Review: Story Of The Year @ The Gov
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album Page Avenue, Story of the Year turned it one for Adelaide audiences with a gig nobody will forget in a hurry.
Words by Belinda Quick | Images by Justin White
Once upon a time, a band of brothers journeyed far from home. Sharing music and messages with the world, they found friends and legions of followers, yet they always knew… the time would come to return to Page Avenue.
Like a fairytale come to life, Story of the Year returned to Australia to celebrate their dazzling debut album, Page Avenue. Turning 20 years young, the kings of hardcore rock were joined by kinsmen Senses Fail, commemorating their own album anniversary, and Australia’s princes of the emo scene Behind Crimson Eyes, saying one more hello before waving goodbye.
The ‘Game of Life’ has not aged Behind Crimson Eyes. After two decades together, they still seem fresh-eyed, as if just beginning the narration of ‘Chapter 1’. Perfectly in step with each other's dance, it's hard to believe the band’s story isn’t a new romance. As if reading my mind, vocalist Josh Stuart invites the audience to “pretend it's 2005 - when skinny jeans were in and we all had an emo fringe,” before screaming ‘The Bonesmen’s’ cry: “Do you wanna be a part of this?”
No ‘Empty Promises’ tonight, although there was a pause to recognise Behind Crimson Eyes’ impending retirement. With praise for those “singing along to the old ones,” we were foretold the arrival of one final EP and headline tour before they unleashed upon their subjects the new single, ‘Dead.Drop.Dead.’ Lifting ‘The Black Veil’ and asking the mirror to “let me hear you” one last time, Adelaide reverberated back, “Don’t fuck with us,” we're here for the ‘Shakedown’.
Entering in true cinematic style, Senses Fail went from Tarantino to ‘Tie Her Down’ in seconds flat. Like being touched by a fairy godmother's wand, Senses Fail are another outfit defiant of their age, celebrating a 20-year album anniversary of their own. Let It Unfold You played sequentially in its entirety and was a fantastic treat for tonight's Cinderellas.
On and off stage it may be true that ‘Rum is for Drinking, Not for Burning’ but things were heating up. Oozing with charisma, Buddy Nielson pushed the accelerator unrelentingly; “Adelaide smells like fun,” so we can either bring it or ‘Choke on It’. The New Jersey natives had come a long way to be here for this magical night. Whether ‘Slow Dance’ or wild frenzy, these Prince Charmings won the spoils in the end.
It was no glass slipper, but Nielson, after bargaining a reward for an emphatic verse of Australia's national anthem, did perform a shoey. Finishing up their final pages, another theatrical ‘Bang Bang’ interlude from Kill Bill ironically teased the arrival of tonight's headliners. With ‘Martini Kiss’, Sense Fail’s cover closed, figuratively and literally.
With good vibrations and hero energy, Story of the Year finally took the protagonist's place. As they ‘Dive Right In’, Dan Marsala promised to ‘Divide & Conquer’ and “have some more fun tonight.”
Despite being “old as fuck,” SOTY came to start a ‘War’ where the victories of the old world would be rejoiced, “even the ones we don't really like,” while the arrival of a new era would be acknowledged. Releasing new music last year more potent than ever, the Knights in shining armour proved there are plenty more ‘Burning Years’ in their storyline.
In a rare performance, ‘Swallow the Knife’ stepped onto golden ‘Sidewalks’. Firefly lights illuminated the mists of Avalon between crowd and stage for a beautiful moment before being set alight again with the penultimate title track from the band’s most recent release Tear Me To Pieces. With nostalgic inflection and modern spin, this night had given the effect of ‘Falling’ in a dream.
Like all good fairytales, the pea must eventually wake the princess and Rapunzel's braid lowered to climb back down to earth. ‘Until the Day I Die’ though, this night's story will live… happily ever after.
Check out the full gallery of images here.
