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ALPHA WOLF
+ The Devil Wears Prada
+ Invent Animate
+ Thrown
@ The Forum, Melbourne,
3rd August, 2024
(Live Review)

Review and photos by Missy Smiley (@itsmissysnaps)

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ALPHA WOLF / Photo – @itsmissysnaps

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The anticipation for ALPHA WOLF’s sold out show at Melbourne’s iconic Forum has been building for months so it’s no surprise that fans excitedly mill outside before doors with the line snaking around the front of the venue and up the lane way. Fresh off the back of their EU/UK tour, this is night 3 of Half Living Things – ALPHA WOLF’s biggest headliner to date – and one that sold out almost instantly. And it’s no wonder why, with a stacked global line up including Swedish metal quartet THROWN, Texan metalcore outfit INVENT ANIMATE, and Ohio metal legends THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA joining the Melbourne locals.

Excitement builds and the crowd is simply buzzing as doors open and eager fans stream through them. The vibe inside The Forum is almost otherworldly. If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing a show at The Forum, you’re missing out; the historic theatre and former cinema was built to look like a Florentine walled garden complete with a blue ‘sky’ roof and opulent archways. The floor space quickly fills, and as the statues around the venue look down upon the fans, it’s clear we are about to witness something magical tonight.

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THROWN / Photo – @itsmissysnaps

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First up is THROWN and the crowd has absolutely shown up. Formed in 2021, this is the Swedish band’s first time in Australia and they have absolutely brought the energy. Vocalist Marcus Lundqvist is absolutely owning the stage; commanding the first of many circle pits for the night, and stirring up the crowd with his guttural screams. With a nine song set list delivering punch after punch, as they launch into their closer, grayout, Lundqvist declares that this “song goes out to ALPHA WOLF” to the deafening cheers of the crowd.

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INVENT ANIMATE / Photo – @itsmissysnaps

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American metalcore outfit, INVENT ANIMATE, are up next. Having first visited Australia in 2023 supporting WE CAME AS ROMANS, it’s clear that they are back with force tonight. Well known for their genre-blending and haunting vocals, INVENT ANIMATE do not disappoint with vocalist Marcus Vik delivering a record-quality performance from the start. Surprisingly, Vik admits that he has been “coughing up his voice for the past week and needs the crowd to help” him sing. Despite illness, the band continued to deliver an incredible performance, pausing after Without A Whisper, Vik announces they have one last song with “it’s heavy as fuck, is that alright?” to cheers as they launch into a flawless rendition of Immolation of Night as the crowd thrashes along.

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THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA / Photo – @itsmissysnaps

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Although it has been six years since American icons, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, have graced the stages in Australia, they have most definitely not been forgotten. Entering the stage to deafening cheers from the packed crowd, frontman Mike Hranica and guitarist Jeremy DePoyster waste no time and launch straight into their set with vigor. From 2022, back to 2009, and forward again to a new song, Rituals, we are treated to a real show of how the band has grown and evolved over the past 19 years. Guttural screams harmonise with clean vocals and heavy breakdowns, all the whilst engaging the fans, shouting out to local tattoo studio The Grand Illusion and declaring “this is one of our favourite cities in the world”. The sextet continue to power through their set with both talent and style and we witness three – sometimes four-way harmonies, reverberating precussion and impressive guitar riffs. DePoyster dedicates Chemical to “all the ladies” before closing with crowd-favourite Sacrifice and promises to “be back next year”. We’re all going to need a little breather after that!

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THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA / Photo – @itsmissysnaps

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And now, our much anticipated headliner. The crowd is packed in like sardines with patrons even lining the ramp that leads from the back of the room to the front. ALPHA WOLF promised to Bring Back The Noise and boy did they deliver. With an impressive set reminiscent of one of Melbourne’s laneways with mesh fencing, graffiti, and a giant boom box, the local legends take to the stage to the roar of the crowd. Vocalist Lochie Keogh kicks things off with his trademark “What the fuck is up” and the band throw themselves into Haunter with unmatched enthusiasm. 

The crowd moves together with a franticness that can only be found at metal gigs, as Keogh encourages “I’m going to need my crowd surfers” as they barrel right into Creep. Pausing for a moment, it is clear that the band is overwhelmed and very appreciative to be playing to a sold-out crowd in this venue “ALPHA WOLF in The Forum Theatre… I dont know what reality we’re living in but I cant believe it”. 

Acid Romance is up next and not only are we being treated to an incredible light show, but they’re turning up the heat with pyrotechnics! The onslaught continues with a truly devastating setlist. Keogh’s screams blast through The Forum whilst the heavy riffs take us all along for the ride. 

