letlive. | Max Watts
Once on the cutting edge of the LA hardcore scene, letlive. return from an 8-year hiatus for one final world tour. Known for their ferocious shows, they arrive in Melbourne for what they say will be the last time to a near sold-out Max Watts. Descending the daunting stairs to the famous Melbourne metal venue under the CBD, Stepson opened the night with exclamation, greeting the crowd still filtering in with a bloodcurdling scream “melbuuuuuuuuurn” and launching into a blistering set.
I was stood right at the front corner of the stage and the depth of the bass and the ferocity of the kickdrum was almost physically sickening it was so intense. Bass you could feel deep within you, below you. Their second song ‘Deeper Sleep’ starts out as a catchy emo track, and the frontman Brock dances across the stage as the song builds and the room begins to fill up. After a short and sharp set of hardcore emo, Stepson leave the stage and the house music comes back on and we listen to Glenn Miller as the crowd await letlive.
With a near full house now, squeezing through the crowd of metalheads dressed in all black under a strobe light was hard but I made it down to the front in time for letlive. to take the stage and the crowd to erupt.
Jason Butler, the frontman and tone setter quite literally sprinted onto the stage, and the band shot straight into ‘Le Prologue’ at an unbelievable intensity. Guitarist, and friend of The Alt Journal Jeff Sahyoun smacked his mic stand over after every line he delivered, the diligent stagehand was worked hard all night, resetting cymbals and mics that were taking a constant beating as the band thrashed around, barely contained by the stage.
This was really something. I have never before seen such a violent and abrupt opening to a show. By the start of the second song the ambient temperature of the room had risen by 10 degrees. letlive. is known above all else for their wild stage antics and chaotic shows, which some fans may have feared would dull after 8 years of hiatus. That was not the case tonight, and they ripped into ‘Casino Columbus’ with Jason shouting “free Palestine” and tearing into the track as the crowd started to surge and writhe in the pit, and the first crowd surfers started being plucked out by security.
Halfway through the set they brought the house lights up and thanked the fans for the years of support, on what will be their final ever Melbourne show.
Jason got emotional talking about his early life with the band, when he realised that “love is nebulous, and can escape us”. During their hiatus he said that he “got to have children with one of my best friends”, and he turns to speak directly to his wife and son who are standing in the wing of the stage. Through tears, he tells his wife “no matter what I got to be in love and I get to stay in love”, and tells his son Pascal that he loves him “more than you will ever know”.
Talk about a raw performance. Jason dedicates the next song ‘Muther’ to all the mothers out there, and the crowd all sing along to one of their big hits. The room is taut, and during the final section of the song as the crowd sung the hook back at the stage, frontman Jason shouted through tears to close out the track before curling up in front of the kick drum weeping.
A shockingly raw and moving performance. letlive. bring everyone along with them, playing with an intense, cathartic sincerity which I have never quite seen before.
As the set closed and the black-clad crowd filed up the stairs and onto the street everybody was hushed and whispered to each other how much they loved the show. A gallant way for a band like letlive. to end, on a high.