Hellyeah

w/ Silver Ocean Storm
The Tivoli – Brisbane, 31^st July 2010

Rising from the ashes of Minus Life, Silver Ocean Storm opened the show with their interesting blend of metal, prog rock, and a little bit of dragon slaying. Complete with light up mic stand and laser show, the band appear bigger than they are, with their stage dynamic and epic sound proving to be a (heavy) breath of fresh air in the local music scene.

Vocalist Toby Skeates dances between deep guttural screams and clean melodic vocals – the slightest bit reminiscent of Ian Kenny from Karnivool – strangely complementing guitarist Ryan O’Connell’s ripping old school solos. And unlike Marta Peterson from Bleeding Through, keyboardist Matt Bellette proves that keyboards and live metal shows can go together, offering up soaring crescendos that could serve as the soundtrack to dragon slaying in some far off land. The band are perhaps an odd fit with Southern metallers Hellyeah, but are nonetheless an interesting way to open the show.

Rolling out in a combination of flanno shirts, cowboy hats and sleeveless demin jackets, Hellyeah are a perfect picture of drunken rednecks, despite only one of them actually hailing from the South. Kicking off the set with their titular track, Hellyeah, the band quickly set the tone for a night of drunken Southern metal and bogan pride.

Tracks like GodDamn, Matter of Time and the Cowboy Way get everybody drunkenly roaring along, and Hell of a Time and Nausea prove to be the perfect opportunity to reiterate the band’s raging alcoholism. Nausea was to be one of the highlights of the set, showcasing epic distortion and echoing vocal effects akin to Chad Gray being wasted and screaming for help, unable to find the doorknob in a grimy pub toilet.

Considering their legendary lineup, Hellyeah should have egos the size of Vinnie Paul Abbott’s home state of Texas, though the band are surprisingly relatable and feel like old drinking mates. Throughout the set Gray mentions how down to earth they are, and actually backs this up with a heartfelt shout-out to security and venue staff at the Tivoli for all their hard work, before busting open a beer in honour of the “travelling circus” that is the Hellyeah crew.

Intelligent conversation takes a wonderful downhill turn from there, though not before Gray can dedicate Thank You to any lost loved ones, and it’s obvious that Dimebag is on more than a few minds tonight. Dimebag gets an official shoutout toward the end of the set, after the band perk up and rip through The Debt That All Men Pay, It’s On!, You Wouldn’t Know, and the title track from their latest album, Stampede.

Toward the tail end of the set, Gray takes the opportunity to introduce bassist Bob Zilla, guitarists Greg Tribbett and Tom Maxwell, and leaving undoubtedly the best until last – Vinnie Paul Abbott. Abbott gets a massive fucking response from the crowd, with roaring screams and teary eyes when he gives a shoutout to the ‘big bearded guy in the sky’, his ‘little brother Dimebag’.

Like a motivational speaker, Gray enforces several times throughout the set that if Aussie fans keep coming to see the band, they’ll keep coming Down Under, though this is taken with a grain of salt until he drops the bomb – they’ll be back for Soundwave in 2011! They then move to close the set with Alcohaulin’ Ass, with Gray’s crooning proving to be the perfect way to wind down the show.

In a rare move that enforces their claims of being humble as fuck, the band don’t leave prematurely in hopes of inciting calls for an encore – once the band leave, they’re done. The roadies move in to dismantle the stage, and the crowd are left looking a little confused, but happily sated. After all, the band will be back in a few months time, and everyone will have another opportunity to get sloshed with some of the least pretentious guys in metal.

Setlist

• Hellyeah
• GodDamn
• Matter of Time
• Cowboy way
• Hell of a Time
• Nausea
• Rotten to the Core
• Thank You
• The Debt That All Men Pay
• It’s On!
• You Wouldn’t Know
• Stampede
• Alcohaulin’ Ass