LIVE: MACHINE HEAD – Perth, 24 July, 2018

LIVE: MACHINE HEAD – Perth, 24 July, 2018
The Astor Theatre, Perth – Tuesday, 24 July, 2018
Reviewed by Kevin Curran
Photography by Stuart McKay

Possibly the Hardest Working Band In Metal, Machine Head returned to Australia in support of their latest record Catharsis – and kudos to them for including Perth when many others don’t.

There was no support act tonight, time would just not allow it: Nearly 3 hours of pure Machine Head playing through some of their best was what you were getting. The crowd increased as the gig went on, possibly due to a lot of people not realising the show started at 8pm sharp. Always check, folks.

The Astor theatre is a great venue, not just sound wise but the layout is perfect, allowing the crowd to enjoy the show from anywhere in the vintage room. They just don’t make ‘em like this any more – more’s the pity.

Opening with Imperium, the pure energy and ferocity of Machine Head never let up, pounding you with riff after riff. With nine albums under their belt the band have a lot of gems to work with, and some choice cuts were brought out from all of their studio albums.

Having seen Machine Head several times a couple of things stood out to me.

1. Front man Rob Flynn is also a great lead guitarist. Taking nothing away from lead man Phil Demmel, who does a fine job, but when Rob has his chance to shine he plays with such great feel. A prime example of this was on the track Take My Scars, with its blistering solo.
2. Newest member, bass player Jared MacEachern, is such a valuable addition to the band. His bass, his presence and his vocals are on point and having those extra vocal harmonies just makes the Machine Head Live show that step above.

 

Latest record Catharsis was showcased nicely, and melded with the rest of set perfectly. This record has had some criticism from fans as being too much of departure from previous releases but you would not think this hearing it live. In fact, there is absolutely nothing you can fault with Machine Head live, they give you your money’s worth in every respect, with musicianship and showmanship that are second to none.

The old schoolers in the crowd were treated to Old and Davidian from the very first record which are just brutally heavy numbers, and the crowd matched the bands energy all night with circle pits being a regular occurrence through the set. Ten Ton Hammer melted the faces off those close to the barrage of riffery.

Finishing strong with Halo from the Blackening record you could not fault this performance tonight. Machine Head are a working man’s band: they deliver the goods, they keep coming back to places like Perth, they always put on a world class metal show, and hell yeah, those in the audience will keep returning the next time the band come to town.

Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries