Live Reviews : Lagerstein, Atomic Riot, Ablaze & Skärlet @ Cherry Bar, Melbourne 14/01/2017

My first official gig of 2017 was one I was very much looking forward to! It’s been four months since Brisbane’s Lagerstein were last down in Melbourne (then for their show in September at the Evelyn Hotel), and I was very keen to see the pirate metallers in all their rum-soaked glory again. Joining them tonight was three of Melbourne’s best up-and-coming acts, Atomic Riot, Ablaze, and Skärlet, respectively.

Opening the evening were the glam metal quartet, Skärlet. Unfortunately for the band, however, tonight they were one short. Following an unfortunate happening with their drummer Tommy-O the very night before, without having enough time to prep another stand-in drummer for the evening, Skärlet were forced to play an all acoustic set to open the night. It’s hard to fault the band for the substantial bad luck they faced, as they did the best they could working within their means. Whilst the acoustic performance was musically tight, with lead vocalist Axel Winter sounding pleasant to listen to, it didn’t capture the same ‘feel’ of Skärlet’s usual performances and thus failed to really capture myself or much of the audience. However, as previously mentioned, given their circumstances, it was a rare off-night for the band. In terms of their musicianship, it couldn’t be faulted; with guitarist/backing vocalist Mitch O’Shea and bassist/backing vocalist Will Saw maintaining a strong rhythm section in the absence of the drums. They did end well though with a cover of Led Zeppelin‘s “Whole Lotta Love”. Overall, a bit of a ‘quiet’ start to the night’s proceedings, but one that was handled with complete professionalism by the band, who at one stage explained with tongue-in-cheek the absence of Tommy-O.

Ablaze was a wholly new entry for me. I hadn’t seen or heard of the band before, so I was intrigued as to how their performance would play out. I was delightfully surprised. Sounding like a mix of classic ’70s and ’80s rock, the five-piece immediately kicked things into high gear with a strong opener, full of dynamic guitars and a Robert Plant-esque vocal approach from frontman, Danny Slaviero. There was a decent crowd coming into the venue by this stage and the combination of great lead work from guitarist Ben Anderson and engaging choruses lent itself to a fine live performance. This was even more the case with the addition of fun aspects like bassist Jay Pittas amusingly playing his instrument between the legs of Slaviero. Definitely a band to keep an eye out for!

Atomic Riot. Wow, what can I say? Theirs is a name I’ve heard floating around for quite a while in the Australian live scene, but had never had the pleasure of catching live before until now. They almost stole the night for me, to be honest. Atomic Riot’s performance was chock full of vibrant, live energy; humour; great crowd interaction; and, one of the best live five-pieces I’ve seen to date. Like with Ablaze, Atomic Riot are also inspired by the metal and rock acts of the ’70s and ’80s (with an aesthetic here similar to Guns N’ Roses), with a few of the musicians, such as vocalist, Ash Lightning, even dressing with a ’70s aesthetic to his look. Atomic Riot’s music and their stage show was on-point in virtually every aspect. Perhaps even more so than Lagerstein in ways, Atomic Riot used the tiny Cherry Bar stage better than any other band this evening. It wasn’t a hindrance to them at all, or, at the least, they didn’t make it appear as if it was. Ash Lightning would cry out to the crowd, swing the microphone in the air like a lasso, and offer amusing bits of dialogue between his engaging live performance. After they’d begun their show with a few odd, but entertaining quotes from 2007’s Transformers movie (inspired by a test from guitarist Alex “Road Rage” Richo‘s sound effects tube that was attached to his mic – something that gave his backing vocals a Bon Jovi feel to them), they came out like a bat out of hell.

From the moment go, it was bang on: from the stellar fretwork by twin leads, Drew Suhr and Alex Richo, to the drumming from Nick Caligula; further, to how none of the band members took themselves at all too seriously. Along with a surprise moment that had ‘Mother Junkst’ from Lagerstein jump up on stage for “Dance With the Devil” and get bassist Tommy Sunset to do a beer bong, the last song “Whiskey Business” had members of Atomic Riot and the crowd swig from a full bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label (you can guarantee it was emptied by the end). Ending with Richo hoisted up on the shoulders of a punter and shredding his guitar around the pit, Atomic Riot’s set came to a close with grins wide on the faces of many.

Opening with “Raise Your Steins”, as the headliner of the evening, Lagerstein knew exactly how to get their audience going. Within minutes, the pit was already bouncing and a shoey-off saw the Port side of the pit win the round to the sounds of “Slocken The Rum”. As is always the case with a Lagerstein show, it was a set full of party times, drinking, and craziness aplenty. I’m sure I speak for many when I say we wouldn’t have it any other way. Managing to make the Cherry Bar feel huge, Lagerstein used the limited capacity room to its fullest. Even with their lineup consisting of the seven members that it does (the newest addition being bassist, Poon Goat), it didn’t hinder them in the slightest. You had a great Judas Priest-esque moment where ‘The Majestic Beast’ (lead guitar), ‘Neil Rummy Rackers’ (rhythm guitar) and Mother Junkst (violin/keytar) all headbanged in unison at the front of the stage while playing their instruments, alongside an entertaining bout where everyone tried to search for a ‘missing’ Neil. The search then led into an hilarious display as vocalist ‘Captain Gregarrr’ moped about the pit as people followed him in a growing circle. Before long they found Neil and sung along to the track, “German Fun Times”.

Everywhere you would look, you’d see people filling every inch of the Cherry Bar. It was great to see a Lagerstein show (and a local show as a whole, for that matter) receive such great attention and numbers. The crowd was fully invested in the party times of the pirate metal band, and as the the wall of death during “Down The Hatch” demonstrated, weren’t hesitant either to let the smallness of the venue diminish the enjoyable chaos of a Lagerstein gig. There was nary a moment I could fault with Lagerstein’s set, with about the only instance that comes to mind being Lagerstein’s performance of “Drink The Rum”. It saw Gregarrr lose a bit of his steam whilst singing the speedy chorus. His vocals fell into a flatter note that was rather less energetic than the studio version and was noticeably audible, but honestly, this is nit-picking at best. No one really cared, and it was obvious with the smallness of the stage, coupled with the frenetic energy and heat that was filling the room, that is the cause for his intermediate rest. Thankfully, however, his live capacity returned soon after anyhow, so it didn’t really affect their overall performance. For the most part, Captain Gregarrr owned every moment he was on stage and had us, his ‘crew’, in the palm of his hands.

As the night came to a close with the sea shanty, “Drink ‘Til We Die” and “Beer Bong Song”, the crowd-demanded encore of “one more song!” led into “Land of Bundy”. Wrapping up the night’s proceedings in wonderful style, it saw Gregarrr climb up the steps from the pit area to a nearby railing where he urged a crowd surf. It paid off in brilliant style. Here’s to the next time the S.S. Plunderberg sets sail!

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