Black Planet-A BELATED REVIEW, BUT WHAT A FUCKING AMAZING NIGHT!!!
Black Planet: Bendigo Hotel & Nighthawks, 25 July. A MUCH BELATED REVIEW, BUT WOW WHAT AN AMAZING NIGHT
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Review by Mark J.| Killer pics by Dan McKay
(APOLOGIES THIS WAS DELAYED FOR MONTHS BECAUSE YOUR AMATEUR PHOTOGUY, AS IN MARK, NOT DAN, DECIDED TO MAKE HIS PC STORAGE FASTER BY ORGANISING FILES AND AS A RESULT I LOST MY PHOTOS OF THE NIGHT(AND OTHER FILES...ARGH) DESPITE ENDLESS SEARCHES FOR THEM-AS A RESULT WE HAVE NO PHOTOS OF ANGELLIUS TALIUU, YOUR MOTHER'S DISGUSTING WINDOW, CHIFTON MAGNIFIQUE, DYSTROPLIS, BETHEM'S HEAD, KUNTSQUAD, VICTORIA K AND HYBRID NIGHTMARES-MY DEEPEST APOLOGIES AND IF I ONE DAY UNEARTH THESE PICS I'LL PRINT THEM....LESSON: LEAVE IT TO THE PHOTOGRAPHY PROFESSIONALS...THE BANDS LISTED THEIR PICS ARE FROM THE EVENT PROMOS AND THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS)
Black Planet ran across three rooms, and if you're a music fan or a music journo, that means a lot of stairs and a lot of crossing the road. Downstairs and upstairs at the Bendigo, then over the street to Nighthawks and back again, with barely a gap to eat. Here's how it went, room by room.
Part One Nighthawks-Let the Dark Madness begin...
-Dystopolis, Blood in the Champagne, Chiffon Magnifique, Inaugural, Ziva-
Nighthawks is a truly epic venue. The vibes are always right here, with a real essence of anti-wanker about the place, great staff, and I love that upstairs room, packed as hell and with an atmosphere to match. And so well suited for this stellar line-up.
Dystopolis
First time seeing Dystopolis and definitely not the last. The gripping sound is knee-deep in old post-punk, gothic and dark alternative ground, and they're brilliant performers. Visually, they reminded me of a cool horror or cult flick with a scene set in a punk or goth club. And that's some damn high respect.
They command presence and delivered a stellar show. The dark, but never dour songs are jangly, chunky and catchy, as memorable as the best gothic hits in a seedy nightclub. One of the finds of the festival for me. Need to see this band more and pray for a full album.
This zine and I personally have championed this band from the get-go, and they showed us why again. Lovely people and sensational performers, with a captivating show(as always) that reps the old-school gothic/post-punk era authentically and with their own twist.
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Chiffon Magnifique
A band I hadn't seen before, and they were unreal. This is wild, anthemic, kind of gothic and kind of post-punk meets darkwave, with damn catchy songs behind it. The set was mesmerising from the first track.
The band is tight, and the added female vocalist brings even more mystique to an invigorating, brilliant show. Super well-written and crafted tunes and such an enjoyable set. One I'll be chasing again. And damn lovely people as well.
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Inaugural
Another act I hadn't seen before, and one of the best surprises of the festival. Moody, dancey as fuck, kind of industrial but underground-style EDM mixed with dancefloor goth and post-punk against some punkish anger. It shouldn't work as well as it does, but it works.
This two-piece legendary act were absolute gems (lovely people, like most of the artists and the crowd here, to be fair). They groove and punch above their weight for an act with weirdly not much press. Amazing act and show. Every track they have released is sensational, and the set had that phenomenal vibe from start to end.
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Ziva
One thing is a given: every Ziva show is a godlike experience. You want to bounce like a punk and bust a move like you're at an underground rave, and this act somehow gives you both. It's all interwoven with personal stories, and the mishmash of hard electronica, trip-hop, industrial and folky punk makes this one of the most original and sought-after acts to see.
The set builds and builds, and the tension and energy rapidly rises, and the new high-powered album seems to have added even more mojo to each show, as witnessed at the recent album launch. You never want it to end. Astonishing stuff, but that's always a given with this act, and it was one of the best performances of the festival. But hey, Ziva is one of the best imports we have ever had, and we know she and everything she does is world-class.
Part Two: Bendigo Upstairs...Further Filth and Ghastly Brilliance...
Part Three: Bendigo Main Room-THE HELLSCAPE
Knife, Bethlam's Head, Kuntsquad, Victoria K, Hybrid Nightmares, Mammon's Throne, The Amenta
(Full disclosure: my band opened this room, so I've handed that review to my mate Ian rather than mark my own homework)
KNIFE, reviewed by Ian
Knife at the Bendigo delivered exactly the grim, mechanical thrashing the Melbourne industrial-metal outfit promises on record. The ugly, analogue punch of early Godflesh, Nailbomb's crossover rage, Fear Factory's colder early grit and the filthy urgency of UK crust all bleed into a relentless mid-tempo stomp, both danceable and physically hostile. Machine-gun programmed drums sat under lumbering bass and noise-flecked guitars, while the vocals stayed feral and unpolished, less performance than pure abrasive force. A cover of Godflesh's "Rats" drove the point home.
