P.O.D. - Gig Review & Photo Gallery 22nd April @ Cooly Hotel, Gold Coast QLD
P.O.D.The Coolangatta HotelApril 22, 2018Supported by Chelsea Rockwells & A Breach of Silence
Shooting live bands you get to see a lot of awesome music. No moment is greater than shooting a band you have loved for many years, which had a great impact on you at a turbulent time, and was a voice (pun intended) for the youth of the nation. I first stumbled across P.O.D. way back in high school. They resonated with me then and still do now. Years later being able to shoot that same band was amazing. Saving the best for last, self-described Christian Nu-Metal band P.O.D. (Payable On Death) absolutely hit it out of the park on the last leg of their Australian Tour as they stopped by the Gold Coast for one final epic show.
With a bit of a timing revision and an early start, we only caught the last 10 mins of support band Chelsea Rockwells, however, what we did hear we loved! This 3 piece band put forth a rocking set with hints of alternative, grunge and hard rock. Perfect entree for the night ahead.
Next up was a serving of metalcore band A Breach of Silence who took their turn to woo the crowd. While these Brisbane boys have been around for a while now, having released their first EP back in 2010, I had not come across this high energy outfit before - I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. I am no expert but these guys seem pretty tight. They definitely put on a wicked show, belting out 'Vultures' with the crowd screaming “Is there anybody out there” back at the stage. There is nothing better than a band that puts on a great stage show and A Breach of Silence nailed it. These boys definitely knew how to get the crowd going and the vibe high.
After their set, A Breach of Silence headed out to the balcony, as they walked out a few fans came forward to say hello or tell them what a great show it was – it was nice to see the boys take the time to stop and talk to anyone who came up to them.
Next onto the main event, the crowd waited, music playing in between sets. Linkin Park came on, the whole crowd joined in singing along as loud as they could. The lights went off. Shadows moved across the stage. Soundcheck was done. The crowd grew restless waiting for P.O.D. to come out from the shadows and entertain us. From the second the first cord was played, the crowd went off. Second song in was 'Youth of the Nation' – one of my all time favs. Generally, bands often play the favourites last, so it was an awesome moment to see one of my favourite songs up close from the pit. Even though we only had a short time to took photos, I stopped shooting to take it all in. For a moment I was right back at 16 again.
The crowd was going off screaming along, singing the backups and here I am in the pit less than a metre away – best seat in the house. It didn’t go unnoticed – I was busted singing from the stage although I did get a thumbs up and a giggle from the band. The energy produced from the audience was well received from the guys as they played off it getting better and faster with each track performed.
The next few songs were welcomed with open arms and bellowing singing all around as P.O.D. upped the ante jumping around more than ever. The band and crowd amping off each other, the more one jumped around the more the other did. Once the next few songs ('Celestial' and 'Satellite') began, the intensity of the room was lifted and the audience participation tripled with more screaming and cheering. A minor mid-set drum kit issue, with a symbol bouncing off its stand resulted in a few laughs from the stage and a second or two drummer Noah Bernardo.
Towards the tail end of the gig, it was the start of 'Alive' that really fired up the room. Once the opening guitar started there was a surge from all corners of the venue to the moshpit (myself included) and it seems like everyone just lost control of their own bodies. In the blink of an eye, the show was over and it was time to head home. Lead singer Sonny Sandoval taking the time to thank the crowd, sharing how much they love Australia and their hard-earned much-needed celebrations for the close of their tour.
Thanks for the tour boys! We hope you will be back soon.
Revisit P.O.D. frontman Sonny Sandoval co-hosting our Wall of Sound: Up Against The Wall podcast right here
Gig Review & Photo Gallery by Bec O’Reilly. Please credit Wall of Sound and Bec O’Reilly if you repost.
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