Photos by Sergio Martin �Spotlight Report
Friday night at Manning Bar was definitely the place to be. With Memphis May Fire returning to Australian shores for the first time in a decade and Atreyu s celebrating twenty years since the release of gamechanger The Curse. Youre damn right it was a big celebration!
First up were Melbournes very own Future Static, I remember seeing these guys when they opened for Electric Callboy in 2023. They had loads of energy then and they sure did on Friday night too. They also have a pretty decent following. Vocalist, Amariah Cook encouraged Sydney to give it their all and show these Americans what is Aussies can do, adding that as it was a Friday night there were no excuses for the mosh pit to not give it their all. Cooks vocals are pretty kick ass too. Shes certainly got talent!
Memphis May Fire wasted no time getting into their set, and spared very little time for pointless banter; they greeted the crowd, encouraged more energy and of course sincerely apologised for the delay in getting back to us, but mostly focused on giving us more music and an epic night. When talking with Spotlight Report earlier in the year, vocalist Matty Mullins promised fans a killer show, Were going to have so much fun and its definitely going to be a better show than whatever you saw 10 years ago. So Im looking forward to giving that to you. And a killer show is exactly what they delivered. From Mattys vocals, which sound like theyre pulled straight off the record, through to their energy, dedication and obvious joy with being back down under. Their setlist was perfection, blending the old and new (and as was promised, some technically old songs that are new to Australians in a live setting). Highlights would absolutely have to include new songs like Shapeshifter, Paralyzed and Chaotic, recent bangers like Misery and of course the old favourites like Vices and Miles Away, which was introduced with a little reminder of Matty and wife Brittanys everlasting love (and a shout out because she was out in the crowd). It was a beautiful moment with a beautiful song before the show ramped back up to the more energetic hits. It was most definitely worth the long wait to see these guys again.
Atreyu were high energy from start to finish, and honestly so was the crowd. It was a blast of nostalgia that took the crowd back to the energy of younger years. Atreyu were keen to get straight into things, throwing themselves into playing The Curse (in full) from the get-go. While Im absolutely still struggling to accept that this album came out two decades ago, its amazing to see the impact these songs have had and continue to have on fans. And they absolutely go off every single time theyre played live. Naturally, it was an incredible setlist comprised of my personal The Curse faves, including Bleeding Mascara, Right Side of the Bed, You Eclipsed by Me and of course The Crimson as well as the brilliant encore songs that we all love, Becoming the Bull Exs and Ohs and Lip Gloss and Black. Brandon is a fantastic vocalist (and drummer when he is at the kit) and brings unbelievable energy to Atreyu shows. Dan Jacobs was as always so bloody good at what he does, playing like a man possessed. Marc McKnight stepped into the Alex-shaped hole brilliantly, and Kyle Rosa was like a madman behind the drum kit. Atreyu is a well-oiled machined at this point in their career, but just because they do what they do so well doesnt mean they arent also good at shaking things up. In addition to the killer setlist, the band made sure the celebration was a fun one, joking around and laughing with the crowd, and Brandon even got into the crowd for The Crimson, making the show feel more intimate and special. Later in their set, Marc placed himself in the centre of a circle pit without missing a beat, which was pretty damn impressive to see. It was pure chaotic goodness.
If you missed this epic night I encourage you to check these bands out when they next hit Sydney. You will not regret it. They put everything they had into giving us all a good Friday night and its no wonder the entire tour is sold out. Im hoping to see bigger venues for Memphis and Atreyu next time they do the rounds as they can both easily pull in larger crowds at this point.
Photos by Sergio Martin �Spotlight Report
