happy, while “Life” took the gig to new levels of fun. Will he ever write a song that’s even more irresistible to sing along to? I highly doubt it. Towards the end of the set, Devin took the stage all to himself, performing an absolutely beautiful rendition of “Ki”, before kicking into the “Bend It Like Bender” with the rest of the band to finish things off.

Devin’s voice was enormous, blowing everybody away with his screams, and keeping everyone thoroughly amused with a myriad of distorted facial expression, vocal abuse, and crouch thrusts. Surprisingly enough, he really hasn’t lost a whole lot of vulgarity since his Strapping Young Lad days, which I’m sure many a fan were happy to hear. He is, by far, one of the most entertaining front men in the universe.

There are a few questionable areas; mainly the mix. Now I can imagine, without much actual technical knowledge, that Devin’s material would be an absolute bitch to mix, especially with such a heavy use of samples. With such an intense overall sound, at such a high volume, it was just too big for the venue. The wall of sound became a bit overbearing at times, sacrificing the intricacies of his songs, with the samples going from too loud to almost inaudible and back again. The other questionable area is his strong use of samples and backing tracks. Now personally I don’t have any issues with it. It gave Devin the opportunity to run around the front of the stage and interact with the crowd at times when he would otherwise be stuck behind the microphone. But I can see it being a tad overused for some people’s tastes.

Needless to say, if you missed this show then you should be kicking yourself. It was one of the most memorably and generally impressive shows I have ever witnessed, and I know I’m not the only one thinking that. But do not fear! He will be back next year, and that came from his own vulgar mouth. When the time comes, I’ll be heading off interstate once again, because I want to watch that band as many times as I possibly can, while I can.

More photos are available at http://www.metalobsession.net/gallery?album=8&gallery=130

Setlist:
Addicted!
Supercrush!
Kingdom
Truth
OM
Deadhead
ZTO
By Your Command
Ziltoidia Attaxx!!!
Seventh Wave
Life
Earth Day
Numbered!
Disruptr
Namaste
Encore:
Color Your World
The Greys
Ki (Devin solo)
Bend It Like Bender