Back in Australia for the first time in a over a decade, AFI returned with an explosive performance for their headlining tour in support of their 2017 release, ‘The Blood Album.’
I went along to check out the band’s long awaited return to Melbourne and to immerse myself in a night of emo, punk, thrashy and hardcore memories, and the mesmerizing stage presence that AFI are so famously known for.
It’s a quiet Sunday night in Melbourne and finally, it’s not raining with the first real taste of Spring in the air. Spirits are high as fans begin to line up outside The Forum theatre, in the heart of Melbourne City.
As we walk in, there is a sea of black tees- some with old faded AFI designs on them, ripped jeans, studded vests and faces adorned with looks of anticipation. Kind of like when you’re about to see an old friend you haven’t seen in a long time, you know the one, likes to party and you don’t know exactly what to expect but you know that you’re in for a wild night…
Enter alt/rock band INTROVERT, first to take the stage, a group of young Australian lads hailing from Newcastle, currently making waves around the Australian music industry, recently taking a spot in the Triple J unearthed featured artist list. Capturing the crowd’s attention with their catchy hooks and earnest vocals, the guys put on a good live performance.
Next up are BASEMENT, hailing from England, continuing to warm up the crowd with their unique 90’s inspired take on the hardcore / punk sound. The 5 piece engage the room, inducing nonchalant dancing on stage and in the crowd with their melodic yet grungy sound.
A feeling of nostalgia quickly returned to fill the beautiful old theatre, as fans from a wide array of age groups make their way to the open dance floor. As the stage is set, looks acknowledging the excitement in the air are exchanged. The lights go down, leaving us standing together in the dark. The stage is aptly lit with romantic, blood red lights slowly flashing, with a fog from smoke machines and an impending siren sound creating an electric ambience.
AFI explode onto the stage in a fury of flying kicks and spins, front man Davey Havok leaping off the fold back and spinning the microphone by the cord, like a warrior would spin a spiked mace before charging into battle. Havok collected himself, standing atop the fold back, slicked his hair back and turned the collar up of his studded vest, signaling that he was ready for business, before crouching and delivering the first line of the opening track in perfect pitch….”I lay you down tonight…”
The band executed the well-loved track, ‘Girls Not Grey’, with vigour, showing that they definitely haven’t lost any of the fire inside…
The blazing energy from front man Davey Havok and the rest of the band is infectious and reflected back at them from the ecstatic crowd.
I don’t personally know what it feels like to have your own heart felt lyrics sung back at you, but I imagine it would be pretty surreal and likely a part of the reason AFI are still a force to be reckoned with, so many years later after their inception in 1991.The song ‘17 Crimes’ kept up the tempo and the crowd enjoyed a sing and dance on the wide-open wooden dance floor. Things slowed down a little for songs like ‘Beautiful Thieves’ giving the crowd and the band a chance to catch their respective breaths. AFI reignited the fury on stage and continued more sing along anthems like ‘This Celluloid Dream’, ‘Paper Airplanes’ and ‘So Beneath You’, inducing a continuous and palpable energy in the room, the crowd feeding off the stage presence by continuing to dance, crowd surf and belting back lyrics with pure joy slain across their faces.
We also got a taste of some new AFI from ‘The Blood Album’ in the form of ‘Snow Cats’ and ‘White Offerings’ that seamlessly blended into the set as if the crowd already had years to fall in love with these songs as much as they had the others. There is a duality in the slower and faster songs that just works throughout the set, AFI delving into a vast array of their back catalogue. From spirited crowd favourites such as ‘Love Like Winter’ and ‘Feed The Floor’ into more ballad like tracks such as ‘Silver and Cold’ with touching lyrics like “Oh my beautiful one…” sung with a certain tenderness that only Havok could deliver.
A more aggressive and passionate feel was brought to the room with the track ‘I Hope You Suffer’ which saw Davey make his way into the crowd, who themselves, went from sounding like a beautiful choir, into an army of soldiers chanting back “I hope you do, I hope you suffer!” at the top of their lungs to their commanding officer. A highlight of the evening, among many other memorable moments.
The band ended the majority of the set and walked off stage. The crowd knew it was their turn to make their voices heard and chanted the band’s name. They were not disappointed. AFI came out and played two more hit tracks, ‘This Time Imperfect’ from one of their pinnacle releases in 2003, ‘Sing The Sorrow’. This is such a sad song and every bit of emotion was felt as singer Davey Havok conveyed it through his raw, unique and passionate vocals.
‘Miss Murder’ from the band’s 2006 release, ‘Decemberunderground’ was the last song of the night, which was always going to feel like it had arrived too soon, as an AFI show is the kind that you can get lost in.
What a note to end the night on, the band giving a high octane, and intoxicating rendition of the song with Davey’s blood curdling screams sending shivers down spines and bassist, Hunter Burgan standing atop the fold back, forcefully using his whole fist to hit the strings on his bass guitar. Drummer, Adam Carson thunderously delivered his part of the rhythm section and Jade Puget shredding on guitar, as they had done throughout the entire night. Certainly leaving a lasting impression on the exuberant audience.
Overall AFI, a band consisting of incredibly talented artists, each in their own right, put on one hell of show. Davey Havok’s presence was engaging, commanding and mesmerizing, giving a performance that showed a man who was born for the stage and to reap ‘Havok’ on the ears and hearts of many.
The new record ‘The Blood Album’ along with the band’s eruptive and captivating live shows are a testament to AFI’s continued longevity as a fierce, and unstoppable juggernaut.
Review by Sarah Thomson.
Photos by Breanna Wallace