Live Review: ERRA Dominates Melbourne – Spotlight Report
“I hope you know how influential your country is to our music and this scene, Australia. It always was, and goddamn this has been, a dream…”
There are very few experiences in life which I fear missing out on anymore. With tireless work ethic, everyone is capable of achieving any aspiration they Wish; with a little luck and fortuitous timing also, dreams can become reality.
Concurrently, a Glimpse into the universe and its workings faithfully reassure me that while some things are not meant for us all, one should never Vanish Canvas on its limits; remain ever open, to life’s most unimaginable moments and manifestations that are always here and never far from reach.
Tonight is testament to these beliefs. Exhaustion from first flying to Sydney on Saturday for KNOTFEST and an early morning venture to Melbourne for tonight’s unmissable occasion melts away. In ERRA, I’ve found my Cure, ‘a failsafe’ for any ailment.
Under the starry skies of The Forum’s ceiling, as tonight’s sub-healiner attests and I concur, “the most beautiful venue in the world” welcomes hundreds of like-minded, fanciful individuals into its hallowed and palatial halls. Lined with statues of David, crowned by peaks of crystalline turrets across its Shakespearean stage, its physicality would be enough but the experience itself exceeds any expectation.
MIRRORS’ Paddy Goodman has dreamed of this moment also. The Melbourne locals opening a typically four-act metalcore event, attending so many shows here, now share the stage and slip into Automata.
“For those that came out early, our truest fans, this is the first time” Vestige is played live.
Bassist Jake Mackin emerges from the dark for the bridge, eliciting goosebumps in their Cold Sanctuary, and, standing above the crowd, Goodman’s duality is illuminated Beneath the Sand, as Mirrors Leave Them All Behind in the sixth and final, Rebirth.
RESOLVE begins with but is braver and bolder than Human. Lyon’s lethal quartet has an insatiable Bloodlust, commanding The Forum’s stage, as they reportedly did in Adelaide last night, with energy defiant of Australian debutants. Anthony Dilberto attesting, “All around the world, this is our favourite country to visit so far. If you don’t know us, welcome; Death Awaits!”
The moshpit whirlpool swirling, Resolve throws Molotov cocktails and asks, “do you want to hear some heavy shit”, as if we haven’t already. Bassist, Robin Mariat, stands aside Dilberto as they dually enter Sandman, and Smile during the brutal breakdown of the penultimate track. Older Days closes our introduction to the new garrison, this will undoubtedly be the first of many tours for the Frenchmen.
SILENT PLANET are arguably as anticipatedly expected as the headliners tonight; the Lights of the Coast flickering and foreshadowing an Offworlder experience. Mitchell Stark’s unique guitar wail the Collider between reality and Euphoria, Nick Pocock demands; “When this kicks in I wanna see you go fucking crazy!” Pitch black off, and without a speck of front lighting on, stage, they lead the way, viciously headbanging to Dreamwalker.
Syncopatedly rapping the mic stand, Russell calls out: “If you know it, let me hear it!” as Antimatter’s unmistakable intro turns the Forum into a Panic Room momentarily; every patron choosing between clapping as instructed, holding (like myself) head in hands, or capturing the moment that fate almost prevented. Resetting the collective Mindframe, Silent Planet :SIGNAL: their comparability with ancient gods via Anunnaki, calling for a Panopticon circlepit.
The former is dedicated to a trio of our country’s greatest genreists, the final Russell “wrote in a mental hospital after I tried to take my own life. This is for anyone out there who might be feeling the same – you have so many people and so much to live for”; Trilogy aptly closes the supporting acts’ sentiments tonight.
I have never expected special treatment; my life is privileged enough. More than so, gosh, just to ‘slip back into my silhouette’ and be another face amongst the crowd tonight would be fine. Yet, I’m tapped on the shoulder by The Forum’s manager Jesse and escorted to a booth – lucky 13 – for the evening’s conclusion.
Beyond all imagination, what ensues is a Slow Sour Bleed of ERRA‘s discography, in celebration of Cure but also the band’s breadth, shared truly with every individual that joins the luminaries tonight.
From my vantage point, clean vocalist and guitarist, Jesse Cash, first exhales to ‘breathe in the smoke’. My Pale Iris pulsates, as conniption-inducing strobes disguise the entrance of JT Cavey. The action shooter takes full flight in Gungrave, and, willingly ‘trapped inside this room’, Clint Tustin conducts his first of several amazing guitar solos.
Cavey reminds us of the gods of war’s extensive history and his tectonic role in ERRA thereafter: “I’ve been a part of this band since 2016, and, to this day, I think this is my favourite to sing”. Enjoying the Drift for only a moment, Melbourne is immediately stung by 2021’s Scorpion Hymn. Cash and Tustin standing akimbo across the stage, the crowd rises and falls in time to the beautiful Blue Reverie from 2024’s album of the year.
Planting an Alpha Seed connecting the paternal twins who share the night, Cash articulates ‘it can’t be a dream, if it’s not with you’, reiterating the camaraderie between ERRA and Silent Planet Thornhill, Void of Vision & Alpha Wolf which was formerly addressed.
The title track causing chaos, those on stage, in the pit and within accompanying accommodations Crawl Backwards Out of Heaven. With “hope you’ve got something left in the chamber” Cash introduces his favourite and the major set’s closer, Snowblood.
‘Dead and sound awake’, a call for one more song, is met with a plea to “make some noise for Mirrors and Resolve”; supplementation for the band “We’ve known and toured with for every chapter of our band”, Silent Planet. “Having too good a time, let’s keep going”, Cash announces the encore “is for the old fans; this is our” Rebirth together – artists and appreciators as one.
A night planned but inconceivable, reappearing en masse into the Melbourne Skyline, I’m reassured. Never fear missing a moment, for via music there’s so much more waiting; experiences that even the most Idle Wild mind could ever imagine, if only we dare to dream.
