FEATURE: KYS at Soundwave - Sydney

As the sun began rising last Sunday morning, thousands upon thousands begin gearing up for what’s, without doubt, one of the biggest dates on any punk, rock, metal or hardcore fan’s gig calendar. With an impressively eclectic lineup featuring the likes of Green Day, Alice in Chains, AFI and around 90 others taking over Sydney’s Olympic Park, punters were treated to what’s consistently one of the most successful festivals in the country.

Walking through the gate, (to the credit of the staff, a quick and painless process) that familiar atmosphere of Soundwave day is inescapable. From the distant sound of electric guitars, to the warmth of one of the last sunny Summer days of the season. From the strong musk of greasy festival food to the innumerable crowds of people who, despite whatever differences they may have, all share a common love for loud music, nothing feels quite as Soundwave as Soundwave - for plenty, it’s good to be home.

For KYS, the day is kicked off with Scottish alt-rockers Biffy Clyro, who eschew some of their more demure numbers in favour of an amplified, energised rock set. Running through tracks from new album ‘Opposites’ as well as hits like the impossibly infectious ‘Bubbles’, the boys are a tight, dynamic unit. It’s a solid wake up call for those who – like me – are operating on minimal sleep.

Next up are pop-punk crew The Story So Far. Even at the smaller ‘annex’ stage, one can’t help feel but they’re infinitely better suited to a small club with fans clambering on top of one another – but them’s the breaks, and TSSF manage to make the best of it with guaranteed-singalongs like ‘Roam’ and ‘Quicksand’ performed full of piss and vinegar.

Alkaline Trio are one of my more anticipated sets of the day, and they certainly don’t disappoint. Inside the giant enclosure that houses stage 5, the Trio bust out a killer fan favourites set including a couple deep cuts like ‘My Friend Peter’ and ‘Cringe’. After almost two decades together, the band know how to deliver a short, sweet festival appearance, and despite the energy seemingly lost on the crowd, the Trio mesh together like a well-oiled punk rock machine.

Anticipation is high for AFI. Back for the first time since the release of new album ‘Burials’, the typically bleak quartet feel slightly out of place amongst the sunshine surrounding the stadium. Regardless, their set proves one of the day’s best, as Davey Havok and co. smash out an all-encompassing set that reminds many of both their consistent quality and their forward momentum. Havok is a theatric frontman, diving into the crowd while guitarist Jade Puget and the rest of the band belt out a tight, captivating display of musicianship. Closing with arguably their best-known ‘Miss Murder’, casual fans and longtime listeners alike gather in collectively losing it the instant that familiar bass riff creeps in.

Unsurprisingly, a mammoth crowd has gathered to see the space-borne spectacle that is Gwar. As tends to be the case, it’s not so much about the music. Regardless, they’re easily the most entertaining act of the day. Between raining down gallons of fake blood and decapitating a mannequin that bears a striking resemblance to PM Tony Abbott – which also caused a lot of blood – the costumed alien metallers crank out a wealth of horns-in-the-air thrashers.

With the sun well and truly beating down, the assortment of free water stations, multiple areas of shade and more than sufficient access to first aid tents is testament to the festival’s organization. Learning from the mistakes of 2010’s Eastern Creek heatwave, Soundwave have well and truly redeemed themselves on that front – as they have for the past few years’ iterations.

I head backstage to find several bands in high spirits. Havok – draped just an hour prior in black leather – is in a dashing, avocado green suit from head to toe. I sit down with bandmates Adam Carson and Hunter Burgan to get the scoop on their time at the festival thus far.

“It always feels like a vacation when we come to Australia,” says Carson, acknowledging he’s surrounded by friends like Green Day and Jimmy Eat World.

“It’s a really fun festival. It’s well-organised, and it’s pretty cool when you’re getting on a plane and the plane is full of people in bands. It’s a really mellow touring schedule, you play a couple times a week and it always feels like a vacation when we come to Australia.”

For Burgan, one of the most immediately appealing aspects of the festival is the change in climate. “I was in Portland two weeks ago and there was just inches and inches of snow, and I was snowed in for a couple days. It’s just such a completely different thing.”