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ALPHA WOLF / Photo – @itsmissysnaps

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A fan throws some Pokemon Cards up onto the stage and Keogh demands guitarist Sabian Lynch to “crack one right now”. Lynch obliges and makes a show of it, with Keogh declaring each card pulled as “shit”. We’re then back on track with fans up on each other’s shoulders to sing the female part of Bleed For You, hands raised in heart shapes showing their adoration for the band.

Crowd surfers come thick and fast during tracks like Bring Back The Noise and Pretty Boy. The appreciation from the band to the sold out crowd remains with Keogh stopping to say “I feel like I should apologise, but instead I’m going to say thank you”. The heartfelt comments are a stark contrast to the brutality of their music and the atmosphere is unmatched as they hurtle right into Sucks To Suck. The light show and pyrotechnics have continued to wow through the show so far, but it’s not until Whenever You Are Ready that we see the full extent of their set up tonight with sparkling fireworks spilling from the top of the stage. 

Pausing again to express his appreciation for the crowd, Keogh acknowledges that they’ve been away from touring Australia for a while and declares “it took a while for us to remember Australia. I’m a dickhead for forgetting this”. A new addition to their touring set list, having only been debuted live at Perth on night one of the tour, we get to witness Feign from their new album Half Living Things.

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ALPHA WOLF / Photo – @itsmissysnaps

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The crowd has only continued to get more frantic and are screaming back every word of Hotel Underground, seeming to revel in Keogh screaming “you’re a fucking rat” at each and every one of them. As is always the duality of brutal metal gigs, the band regularly check in on the crowd with an “are we good?” all the while encouraging massive circle pits and endless crowd surfing. Before the band launch into 60cm Of Steal, Keogh declares that he wants to see everyone who has ever wanted to participate in circle pits or crowd surfing to do it with a heartfelt “It doesn’t matter what you look like, what you identify as, or where you came from, you are welcome here”.

ALPHA WOLF bring it home with none other than Akudama, the crowd chanting back every word and the band playing with such ferocity that you’d almost think it was their first song and not their last. We get to see the impressive pyrotechnics and sparkle fireworks again as the last chords echo out to the cheers of the crowd. As the applause dies down and with the band members holding guitars and drumsticks aloft, Keogh asks the crowd if they can all take a photo together to which everyone eagerly agrees to.

They thank the fans yet again which is met to thunderous applause and as the lights go down on the stage we hear one final remark; “we used to play at Bang!”. Despite Keogh’ comments about “not feeling like he belongs up there” they have absolutely proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with and incredibly worth of being up on the stage at The Forum where countless incredible bands have headlined before them.

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ALPHA WOLF / Photo – @itsmissysnaps

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Destroy All Lines, Greyscale Records + SharpTone Records Presents

ALPHA WOLF
HALF LIVING THINGS TOUR

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (USA)
INVENT ANIMATE (USA) + THROWN (SWE)

THURSDAY 1 AUGUST 2024 – METROPOLIS, PERTH 18+ SOLD OUT
FRIDAY 2 AUGUST 2024 – CHELSEA HEIGHTS HOTEL, MELBOURNE 18+ SOLD OUT
SATURDAY 3 AUGUST 2024 – FORUM, MELBOURNE 18+ SOLD OUT
SUNDAY 4 AUGUST 2024 – HINDLEY ST MUSIC HALL, ADELAIDE LIC AA SOLD OUT
WEDNESDAY 7 AUGUST 2024 – LIBERTY HALL, SYDNEY LIC AA SELLING FAST
THURSDAY 8 AUGUST 2024 – LIBERTY HALL, SYDNEY LIC AA SOLD OUT
FRIDAY 9 AUGUST 2024 – KING ST BAND ROOM, NEWCASTLE 18+ SOLD OUT
SATURDAY 10 AUGUST 2024 – FORTITUDE MUSIC HALL, BRISBANE 18+ SOLD OUT

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Tickets from HERE

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ALPHA WOLF / Photo – @itsmissysnaps

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Check out Missy Smiley’s (@itsmissysnaps) full gallery of this event HERE

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ALPHA WOLF / Photo – @itsmissysnaps

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Follow ALPHA WOLF

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ALPHA WOLF / Photo – @itsmissysnaps

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Press Release 17th June 2024 (below) HERE

Destroy All Lines, Greyscale Records + SharpTone Records Present

ALPHA WOLF
HALF LIVING THINGS
Australian Tour

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (USA)
INVENT ANIMATE (USA) + THROWN (SWE)

STARTS IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS!

BRISBANE SHOW SOLD OUT

TICKETS FOR ADELAIDE & 2ND SYDNEY SHOW ARE SELLING FAST

ALL OTHER SHOWS ARE SOLD OUT!

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AMNPLIFY – DB