Dead Letter Circus

w/ Black Devil Yard Boss & Quiet Child

The Gov, Adelaide – Saturday September 11

Adelaide’s own Quiet Child take the stage at approximately half eight. I am not going to lie… Listening to them is like stepping on a piece of Lego – it hurts. Surprisingly, they won Triple J Unearthed in 2008, scoring themselves a spot at the Big Day Out, and have previously shared the stage with the likes of The Butterfly Effect, Cog, Mammal and Sleep Parade. As they play, I can’t help but wonder where the musical cohesion is at – their sound is reminiscent of lunch-time high school jam sessions. It is riff after riff and guitar solo after guitar solo – but little in between. Lyrically, they leave a lot to be desired, and there is too much vocal feedback. If the goal of an opening act is to warm up the crowd, Adelaide is ice-cold. Quiet Child simply lack stage presence, and several punters release sighs of relief as the band wrap up their set after indulging in a grandiose epic that threatens to continue until the audience enter the third age. They do, however, look like they would rock a mean Guitar Hero, and to their credit, do appear to enjoy being on stage.

Enter Black Devil Yard Boss, a tricycle of raw rock potential onto a stage bathed in red lighting. Hailing from Melbourne, BDYB possess an all-star line up consisting of vocalist Pete Williamson (ex-Mammal), drummer Zane Rosanoski (ex-Mammal) and guitarist Michael ‘Big D’ Davids (ex-Pete Murray’s Stonemasons). Alternative, rock, funk, rockabilly, blues; BDYB cross these genres convincingly, and with the amount of energy these guys possess, one would think they work for AGL. I’m curious as to whether they awoke with any injuries this morning, following their vigorous and persistent on-stage antics… The intrinsic unity of the band shines through their music and sprinkles over the crowd like a handful of crispy M&Ms. These boys have the catchy (if a little cliché) lyrics, glistening riffs, thumping bass-lines and soul-tearing percussion sorted.  This is agreeable rock at its best – sometimes reminiscent of the Foo Fighters (but oh-so-much better, which, as we know, isn’t difficult…).

Pete stands over the crowd, playing guitar behind his head, and subsequently with his teeth. He has morphed into quite the charismatic front-man, complete with a pre-show warm up dance and great vocal abilities. Michael’s jeans are tight, but his bass-lines thankfully tighter. He stamps the stage with his military boots as he thumbs the bass, complimenting Zane’s drumming. Zane can only be described as a weapon of mass destruction, a drumming force to be reckoned with. I’m fairly certain that at birth, doctors inserted a percussion chip into his neck. The king of percussion, topless, sweats over his skins as he provides a relentless rock assault. There is no other foreseeable explanation for his innate ability to rock the kit. Pete jokes that Zane joined the “dark-side” yesterday (when he signed up to Facebook), and urges the audience to add him, as he currently only has “two friends”. Tracks Fiver In My Pocket and One Dead Letter are standout tunes. Who comes out to play when the sun goes down? These three rock devils from Victoria. If you would like a powerful rock n roll kick to the teeth, catch them soon.

Waiting for Brisbane’s Dead Letter Circus isn’t so bad with the likes of Cog and Karnivool playing over the PA. I notice the 40 centimetre gap between the barrier and the stage, and shudder to think where the ensuing crowd-surfers will land… There is complete darkness for several minutes, then flashes of blue (police, anymore?), before the lads from DLC grace the stage. Punters down the front are crushed, and the sold-out crowd appears too dense to be contained within the confines of the Gov. Dressed in what appears to be an unofficial uniform of skinny black jeans and black shirts, the boys open with The Drum , simultaneously spooky and melodic. It sets the audience on fire. The mosh is an overflowing sandwich of individuals, all of whom appear utterly captivated by DLC.

The light show is epileptic and it is not long before waves of crowd-surfers are awkwardly flung into the small space beyond the barrier. Due to the absence of security up front, one falls directly onto an unfortunate and unsuspecting photographer. After flying over the crowd and clumsily flopping onto the stage, one punter takes this opportunity to cavort on stage, kissing lead singer Kim Benzie and hugging other members, all whilst the band attempts to play. Security are quick to dispose of him. The mosh is relentless for the remainder of the night and I spot looks of worry on younger faces as they are slammed into the barrier. Frontman Kim states: “You’re a rowdy bunch tonight!”

Five songs in, DLC offer hit single Big. It has been widely rotated on JJJ, and tonight’s rendition is nothing short of musical perfection. The crowd sing loud and clear, the overall vibe beguiling. The opening chords of The Mile, and its ensuing lyrical whirlwind transport Adelaide right back to 2007. The vocals caress our ears like the words of a contented lover, and then proceed to shatter them with an adept punch of angst. Kim teems with stage presence. His dimples shine as he delivers stand-out performances across all songs. The conviction he conveys whilst singing increases the humility of the band, as does Stewart Hill’s tendency to passionately mouth the lyrics. He wears the t-shirt of Black Devil Yard Boss, his fingers frantically sliding over the frets as he delivers the bass-lines thick and fast on his 5-string. Tonight  Tom Skerlj joins the boys on guitar and keys. Rob Maric on guitar seems somewhat disconnected from the rest of the band, his expression relatively unchanging throughout the show. Topless drummer Luke Williams (ex-Melodyssey) is the backbone of the band, and if you were squinting, or the mist from the smoke machines had fogged up your contact lenses, you would be forgiven for mistaking him for Iggy Pop.

Apply and Disconnect, from the 2007 EP is a clear standout. The audience sing “See you at work on Monday” with fervour. The tune is given a clever, slightly-reggae spin towards the end. Similarly brilliant is newbie One Step, from 2010’s This Is The Warning. Lines is offered as the first of the two-song encore and Kim dedicates it to “the crew who saw us at the Cranker, all 10 of you!”. Dead Letter Circus have undoubtedly made their first move, and have decided to be conscious and God of each moment. Adelaide averages two crowd-surfers per song, and all arms are in the air. Punters are awake with love and reverence. Some of the boys from Quiet Child and BDYB join DLC on stage to perform the closing track, This Is The Warning. Each has a drum, and the stage is teeming with talent. The last of the crowd-surfers hit the floor during this epic jam, during which percussion dominates and makes for a remarkable aura.

What happens if you look a bear straight in the eye? I don’t know. What I DO know, however, is how amazing Dead Letter Circus are. Catch them when they support Muse in Brisbane later this year.

Setlist:
The Drum
Here We Divide
This Long Hour
Cage
Big
The Mile
Reaction
Alien
Disconnect and Apply
One Step
The Space On The Wall
Next In Line

Encore:
Lines
This Is The Warning

Photo by Melissa Donato