Review: Trail of Dead, 10th September, Manning Bar

The What: Trail of Dead at the Manning yo. Supports from Grand Fatal and Further.

Further: Were good as always. They’re still rockin’ the flannos and beards and they’re still Sydney’s angriest post punk band. As usual, lots of stuff off Punk Rock Vampires and Tactics but nothing off Further! How were Grand Fatal? Great I’m sure, but I got there too late.

And it begins: Conrad & Co. starts with the intro Ode To Isis off Worlds Apart followed by the bizarre opening choice of the epic 16-minute Strange News From Another Planet. This time around there’s only one drum kit but just like always there’s plenty of instrument swapping going on. Singer jumps on drums, drummer jumps on guitars, other guitarist jumps on drums etc.

Overall: There’s a messiness to the tone of the night, not in a bad way but in a pure punk rock way. Lots of angst builds up to Will  You Smile Again? and How Near How Far. Pogoing ensues. The newish bass player Autry Fulbright II is damn cool too, looking like a young De La Rocha he plays a mean low end.

In Melbourne: they didn’t play Another Morning Stoner but tonight they do, and it’s so fucking great my face nearly melts off. There’s also Caterwaul, It Was There That I Saw You and Richter Scale Madness. Indeed, a nice mix of material. Luckily not anything off So Divided because let’s face it, it’s not a very good album. (at least I don’t think they played anything off it 0_O )

The verdict: These dudes always put on a killer live show. It’s also great that it was at the Manning Bar this time around coz it felt a lot more intimate. There was even a crowd-stage-rush at the end. Rock and/or roll indeed.

Rating: