Photo: Elleni Toumpas

The faithful mass packs the front of The Zoo’s stage early tonight, while the rest of us (the unfaithful?) hang around the bar. Regardless of proximity to the stage, tonight’s crowd are united in their anticipation of the arrival of local boys made good Dead Letter Circus. Coming onstage with the specified intent to “warm the crowd up”, Melbourne three-piece Black Devil Yard Boss set about doing just that. Their set is full of orchestrated hand clapping, prompted raising of devil horns and instructed bouts of cheering for said headliners. In between frontman Pete Williamson’s exhaustive promotion of Dead Letter Circus (dude would seriously give Don King a run for his money), his band, comprised of ex-Mammal drummer Zane Rosanoski and ex-Pete Murray’s Stonemasons bassist Michael Davids, struggle to find their feet on stage. A mishmash of heavy industrial drumming, traditional blues riffs and a bunch of seemingly incongruent sounds, Black Devil Yard Boss’s time on stage shouldn’t be as well received as it is. Much of the band’s redemption can be credited to Williamson’s solos and groovy guitar freak-outs. Where sections of songs seem out of place, Williamson’s stoned out, blues rock leads anchor the band’s small catalogue of songs.

Against a backdrop of nauseating, headache-inducing strobe lights, Brisbane’s latest rock sensation, Dead Letter Circus, launch into their set over the frighteningly devoted cheers from the mosh pit. As frontman Kim Benzie’s voice warms up during the early stages of the band’s set, his voice is matched, perhaps not in pitch, but certainly in fervour by those crammed against the stage. The dynamic richness of the This Is The Warning material eases from The Zoo’s P.A. tonight. DLC exude charisma and their fans walk away from the show only more enamoured with their new favourite band.

TOM HERSEY

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