When a tour sells enough tickets to hold a second show in your city, you know that it’s something that is going to be good. But when a show sells enough tickets to hold a second show on a consecutive night at a 2000-capacity venue, then you know you’re going to be striking gold. And that is exactly what Stone Sour did as they rolled their way back into Brisbane for their first performance since 2013.
Bare Bones opened the night while the crowd still filtered its way into the venue, and they put in a commendable effort warming up the crowd for the night’s headliners. While there was nothing that made their performance overly exceptional, it was still filled with enough energy to have a decent crowd response. Special mention must go out to the dual guitarists who provided a stellar performance from beginning to end, and one of the highlights of their set.
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Before I begin discussing Stone Sour and their performance as a whole, I want to just take a moment to talk about the affinity that Australia seems to have with Corey Taylor. During the band changeover, there were chants of ‘Corey’ ringing out through the venue, continuing during the headlining set and outlining his regard in Australia as one of the greatest frontment in modern metal. From the moment he came on stage, you knew exactly who was in control, and I can’t think of too many other people that can command the attention of a 1500+ member crowd with the same tenacity that he did. And boy, was it a sight to behold!
On to the band’s performance. From the opening of their song “Tapei Person/Allah Tea”, the band seemed extremely energised. It was also the first (of several throughout the night) appearance of a confetti launcher used by Taylor. This confetti gun helped enhance their performance and ensure that the crowd was covered in a nice layer of tinsel by the end of the evening.
The band worked in a very synchronized fashion across their instrumental section. Josh Rand and Christian Martucci handled the dual guitar responsibilities in a very cohesive fashion, each taking their own time at the front of stage to show their work. Roy Mayorga continues to be a powerhouse behind the drum kit. Bassist Johny Chow was probably the only band member that didn’t have a big visual impact on stage, but his bass work was still solid.
The material from the band’s latest album ‘Hydrograd’ was a solid inclusion in their set list over the last time I had seen them. But it was during their older material such as “30/30-150”, “Bother”, and “Through Glass” that the crowd really showed their appreciation towards the band by joining very loudly in chorus and belting out every single line. It was in the moments when the music stopped and the crowd kept singing that you truly felt the adoration of the crowd for these songs.
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Stone Sour did something for Brisbane that many bands have missed the mark on recently, and that was putting on a memorable performance. The band’s performance was downright incredible, and it is apparent from each and every action they made on-stage that their show is cultivated in such a fashion. And it’s that attention to detail that makes it easy to see why so many of the shows on this tour have almost sold out!
Also check out our photo gallery here!