Words & photos – BEN GUNZBURG
It’s been many moons since Greg Puciato last visited our shores, but he’s finally returning to show off his solo material, full band and all. We head into the middle of the city on a hot Melbourne summer night to get even hotter and sweatier with Greg and his cohorts.
First up on this stacked bill is local upstart Post Heaven. Having hit the scene only last year, they’ve hit the ground running and wasted no time warming up the early crowd trickling through. Blending a variety of stylistic influences, we’re treated to catchy licks, heavy breakdowns, and vocals that go from hauntingly beautiful to a piercing shriek in the blink of an eye. A tight performance all round with a captivating frontperson at the helm, Post Heaven is a band with a bright future.
Next up is Trace Amount from Brooklyn, New York. Armed with a synth and a floor tom drum, we’re pulverized from the get-go by this one-man wrecking machine. Heavy industrial beats accompanied by an eerie, menacing drawl, reminiscent of Keith Flint (of The Prodigy) make for a lethal combination. Not for the faint-hearted, the whole set feels like a soundtrack to an intense thriller like 8mm. Fortunately, this crowd is anything but that every beat, drum hit, and shriek is lapped up.
Act number 3 and final support comes from King Yosef, hailing from Portland, Oregon. Upping the ante, we’re treated to more heavy synths as well as the addition of a drummer and guitarist, which all make for another intense set. King Yosef is equally intense and charismatic. Showing us he’s also here for a good time, he encourages the crowd to have a boogie and forego any fear of potential embarrassment. “You don’t have to worry about looking stupid, I’m the one who’s gonna look stupid.” Thumping drums, crunching guitars, eerie electronic sounds, and shrill screams all work in tandem to form a giant ball of catchy sensory overload. I feel like I should be playing Doom and I’m not mad about it.
We’ve barely caught our breath when the lights dim to introduce the man and band of the hour. Kicking the set off with Force Fed, Greg lurks around the stage amidst a sea of strobe lights and unleashes his signature screams on us all, setting the tone for chaos from the get-go. Proving that he can stand on his own two feet with his solo albums, Greg’s live band comes out swinging to back him up. A tight unit with great chemistry, they ebb and flow through the heavy peaks and moody troughs with ease and bring the diverse track selection of his discography to life.
A clear highlight of the set is when it’s revealed that Reba Meyers, guest vocalist on Lowered, is actually on tour with Greg and joins him on stage for an electric rendition of the track. While the two singers have great chemistry together, Greg makes sure to give Reba time to shine on their own during their parts and it’s simply spine-tingling.
A clear highlight of the set is when it’s revealed that Reba Meyers, guest vocalist on Lowered, is actually on tour with Greg and joins him on stage for an electric rendition of the track. While the two singers have great chemistry together, Greg makes sure to give Reba time to shine on their own during their parts and it’s simply spine-tingling.
It’s always interesting to see how artists piece their live sets together, especially with such a diverse discography as Greg’s. They hit all the marks, from Deep Set and Never Wanted That to the more upbeat No More Lives To Go and the intense, erratic set closer in All Waves To Nothing, with the more moody Creator Of God and A Pair Of Questions thrown in for good measure in the encore, the latter having Greg relishing in the brief break from all the insanity. “What a nice change.”
We’re treated to some acapella snippets of various bands throughout the sets, which get the crowd singing along and give us a bit more insight into what makes Greg tick. Amidst lots of requests being yelled out, Greg takes it all in his stride, throwing in a little Dillinger Escape Plan teaser for good measure.
Rounding out the night with Evacuation and a cover of Alice In Chains’ Them Bones, he goes out the way he came in swinging hard. Short of rafters to jump off, Greg still repeatedly finds his way into the crowd and lets us know how much fun he’s having. Greg truly is a unique character and talent, and a night spent in his presence is always a bloody good time. Can’t wait ‘til the next one!
Huge thanks to the crew at Max Watts for having us and Dallas Does PR for arranging media access.
EVERYDAY METAL – SUPPORT LOCAL HEAVY METAL
