Photo’s & Review By: Jason Irvine and Taylor Dylko

With the All Ages show completed earlier in the day, it was time for California-based rockers Black Veil Brides and supporting band The Last Martyr to play to an 18+ audience at The Croxton Bandroom in Thornbury on Sunday night. Well before the doors were set to open, a line of eager fans continued to grow outside the venue, keen to see a band that last graced Australian shores more than eight years ago for Soundwave – and a couple of sideshows – in 2014.

The Croxton fast filled to the brim with anticipated concertgoers ahead of the show’s scheduled start time, everyone keen to get in and find a good viewing spot ahead of what was to become a memorable night.

**The Last Martyr Photo By Taylor Dylko**

Melbourne-based heavy outfit The Last Martyr opened proceedings on the night, the local dark rockers returning home to perform a 30-minute set that had the crowd pumped up in a perfect lead-in to the main event. The local four-piece made their way onto the stage to a chorus of screams, documenting the rise they’ve made within the past three years after bursting onto the scene in 2019.

The Last Martyr played their hearts out on stage, lead by vocalist Monica Strut singing and screaming from a flower-adorned microphone stand, moving and jumping around the stage from the very start as her presence, as well as that of bassist Ricky Andres signified the immense stage presence the band displayed. The band’s pulsating sound and lyrics radiated throughout each offering that started with Afterglow, with Strut announcing to the crowd that “this is the start of what’s gonna be a rad night”. Every member of the crowd, whether they knew the songs or not, easily got into the music, jumping up and down, and banging their heads, as instructed by Strut also.

Cheers elicited from the packed bandroom every time a track finished, but more so every time Strut let out a loud, groveling scream, whether high or low, holding certain notes for large amounts of time that showcased her vocal range, ability, and talent, especially through Freaking Out, Fear, and unreleased track Sugar. The band completed the set with Hindsight, ending with the growling screams that the crowd latched onto, right until the very end.

**Black Veil Brides Photo By Taylor Dylko**

There was a growing excitement from all in attendance with every minute that passed before Black Veil Brides were to appear on stage, lead by chants of the band’s name 10 minutes before the scheduled time they were due up. But, a while later, it was time, as the lights went dark, and a sea of red lights shone from the back of the stage – and a sea of phones from the crowd –, with an introduction that combined chimes, piano, violin and cymbals, climaxing to a crescendo as the band walked out, lead by drummer Christian Coma standing atop his stool, followed by the remaining members, and then finally, vocalist Andy Biersack. “Let me hear you scream!” were the first words to come out of Biersack’s mouth as the band lead into Faithless, with started a set full of screams, sing-a-longs, and rock hands that were never put back down.

Biersack, guitarists Jinxx and Jake Pitts, and bassist Lonn Eagleton rarely stood still, going back and forth using the full width of the stage to find themselves looking at different areas of the crowd, with Biersack often looking on in awe of a sold-out room all screaming for him, and also, repeating his lyrics back to him – also seen by the multiple ‘oh oh’s’ in tracks such as Faithless and Wake Up. The stage presence from each member of the band was evidenced by standing atop the speakers at the front of the stage to look out further into the crowd, and with Jinxx and Pitts often playing back-to-back shredding their guitars and producing menacing riffs.

After playing Coffins and Crimson Skies – the first from the band’s most recent album The Phantom Tomorrow –, Biersack, after testing the room to see who had seen Black Veil Brides before, and who hadn’t – with more being first-timers –, announced they’d play something a little older, Rebel Love Song. It would be the third song of 2011’s Set The World On Fire, the band also performing The Legacy and Fallen Angels – the crowd singing themselves in parts encouraged by Biersack – closer to the end of the set. Black Veil Brides kept the energy up as they played a mix of new and older stuff – with four albums having been released since the last time they were in Australia, giving fans down under a chance to hear the band’s progression in both music, and the maturity of their live performance.

The band had a couple of small jokes in between their songs, making note of the time between visits, that tickets to this tour had been on sale for ages, and, before Scarlet Cross, mentioning that it was their first top 10 song in the US with Biersack commenting he knows “that doesn’t mean shit here (in Australia) but I just wanted to brag”.

Going deeper into the band’s vast catalogue, the band went through All Your Hate, Wretched and Divine, and Knives and Pens as they wrapped the set up shortly after and left the stage. However, as the crowd shouted for one more song, the band came back – with a slight tease by Coma walking on, and then veering back – to play In The End and send their Aussie fans out with big smiles at what they’d just experienced and witnessed, hoping it won’t be another eight-year wait to see Black Veil Brides live once again.

FULL GALLERY

The Last Martyr