UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, SILENT KNIGHT & FIRESTORM - Live @ Amplifier Bar, Perth 10/06/2024
Amplifier Bar in Perth played host to a heavy metal extravaganza on June 10, 2024, featuring the might of British Columbia's UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, supported by Perth's own SILENT KNIGHT and FIRESTORM from New South Wales. This gig was nothing short of electrifying, with each band delivering stellar performances that left the crowd buzzing with energy.
Opening the night, FIRESTORM set the tone with a fun and energetic set that immediately got the crowd warmed up. Fronted by the charismatic Bilyara Bates, the band commanded the stage with a dynamic presence, moving around with great energy. Bates' thrashy vocals and precise guitar leads cut through the venue, engaging the audience right from the start. The highlight of their set came during the final song, where they had the crowd raising their fists and chanting along, perfectly kicking off the night.
Firestorm
Next up, Perth's own SILENT KNIGHT took the stage, greeted by headbanging fans with fists in the air and hair flying everywhere as the room really started to fill out. Dan Brittain's powerful, soaring vocals showcased his impressive range, complemented by backing and vocal harmonies from Cam Nicholas. The band's performance was tight and professional, with Nicholas dazzling the audience with his lead guitar wizardry. The rhythm section, anchored by drummer Dan Grainger and bassist Cameron Daw, was locked in perfectly, providing a solid backbone to their sound. Despite a slight technical hiccup with Stu McGill's guitar, he quickly resolved the issue, demonstrating the band's professionalism and experience. Their set climaxed with a powerful one-two punch of ‘Full Force’ and ‘Power Metal Supreme’, priming the crowd for the headliners.
Silent Knight
UNLEASH THE ARCHERS took the stage with an explosive energy that resonated throughout the packed Amplifier Bar. Celebrating her birthday, vocalist Brittney Slayes was pitch perfect, her vocals soaring majestically over the crowd. Lead guitarist Andrew Kingsley Saunders shredded with absolute mastery, while rhythm guitarist Grant Truesdell's backing screams added a unique blend of melodic death into their brand of power metal. Drummer Scott Buchanan delivered a performance rich in variation and technical precision.
Brittney's engaging stage presence included playful banter, like joking about the similarities between Perth and the band’s Canadian hometown, where bands also often skip, and expressing heartfelt gratitude to Hardline Media and Stormrider Touring for bringing them to Australia and Perth, respectively. This led into a powerful performance of ‘The Matriarch’ from their 2017 record 'Apex'. Throughout the set, Brittney continuously thanked Perth and showed genuine appreciation for the enthusiastic crowd.
A memorable moment was when a birthday cake was brought out before launching into ‘Tonight We Ride’, with the audience singing happy birthday to Brittney. The camaraderie among the band was evident when Saunders held a beer to bassist Nick Miller’s mouth, who continued to play without missing a beat. Their stage movement and presence was exceptional, engaging the audience from start to finish.
The main set concluded with the epic ‘Apex’, inciting a side-to-side wave from the crowd. As they left the stage, the crowd's demand for an encore was met with Brittney's playful comment, "You guys were louder than Adelaide," before they launched into the final song, ‘Afterlife’. This closing number had the entire crowd chanting and swaying their arms, ending the night on a high note.
Unleash the Archers
The night was a triumphant display of heavy metal prowess, with FIRESTORM, SILENT KNIGHT, and UNLEASH THE ARCHERS delivering unforgettable performances that left fans very pleased.