Machine Head had the Canberran metalhead crowd partying on a school night as they hit the UC Refectory. We were there to capture it all.
It’s Good Things week and it’s a heavy music party all around the country – and Canberra was no different on Wednesday as Machine Head lit up the stage at the UC Refectory.
From the opening chords of ‘Imperium’, a chill was sent through the crowd, quickly erupting into chaos. What ensued was more than two hours of mosh madness, circle pits, singalongs, and a buttload of riffage.
‘Ten Ton Hammer’ saw inflatable hammers thrown into the crowd, with bonking encouraged, but the emotional range of Machine Head’s setlist went far beyond stank face and crowd shenanigans.
Performing as a self-dubbed ‘power trio’ for this tour, singer/guitarist Robb Flynn, bassist/backing vocalist Jared MacEachern and drummer Matt Alston were firing on all cylinders. Robb’s commanding of the crowd was masterful, as always, and on top of being an absolute riff machine, fans had the rare pleasure of witnessing him bust out the solos for every song, letting his full range of talent shine.
Jared did a wonderful job of backing Robb up on vocals, both melodic and aggressive, on top of his bass wizardry, as he prowled the stage from end to end. Matt went into total beast mode behind the kit, providing those killer fills and pounding double kicks that fans know and love so much.
Machine Head fans were treated to a couple of acoustic numbers in ‘Circle The Drain’ and ‘Darkness Within’, as Robb beared his soul prior to the latter’s performance, a beautiful, raw and vulnerable moment shared with the crowd.
These ‘Evening With Machine Head’ shows are known for taking wild turns and Wednesday was no different, seeing some deep cuts thrown in, including ‘Catharsis’ and ‘Is Anybody Out There?’ Add to the mix classics like ‘Davidian’ and ‘Halo’, as well as the whole crowd crouching down and then exploding into chaos during ‘Outsider’, and you’ve got one hell of a show.
Robb shared his excitement to perform ‘Outsider’ on this tour, as he actually wrote the lyrics last Time Machine Head toured Australia. It was a cherry on top and one of many truly touching and personal moments of the night.
Machine Head have long set the bar for their live shows and Wednesday was another hit right out of the park. High expectations well and truly met and an absolute blast had by all.
Check out the gallery from Machine Head’s performance below, with photos (and words) by Ben Gunzberg.
Machine Head @ UC Refectory, Canberra Gallery
RELATED
MORE IN News