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Bethlam's Head
Chunky, riff-heavy and always swaying, Bethlam's Head sit between pure riff worship and suffocating sludge. It isn't the stoner kind of sludge, either. This is aggressive and well-written, with the colossal weight coming from the songs rather than from volume for its own sake. Every piercing riff lands where it should and nothing gets wasted. All of this band is utterly in sync with each other, and it shows in every stellar performance.
Can this invigorating band do no wrong? I'm convinced they can't. Every time they play, the room moves as one slow, heavy organism, and they make a very hard thing look easy. Easily one of the most reliable heavy acts in town, and this set kept that streak alive. Check out their excellent releases and give them the support they truly deserve.
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Kuntsquad
Are they a thrash band, a black metal band, hardcore punk or goregrind? All of the above and more. Kuntsquad gets better every time I see them, more aggressive with each performance, and they're so focused on their goal of mass audio devastation. The primal vocals are evil, the riffs and rhythm section are like Armageddon, and only one band in the country has an album called Satan's Cock. They suffocate you harder than all the cliched, so-called brutal death metal bands put together. Nasty, wicked and killer.
Kuntsquad are a battle-hardened force where all excel in their chosen weapon. Then there's Paula, who gets more sarcastic every time and wins the gig comedy trophy every year. Warm, abrasive, engaging and piss-taking all at once, she keeps the room in the palm of her hand between songs. That mix of genuine heaviness and genuine humour is rare, and it's a big part of why this band always wins a crowd, even the sceptics. This band are genuine, abrasive, and all pushing boundaries. Avoid at your own peril and detriment.
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Victoria K
This is the part of the day where I admit that modern, semi-commercial gothic/symphonic metal in the vein of Eluveitie and Lacuna Coil is completely not my jam. It didn't matter. Victoria K are such a professional, entertaining band that you'd have to be dead inside not to appreciate what they're doing. The theatrical side sits perfectly with the energy of the set, and nothing feels forced. Any fan of heavy or gothic-related rock or music in general will be blown away by this band.
Let's be frank about the breathtaking vocals, too: Victoria's talent is phenomenal. She excels in this genre but could probably sing anything and make it work. The captivating and super-skilled band had the crowd in their hands for the whole set, and the male guest vocalist on stage added even more layers to a scintillating show. Respect where it's due. Forget your doubts and petty expectations and go see them!!.
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Hybrid Nightmares
No comprehensive notes on this one, just hyper black metal vibes from start to finish. The riveting playing is amazing, tight and fast without ever losing its grip, and the oppressive vocals are crushing in the best possible way. It's grim, but it's grim with a thrilling pulse, and there's a dynamic streak that keeps the whole set moving.
Plus it's also very catchy, which isn't something you can always say about black metal, and it made for pure entertainment. Even if you walked into the main room mid-set you'd have understood the conquering appeal within about thirty seconds. A ripping band I'd happily watch again tomorrow.
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Mammon's Throne
One of the town's best acts, and they prove it every time out. Mammon's Throne riff like there's no tomorrow, and they manage to sound tight and loose at the same time, which is a hard trick to pull off.
It's a rip-roaring band with enough confidence to let things breathe and enough precise discipline that nothing ever slips. Tons of doom mixed with awesome hints of old-school black metal and early death metal. Awesome band that should be playing the major European and American festivals given how incredible they all are individually and as a spine-tingling unit.
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The compelling vocals are wild and match the top-tier expertise in this superb band. They rock, simple as that, and the main room responded accordingly. If you want a masterclass in how heavy music should feel live, this was it. One of the best current Australian bands by a mile or millions more.
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The Amenta
I recently saw The Amenta when they supported Ulcerate, and they were the peak of that night. That was by all means an absolute triumphant return. But this was the better show!.
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In a smaller venue, they played like a demonic force, unrelenting and hyper-aggressive, with disgusting evil synth work that peels your skin off and absolute masters on guitar and drums. Nothing about the set felt held back.
They played their malicious debut album in full, and it was savage and mind-blowing, brutal and immense, and easily one of the performances of the event (and the year!!!). Closing the main room like this was exactly the right call. Cannot wait for new tracks and future shows.
Three rooms, plenty of stairs, and not a dud in the lot. Support your local scene.
Special Thanks:
-A huge thank you to Alex, who organised Black Planet. Bendigo Hotel, the venue is closed at the moment while it waits on new owners, which makes this even more of a loss for the scene, and it staged together one of the best lineups I've seen anywhere. Three rooms, a run of bands that never let up, and everything ran smoothly. The organisation and support were immense, professional and human in equal measure, and you could feel that in every room. Thank you for making it happen.
-Alt cvlt-this brilliant crew ran the merch stand and were awesome people and you need to check their webstore and physical store for all merch, music and everything else
https://www.instagram.com/altcvltofficial/
-Also the japanese hotdog stand was amazing from https://www.instagram.com/snag_tokyo/
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR AT BLACK PLANET!!!!
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