Parkway Drive - The DVD Tour
The Palace Theatre, St Kilda, Friday 21 August 2009
For many years now Byron Bay's metalcore giants Parkway Drive have been blasting the eardrums of both national and international fans. Yet even with their success overseas, these Aussie lads still continue to play local shows and good local prices.
Like most Parkway Drive fans, this most recent gig was not my first encounter with the band's energetic and insane live show. It was, however, my first Parkway Drive gig that was an 18+ event. And I must admit the thought of Parkway Drive fans moshing while intoxicated was a little unnerving, considering how crazy they go when they're sober.
Parkway Drive's current tour is to promote the new live DVD nicely called The DVD. I have yet to watch it, but being a regular patron at Parkway Drive gigs I can assure you it will be nothing short of killer moshing to match their killer breakdowns.
The gig took place at the Palace Theatre, a venue I had never been to before. A good description of the venue came from Winston McCall, the lead singer of Parkway Drive, as he commented on how he felt playing at a venue that is "higher than it is long".
With three floors and two balconies this venue is perfect for people who want to go crazy down with the band and also for people who want to sit back, enjoy the music and watch the mayhem down below.
Me, I'm the short kid getting pushed into the barrier headbanging like there's no tomorrow.
Parkway Drive had three supporting acts with them this time. Local band In Trenches was sent to warm up the crowd. They were followed by young lads Architects all the way from England. The lead singer didn't even look like he was old enough to attend the gig, but they sure knew how to put on a show.
Lastly American boys August Burns Red took the stage. Surprisingly a lot of the fans were actually more excited to see them than Parkway Drive. I had never heard of them before, but I left that night a fan.
Parkway Drive, however, was what got the crowd going insane. As the beer was being absorbed so was the intensity of the people in the pit, with one 'brave' fan jumping into the crowd from the second/third flight of stairs.
In my position, I was only able to glimpse the man standing and leaping. Nonetheless he was caught and awarded with a cheer by not only the approving crowd, but by McCall himself, saying, "The guy that jumped is a legend, the guy that caught him is an even bigger legend!"
The fun did not stop there. Towards the end of Parkway Drive's set, a boy in a wheelchair came crowd surfing past my head.
For a second I was scared he would be dropped on top of me, but the strong lads in the crowd and security guards safely helped the boy onto the stage, where he screamed a few lines of the song with Parkway Drive, truly showcasing the love Parkway Drive has for their fans.
It was my first 18+ Parkway Drive gig and by far my most memorable, and as Parkway Drive continue on with their tour I am confident that before long I will be lining up to another sellout Parkway Drive show.
