Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineJanuary 29, 2024gallery, live, melbourne, Odin Imaging, Nathan Goldsworthy, odin imaging, Good Things Festival, Destroy All Lines, Zheani, Limp Bizkit, John Cain Arena

Anberlin + Hawthorne Heights + The Word Alive @ Northcote Theatre 27-01-24

photos: Nathan Goldsworthy @odin.imaging
words: Mai Tosley

As the alternative crowd enters, a community of like minded people form a line for the second night as the bands play back to back shows in Melbourne. Whether you're lining up in the hot summer sun or waiting in the shade next door it's gonna be a banger of a night.

In the iconic venue that is Northcote Theatre you know it's gonna be a party of emotions, with a sold out show expect sweat, a lot of sweat on a hot Australian summer's night. Let me tell you there was sweat and a few tears were shed.

Gracing the stage with their driving, melodic, metalcore sound, comes The Word Alive. They give us the pleasure of playing songs from their newest album that came out mid last year. The crowd was well accustomed to the new album as they really got into the music. Also playing a little something special ‘Life Cycles’ requested by Christian, a privilege for the audience as the band only played the song on this night through the whole tour.

As some of us waited with anticipation, eagerly ready to sing along to some of the most recognised songs in the emo community. Hawthorne Heights is known to be categorised with many different genres from emo, indie rock, pop punk and simply rock. Categorise them however you like because all I know is that their set was fire. Starting with two songs from the album If Only You Were Lonely and playing one of their new songs ‘The Storm’, another song that was only played on this tour. Ending with Ohio Is For Lovers which is arguably a top contender for the emo anthem. Frontman JT Woodruff described the audience as fully fledged emo adults and hopefully these full fledged emo adults will see Hawthorne Heights again.

A special night to be sure as Anberlin returns to Australia after last touring the country in 2019. However this time bitter-sweet as we all say goodbye to frontman Stephen Christian, as he has recently announced that he will be stepping down from touring and the band indefinitely. As this was the last show of the tour, you better believe it went off.

Opening the show with ‘Resistance’, ‘Never Take Friendship Personal’ and ‘Paperthin Hymn’ some great upbeat songs to start with. What really got the crowd moving, was when Stephen stood tall into the audience and sang the last lyrics,

“I thought you said forever
Over and over
These thoughts run through my head”.

Back on stage Stephen introduced the band and mentioned this was their 11th time in Australia. We all know it's like a second home to them. “What other band has been to Australia so many times' the words came out of his mouth in a confident, cheeky manner.

The band, all dressed in white continued on to play the set of ‘Two Graves', ‘Impossible’ and ‘A Day Late’. The crowd really started to get into it but a few words from Stephen telling everyone this was his last show to really have fun tonight and that tonight is the night to do it, it got the audience pumped for the next song ‘Adelaide’ a song about a city from our neighboring state. Also switching Anberlin's drummer Nate Young with The Word Alive's Daniel Nelson for it.

With Nate back on drums they played ‘The Unwinding Cable Car’, ‘Inevitable’ and ‘Dance, Dance Christa Päffgen’. Guitarist Christian McAlhaney thanked Vocalist Stephen for being a part of the band and Stephen thanked the promoter Destroy All Lines and announced the next song would be one of his favorites ‘Nothing Lost’. He was handed a phone from a lucky member of the audience and started recording the first half of the song.

For the rest of the set they smash out songs ‘Dismantle. Repair.’, ‘Lacerate’, ‘Godspeed’ and at the end of ‘Feel Good Drag’ Stephen stands in the crowd once more and jumps in backwards. The punters not done clap and stomped their feet chanting “Olé, Olé, Olé”. The band come back for an encore ending the set with ‘(*Fin)’.