Few Australian bands get away with touring as often as Dead Letter Circus without a new album to support them. However, whenever the progressive quintet make an appearance in Melbourne, the band’s dedicated fanbase flock to them.
This particular sold-out show at the Corner Hotel offered Melbournites a final opportunity to party to the tunes of 2010’s This Is The Warning and the band’s two well-loved EPs, all before setlist space is doubtlessly sacrificed for their sophomore full-length, set for release later this year
The night’s proceedings started with Sydney rockers Self Is A Seed, promoting their new album Siren. The youngsters attracted a decent-sized crowd and captured the largely unfamiliar audience’s attention with some impressive progressive jams.
Andrew Haszard and Nathan Tuffin kept a tight core and provided steady drive on bass and drums respectively, but further developments in melody and vocal prowess are needed for the band to make a serious impact. Nonetheless, they were an enjoyable support and certainly pack potential.
The venue was nearing capacity by the time Breaking Orbit took the stage. The Sydney quartet’s immersive debut LP Time Traveller has sparked a lot of interest and the band’s slot appeared to be the icing on the cake for a lot of Dead Letter Circus fans.
Weaving a web of gorgeous melodic complexity ensnared in polyrhythmic drive, the band received a well-deserved reaction to each song performed. Album title track “Time Traveller” was chosen to close the band’s set, and it was particularly joyful to experience. A Karnivoolesque melodic bass line opened the seven-minute progressive tirade that hit like a juggernaught.
Vocalist Matt Quayle paused midway through to let the crowd know about Breaking Orbit’s June headline tour, and based on crowd response it was evident that the band had won themselves a new legion of fans.
Performances by headliners Dead Letter Circus are now so consistently brilliant that personal gripes usually come down to trivial things like songs omitted from the set list. This could be seen as testament to their abilities considering they have less than 20 individual tracks available for purchase, yet still perform a dozen live.
The band opened with “Here We Divide” and the audience took the title literally – splitting in half as a manic mosh pit quickly fired up to the now-familiar intro. Next up was fan favourite “The Mile”, which inspired a huge sing-along as Kim Benzie’s powerful vocals cut through the chaotic jam.
The aptly named “Reaction” received a big one, and new single “Wake Up” was equally well received. A wildcard was thrown with “Tremors” from the Next In Line EP, and the ensuing vibe was evidence of the number of hardcore fans in the room.
The band introduced the crowd to a new song entitled “The Catalyst Fire”, which felt like a natural progression on everything the band have done in the past – don’t expect any major revolts or curveballs when the band roll out their new album.
The climatic “Lines” had heads banging, while “One Step” attracted the most enthusiastic sing-along of the night. “Next In Line” brought an end to a well-balanced and well-delivered set, and although Dead Letter Circus didn’t return for an encore, nobody felt cheated.
Even with hugely popular single “Big” missing from the set list, everyone seemed perfectly content with what they had just experienced. Unique, immersive and impeccably tight, these masters of progressive rock never leave a great deal to be desired.
