Live Review: With Confidence w/ Harbours @ The Brightside
It was an odd feeling venturing into Fortitude Valley on a Wednesday night, but all feelings of alcoholism and questionable life choices were quickly suppressed when With Confidence hit The Brightside with promising Melbourne outfit Harbours.
First to step out and give the crowd their daily dose of punk goodness was Gold Coast rockers Double Lined Minority. The respectfully-dressed gentlemen were the perfect start to the night, energetically capturing the crowd with their upbeat pop punk vibes and captivating stage presence. Props must also be given for their rendition of Foo Fighters’ classic Everlong, an easy song to play but very difficult to execute well and Double Lined Minority certainly showed the crowd how to do it right.
After a short break for a brew and 4 minutes of hell listening to How You Remind Me by Nickelback through the P.A, it came time for Melbourne punks Harbours to grace the small stage. No strangers to the venue, the longer set allowed the 4-piece to play the entirety of their debut EP ‘Nothing Stays The Same’. The absence of second guitarist Sam Bassal didn’t impact the balance of the live sound as the band commanded the angsty crowd, tearing through their set with poise and absolute power.
The impressive vocal range of both frontman Tory Robertson and bassist Kyle O’Shea were made apparent in Your Eyes as the crowd stood back and marvelled at the vocal gymnastics and infectious instrumentals. The inclusion of a stripped version of title track Nothing Stays The Same was a nice change of pace mid-set. A dedication to hardships and the importance of persistence, the rawness of guitar and vocals was simple in approach yet inspiring in message. The atmosphere of The Brightside was electric as Harbours finished their set with fan favourite Pulling Teeth, which featured an all inclusive sing-a-long between Robertson and fans. The stage presence and tightness of the band’s live show was above any expectation for the younglings of Harbours. Definitely keep an eye on these dudes!
Once the Melbourne rockers had left their mark on The Brightside it was time for the With Confidence boys to unleash their own pop-punk beast. The nearly packed room filled the floor as the Sydney 4-piece opened with their new single Keeper, quickly engaging the crowd and having them move at every command. On the verge of releasing their debut album ‘Better Weather’, With Confidence chose to focus their set more on older material, giving the energetic crowd the opportunity for much loved sing-a-longs before they retired a few fan favourites to make way for new tunes.
A few minor technical difficulties did not deter the band or the crowd, after losing his “knob” the night before and then his “thingy” after Understand, guitarist Luke Rockets assured the eager audience that losing his innuendo’d guitar parts would not interrupt the vibe of the gig. After quickly sorting the technical issues and getting a little carried away with their banter, With Confidence were back into the swing of things, filling The Brightside with the sweet riffs of We’ll Be Okay.
Concluding the set with fan favourite Godzilla, the Sydney pop punk outfit had done their job and done it well. With everything from a guest vocal from Alex Moses of Columbus, to seamlessly cruising through both old and new material, the soon-to-be pop punk heavyweights showed Brisbane why they are Hopeless Records’ latest additions. The tight set and crazy energetic stage presence had the crowd buzzing long after they wrapped up the night and we hope once they take on the world, they’ll come back and crush a Brisbane stage once again.
Check out our Photo Gallery HERE