I head back to the main stage where A Day to Remember are halfway through their set. I’ve never been a huge fan, but I can’t deny they know how to get a crowd excited, particularly with a fanbase as dedicated as theirs – it’s not too often you hear “We’re going to play a song off our new record” received with such wild cheers. As frontman Jeremy McKinnon saunters above the crowd in a giant human hamster ball, it’s a reminder that the Floridian act are all about engaging – and most importantly, fun - live shows. I’m converted.

Fronted by Deftones’ Chino Moreno, Crosses amass a respectable crowd for their second Australian show ever. As the menacing, ambient electronics that underpin the band’s sound engulf the immediate atmosphere, Moreno demonstrates his signature pipes, with the group debuting tracks from their new, self-titled album. A little less vicious than with the ‘tones, Moreno nevertheless seems pretty comfortable and relaxed and the band are a dynamic, cohesive unit.

Returning to Soundwave, Alice in Chains are tearing the main stage apart with a compelling rendition of ‘Them Bones’ by the time I make it over.  The band feel infinitely more captivating than a few years back, in particular new guitarist/vocalist William DuVall. Replacing Layne Staley is no easy feat, but DuVall now feels less like an unsure ring-in and more like a bold and confident frontman.

Next door, Jimmy Eat World prove themselves a truly rejuvenated rock powerhouse. A generous selection of ‘the hits’, Adkins and band turn those who know little outside of ‘The Middle’ into full-blown fanatics - heartbreakers like ‘Work’ and ‘23’ ensure there’s not a dry eye in the damn audience.

Backstage again we sit down with Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor. Fresh from Brisbane the day before – the band’s first shows in six months – Dailor tells me he, much like AFI, his love for the festival comes down to both seeing friends and having far more ideal weather conditions.

“We’ve had some like, arctic weather, it’s been horrible. You can’t really go outside or do anything, and if you have to go outside and do stuff and drive around, it’s awful. It’s so cold. So this is a nice break from that. Being outside in short sleeve shirts.”

“When you tour constantly, you’re with bands for a couple months and you make really close friends and then you don’t get to see them for a year or two. So you get to see everybody here in one place, so that’s nice.”

I rush to stage 5 where there's a double-header many would've been waiting all day for – Glassjaw, immediately followed by The Dillinger Escape Plan.

Kicking things off, Glassjaw deliver a ferocious set that serves as a firm reminder – Daryl Palumbo is one of the most pissed off dudes on the planet. For real. The band are ten times more in their element live than on record, and as a venom-tongued Palumbo dominates the stage the rest of the quartet are equally as active. Dynamic, raw and unrestrained, Glassjaw are easily one of the more intense sets of the day, right behind the next band…

… Not a minute later, and The Dillinger Escape Plan have begin sinking their teeth into the chaotic math-metal whirlwind that is their live shows. Ben Weinman shreds nonchalantly while walking across a sea of punters’ shoulders – meanwhile, vocalist Greg Puciato is screaming his lungs out at the top of a lighting rig. The band showcase a handful of gems from new album ‘One of Us Is the Killer’ sandwiched between old favourites like ‘Milk Lizard’ and ‘43% Burnt’, with their technical finesse and outright savagery combining to make a freakishly impressive set.

Choosing to cap the night off with the big guns, I manage to catch the tail end of headliners Green Day. Arriving just as the punk vets begin their first of three encores, my first impressions are based off a reliably anthemic ‘American Idiot’ and a soaring rendition of 9-minute punk epic ‘Jesus of Suburbia’. However, there’s no pretense of youthful punk exuberance here; Green Day in 2014 are definitely a stadium band – so it’s just as well they do it pretty damn good.

As Billie Joe steps out sans bandmates, drawing the night to a close with ‘Good Riddance’, the sight of thousands of sweaty, exhausted punters swaying together and belting out every lyric really embodies everything Soundwave is about. Sure, it’s inside an enormous arena. Sure, giant LED lights read “GREEN DAY’. At the end of the day, Soundwave is about people coming together to enjoy music that is “alternative” in one way or another - the tiny human connections made throughout the day come from somewhere that’s entirely sincere. Another year down, and Soundwave has proven once again that despite the pre-festival drama that accompanies each year or the fact timetables are slightly incorrect, (a casualty of early printing and late cancellations) it’s easily one of the best festivals in Australia for heavy music fans. Long live.

Soundwave 2014 continues later this week in Melbourne and Adelaide before wrapping up in Perth.

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Read our full interview with Mastodon's Brann Dailor here.