Yes, it was late February and yes, the inaugural Soundwave festival dragged the scene to yet another park to enjoy another full day of music and ringing ears. This time it was the punk/metal crowd’s turn, and the burgeoning lineup of US-based bands ensured the first outing of this festival would be a must-see for scene teens and older folk keen for the nostalgia of the recycled lineup of past Vans Warped Tours (Deftones, Suicidal Tendencies, MxPx, Unwritten Law and two-thirds of Blink 182 disguised as +44.) The oldies stayed in the pub to wait for their heroes while the kids donned plastic ponchos and braved the wind to see their scene in action.
Settling into the day after sussing out the layout of the place, I was charmed by the first band I saw - As Tall As Lions. They used their late inclusion on the tour and their early spot on the bill to win over the kids, playing infectious, Death Cab-meets-Arcade Fire indie rock replete with fitted suits potentially borrowed from The Strokes. Next door the crowd swelled as MxPx set up on the parallel stage, and as the first chord was played and the first pick was thrown to the pit it was clear that nostalgia was alive and well. MxPx were always well received in Australia, but clearly this hasn’t extended to their new material which was largely ignored by the otherwise frenzied crowd. The sound let them down and the rain poured but this didn’t stop the huge singalongs of Chick Magnet and Responsibility, with closer Punk Rawk Show capping off a loose but entertaining set.
Oh, Unwritten Law – what has become of you. Another lineup change, a lame rehashed greatest hits release (re-recorded with the new members, for some reason) and another Australian tour years after their relevancy was brought to question with 2002’s Elva. Their performance, while competent, was drowned out by frontman Scott Russo’s posturing, swagger and ragged vocals, paying homage to a flat Chris Cornell rather than the clarity and presence of the band’s earliest work. Meanwhile, anticipation was building for Parkway Drive and by the time the Gimme A D began most of the festival was surrounding the smallish stage, relegating pop-punkers Houston Calls to an embarrassingly small crowd on Stage Two. The clouds parted and the sun emerged as PWD launched into a predictable but satisfying set, engaging the massive crowd with their familiar technical proficiency and Winston’s brutal (and now deeper) vocals.
The anticipation was huge as Thrice hit the stage, this being only their second trip to Australia, only Sydney show and the first trip here since the acclaimed Vhiessu was released in ‘05. The generous set times (60 mins) allowed Thrice to ease their way into an explosive set, covering much ground off The Artist in the Ambulance as well as some moodier, mathy tracks off Vhiessu (including the phenomenally restrained Red Sky). The kids up the front stood in awe as their favourite songs – Stare at the Sun, Image of the Invisible, Silhouette among others – were played flawlessly and without pretension. Even a temporary power failure during the epic Cold Cash and Colder Hearts did not break the spell; it was a spine-tingling, powerhouse performance.
Behind Crimson Eyes showed the US bands how generic we can be in the following timeslot, allowing most punters to queue for some awful food (Dagwood Dogs are NOT dinner) or start gathering on the next stage for +44. I think BCEs’ singer exhorting the crowd to yell “George Bush is f**ked” (in a quasi-American accent) was my breaking point. Meanwhile, the set up of the fluorescent, see-through drum kit stirred opinions amongst the kids in the ‘will Travis Barker play Soundwave’ debate, coming as a result of an injury sustained on the European leg of the +44 tour. Appearing onstage, though, was a fill-in who mimicked Travis’ parts well. Mark, sporting a floppy faux-hawk, was clearly glad to be playing back in Australia and raced through a polished but sterile set with his accomplished bandmates. Having only one album though led to predictability in the song selection, and I couldn’t help but feel Mark was tying too hard to establish his current project’s musical credentials and distance himself from the fun of Blink 182. The teenage girls around me didn’t seem to mind, though.
Talk about anticipation. Suicidal Tendancies, touring here for the first time since the ’99 Warped Tour, were the band on everyone’s lips for the day – everybody suddenly becoming a fan and one-upping each other on the level on fanaticism. It was easy to spot the pre-Trujillo fans though; older guys that spent the day in the beer tent wearing original merch suddenly appearing, watching the band with arms folded and nostalgic satisfaction. Joining them were the new breed of hardcore kids, keen to gain an insight into what the scene once was and ready to hear the wisdom of cult figure ‘Cyco Miko’. His sermonising and positive message was welcome in a nihilistic scene, and his voice held the weight of authority given the band’s alleged early gangland connections and run-ins with the law. The music was fast, loud and short, with the epic shouted choruses that characterised early hardcore from its punk beginnings. Mike Muir got a kid up wearing a Suicidal shirt during the last song, after which he was joined by 50 or 60 attention-seekers keen to get closer to their hardcore pariah.
The nostalgia continued as the Deftones capped off a long day, playing their seasoned (read: dated) brand of late 90s sing-metal. With My Own Summer playing in the distance as I made my way back down King St I forgot the festival’s easily-fixed shortcomings (food selection, beer lines, sound issues) and remembered a day that could easily become a summer festival institution for the punk/metal scene.
Woodford Folk Festival 2008 
Michael Franti and Spearhead
One World Music
