Walking into the Zoo on Thursday night felt like walking into a haunted house. From the crowd clad in much leather, face paint, and coloured hair to the stage draped in cobwebs, skulls, and candles, it almost felt like it was Halloween…
However still being a few days short of All Hallow’s Eve, the venue was instead celebrating the music of Wednesday 13, and with a sold out crowd it sure was going to be a big night to begin with.
Out for his second visit to Australia for the year, Joseph Poole (Wednesday 13), was here to bring his rock/horror punk music to the masses on the back of his latest release Spook And Destroy. Along for the ride was Brisbane’s very own Darkc3ll who gave one hell of an opening set to really get the crowd in the mood.
From the moment the band hit the stage, the heavy distortion immediately rattled your very insides, while the spooky keys intro sent tingles up your spine.
Wearing makeup and costumes that looked like they had come straight from a zombie walk, Darkc3ll got off to an awesome start informing the crowd that it was time to ‘get a little psycho’.
The driving guitar riffs and bass made it feel like your ear drums were going to explode whilst the drums came pounding on your body like a cannonball. The vocals from lead singer J.Dracman switched between a low growl and an ear piercing scream. Closing their set with raw power and some sweet guitar licks, Darkc3ll delivered a barrage of rock that almost left you crippled from its intensity.
If that wasn’t enough, Wednesday 13 followed shortly to finish the job. With fists, devil horns and raised middle fingers everywhere throughout the Zoo, the band took to the stage, somehow managing to take it up yet another notch.
Playing a set filled with wicked guitar solos, gut wrenching screams and lyrics about corpses, zombies, and cremation – Wednesday 13 delivered one of the best sets that this reviewer has seen at the small and intimate venue.
Keeping the crowd jumping, head banging and incredibly sweaty, the band ripped through a set filled with songs such as “Calling All Corpses”, “Home Sweet Homicide” and “I Wanna Be Cremated”.
The sound throughout the Zoo was at its best with crystal clear sounds on all instruments from the driving guitar riffs to the thumping drums, (how the venue is still standing is anyone’s guess). Ending their main set on “I Walked With A Zombie”, the band soon returned to the famous ‘Imperial March’ from Star Wars with top hats and machine guns.
The ever so theatrical Wednesday 13 gave the crowd what they wanted to hear with “Rambo”, “I Love To Say Fuck” and “Bad Things” as he closed out an incredible and monstrous set that left fans screaming for more.
