In Hearts Wake @ Boambee Community Centre, Coffs Harbour – 12th January 2014
It’s a fairly warm afternoon upon arrival at the Boambee Community Centre. Here to see upcoming hardcore heavyweights In Hearts Wake, Hellions and Hand of Mercy tear the roof off, it’s lovely to see the band playing some outdoor cricket with some of the teens that have turned up for the show. You wouldn’t expect a coastal town like Coffs Harbour to have such a love for heavy music. But like the cliché goes, you should never judge a book by its cover – or in this case, a town.
After receiving a wristband, catching up with old friends about the last time these guys hit the town and shuffling on inside, the evening begins with local act Charlie Banana. Dynamic, rhythmic and all-round brutal, there’s no doubt that these guys have a big future ahead of them. With quite a substantial local following, it’s great to see people ranging from the ages of 15 to those in their 20s moshing, and performing ‘throw-downs’ in the pit left, right and centre to songs from their Crows Feet EP. (For those who are unfamiliar with a throw-down, think of punching the air and waving your arms around in circular motions.)
Hellions are the next to take the stage. Resurrected from the ashes of Sydney band The Bride, the band shows that although they have a new name, they’ve got a hell of a lot of guts. Microphones are thrown to the crowd, and soon enough familiar gig faces are fronting the band themselves. Hand of Mercy follow, with cheers for them just as strong as the previous act. The two Sydney acts seem to be the perfect support leading up to the main act – after each set, the crowd was left energized and the room absolutely buzzing with excitement.
The sun’s gone down, and In Hearts Wake has finally donned their instruments. The cheers reach maximum volume as vocalist Jake Taylor steps up to his mic. Kicking off with their latest song ‘Skydancer’, the next forty or so minutes see the band tear through a killer set comprising of material from their 2012 album Divination. Tracks like ‘Shapeless’, ‘Traveller’ and ‘Survival’ get the strongest reception, walls of death held in their honour. The crowd turns into a sweaty, hyperactive mess, and like that the band have just about finished.
As the night ends, people slowly begin leaving one by one (in some cases, group by group). The bands stick around to have photos with their fans, and are happy to strike up conversations with anyone in the room. Seeing heavier acts visit regional areas on a regular basis is fantastic – there are audiences just about everywhere in Australia, of course – yet some more hidden than others.