By Courtney Dabb, Rock At Night Sydney Correspondent
Venue: Manning Bar, Sydney-July 15, 2016- Weedeater (USA) + Conan (UK) and Lo! (AUS)
Kicking off proceedings was Lo!, the menacing stage presence of lead singer Sam Dillon is fearsome. White eyed and bridging himself between stage and barrier, lurching into the crowd, the energy was tangible. Unsatisfied with the crowds interaction, Sam took his mic and 40ft of lead into the audience, in sighting a reaction from whoever he decided to scream at.
Co-headliners Conan announced themselves with a guttural scream in deep desert rock fashion. The swirling, washed out drudge soon came to the fore in long melodic and brutal harmonies. The crowd nodding in a collective timing to the blown out bass and marching beats. An act that was outnumbered by Marshalls 3:1, it was a powerful set.
Weedeater entered the stage brandishing whiskey bottles and Budweiser with that mad look in their eyes. Opening with a blitzkrieg of fuzzy, dirty bass lines, it was cleared Weedeater were here to play. The drumming of Travis Owen was nothing short of superhuman. Owen used every available limb in which to bash, kick, stroke and smash every single sq inch of his compact but firmly anchored kit. Dave Shepherds guitar strap emblazoned with ‘police line do not cross’ couldn’t be more apt as it would take a lunatic to storm the asylum that was cordoned on stage. Dave “Dixie” Collins took a few moments to rest on an amp looking like he was ready to ‘whittle sum’ before launching into the next sonic assault. His crooked eyed stare and North Carolina rumblings snared the crowd’s attention and demanded obedience. Tight, metaphorically, tight physically and tight musically, Weedeater shook the bones of everyone in attendance and a potent act that is damn hard to top.
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My entry into the photography world is purely an extension of my love affair with music.
My entry into the photography world is purely an extension of my love affair with music. The first event I ever attended was the Big Day Out festival in 1992 as a 13 year old, catching the likes of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Sonic Youth, Iggy Pop and local legends Tumbleweed. I caught the bug and just loved the indie scene. Some 20 years and countless gigs later I wanted to go from behind the barrier to behind the camera.
Photographic residencies Include:The Manning Bar, Max Watts house Of Music and the Roller Den. Each venue sees a huge variety of local and international artists come through the doors making each shoot a unique challenge.
- Dispossessed and Neurosis in Sydney: raw, political and rocking - February 21, 2017
- The Oxford Art Factory features an energetic evening of garage rock - September 4, 2016
- Weedeater, Conan, and Lo! shake up Manning Bar with wild abandon - July 20, 2016
