The Amazons have always been the poster boys for putting on a show. Now, in their new era, How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me?, they don’t just stop at preserving their reputation: if the floors aren’t breaking through, they’re not working hard enough.
Equal parts manic and melodic, they philosophise to the fight club on the floor. The mosh pits shake the earth down to hell.
Their set’s second song, ‘Ready for Something’, is the calling card of everything The Amazons represent. It begs to be sung back tenfold by the audience; for them to stamp their feet so hard they leave footprints on the floor. The lyrics force the crowd’s muscles to twitch with adrenaline.
The Amazons are just getting started. More of a party than a concert, both band and crowd are hellbent on one common goal; finding a hedonism here no one can define. The band swallow the crowd alive.
The elements most integral to who The Amazons really are – incredible riffs, fierce stage presence, and a huge moshing culture – have remained the core part of their newly evolved Amazon. The music is just happier now; the crowd’s in-fighting an expression of relief rather than anger.
Towards the end of the set, The Amazons move into a bend in the river of their own music-making. Their song, ‘Northern Star’ has a depth and an honesty that many may not expect from a band that cut their teeth on stadium rock. It’s a ballad that shows a new dimension to frontman Matt Thomson’s skills; he can whip the crowd into a frenzy, but he can melt them down to size again, too. The phone lights fire up as Thomson starts to sing about finding a light that shines in the dark, showing him home. The band will have no problem finding it tonight. Any stage they step onto is theirs for the taking.
The Amazons are one of the best rock bands of the decade. Thomson calls them a democracy; a place where nobody leads, where everyone is heard. It’s interesting, then, how he extends this to the crowd themselves.
No man is an island. The energy the band produce is more than four men could possibly muster. It is as if they harness their audience to make something bigger than themselves, bigger than any individual could channel alone.
They’re not a band; they’re a lightning rod. Watch the sparks for yourself.