LIVE REVIEW: DEAFHEAVEN + SPY + PEACE RITUAL @ THE PRINCESS THEATRE 12/07/26

Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi Photos Charlyn Cameron

“Don’t change that dial. You are listening to Lonely People With Power Radio,” stated a calm female voice.

That was the welcome through the PA as fans poured into the Princess Theatre. The crowd was told to “Expect the unexpected” as a combination of sonic soundscapes, from heavy guitar distortion to synth melody lines that built circular, anxiety-inducing tension, and 1950s standards like Dave Berry’s ‘The Crying Game’ and Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s ‘This Guy’s In Love With You’, were melded and interwoven into a fantastic playlist that set the tone of the night.

It was this sonic world of radio and organic music that brought real excitement to fans as they welcomed back the Californian black metal masters Deafheaven to Brisbane and the Princess Theatre, the place with the best acoustics in town to hear a band regarded as one of the most captivating live performers in heavy metal music. They brought along two bands in support: the Californian hardcore outfit SPY and Sydney-based band Peace Ritual to celebrate the last performance of the Lonely People With Power tour.

The evening commenced with Peace Ritual taking to the stage. The band noted the “end of tour” blowout was here on this dark Brisbane night. Peace Ritual were entrusted to warm everyone up with their six-song set that was a mix of the band’s old and new songs. They started their set with ‘NLE’ and immediately set the night into a positive and life-affirming rock heaven. The alternative rock sounds were so melodic as the band followed quickly with the second older song, ‘Lucky Star’. They had the crowd dancing along to the fantastic songs and appreciating the awesome voice of lead singer Joel Martorana.

When the new song ‘Seconds’ was announced as the next track, Joel Martorana invited the crowd to “come closer – come in” to listen and engage in the charming alternative rock music being played “by a group of friends”. The band were super tight with their well-played guitars, bass and the crucial drum control supplied by “Dane”.

Peace Ritual informed the crowd that they have “a debut album on the way” as they performed one of the new songs from it, ‘Shine’. Then, they went back to their first self-titled EP to deliver the track ‘Cold Shoulder’, which blended dreamy, guitar-driven rock with big beats. The five-piece band showcased their positive energy, infectious honesty and great rock melodies that were extremely catchy. Peace Ritual closed out their set with ‘Sigh’ and it was such a great opening.

San Francisco band SPY were up next as the band and tech crew got the stage ready. The turnaround was fast. Space was made, instruments were warmed up and setlists were put down with SPYSTRALIA emblazoned across the top.

SPY has carved out their own niche in the modern heavy hardcore landscape. As the guitars squealed in a wall of distortion, the singer roared and the band brought their raw, hectic and very bouncy approach as songs like ‘Labor Dispute’, ‘Surveilled’ and ‘On The Brink’ were delivered at a very rapid pace.

The band were like caged big cats on the prowl as they stomped, ran and jumped around the stage. They moved the dial all right! The energy in the room ratcheted up in a completely different musical and physical direction as SPY detonated with their fast-paced playing. SPY got the mosh pit moving with a simple command of “move” as they played ‘Bootlicker’, ‘Stay In Your Lane’ and ‘Big Man’. It was fast and furious!

One fan yelled out: “You guys are f**ken sick”. SPY took the cue to thank the crowd and introduce the band. SPY is a Californian band comprising Peter Pawlak, Drew Satterlund, Cody Kryst, ThomasSherry and Josh Mendoza. The whole band put in 100%, but the bassist just rocked it more with those large, thrumming bassline melodies as he jumped around like a puma.

SPY played their instruments with fury, over their heads and into the speakers as the lead singer stomped and roared. If you blinked or got distracted, you could have missed a song, but the mosh pit embraced every second of it and the sweat was flying as ‘Dim’, ‘Exceptional American’ and ‘Quit The Act’ were delivered. There was one poor guy cut down in the mosh and his night was over.

The songs moved at a breakneck pace as ‘Mob’, ‘Do What I Can’ and ‘Obtained Under Duress’ were belted out. SPY stopped to thank the fans and others “for listening” before thanking Peace Ritual and Deafheaven for the opportunity to be on the tour. Then, SPY told the crowd they had “a few songs left” and started another round with fury pouring out of the instruments and speakers as ‘My Problem’, ‘Koniec’ and then the set ended with ‘Afraid Of Everything’.

Then, SPY walked off stage. The set was over before the crowd realised it. It had been so quick. The crowd were stunned! A few people had the speed and wits to ask for more songs. But it was over as the band packed up their gear. In a word: hectic!

Lonely People With Power Radio returned as the dial was reset. The stage crew stripped the stage back. The musical soundscape mixed organic instruments like cellos, violins, tambourines and xylophones with synths, atonal guitar droning, country music and 1960s lounge music as the fog machine worked overtime and the smell of weed drifted up into the mezzanine.

The venue went very purple as the radio asked the crowd to “Confess your heart's desires” and “deepest thoughts”. Then, Deafheaven took to the stage and they looked like shadows in the gloom, with drummer Daniel Tracy, bassist Chris Johnson, and guitarists Shiv Mehra and Kerry McCoy appearing first. Within 20 seconds, the visceral intensity that is frontman George Clarke appeared through the fog and the band started their sonic assault as their heavy music bounced off the walls. From the opening chords of ‘Incidental I’, Deafheaven unleashed a wall of sound that completely engulfed the venue. It was like an instant cyclone of energy as the band combined to produce a musical chaos that was full of constructed order.

The mosh started with so much energy as the white lights flashed like lightning. Deafheaven treated the crowd to almost the entirety of their 2025 album Lonely People With Power and started playing a more traditional black metal style with ‘Doberman’, followed by the tolling bells of ‘Magnolia’. Then, the signal from George Clarke to get the mosh pit moving was given before ‘Brought To The Water’ from the album New Bermuda was delivered. George Clarke then climbed down to the barrier to sing to fans.

Deafheaven were blowing away the crowd with the sheer intensity of their heavy black metal performance, especially the piercing, high-pitched, rasping, shrieked vocals. The eight-minute-long epic ‘Sunbather’ from the band's 2013 breakthrough album Sunbather was performed before ‘Garden Route’ blended in. With George Clarke’s vocal fry making his lyrics indiscernible at times, and the band’s sonic landscape never quitting as it shifted and flowed, Deafheaven’s set could at times feel like one long performance piece rather than individual songs.

If you closed your eyes, you could see and feel the music as the soundwaves made by Deafheaven refracted and recoiled around the venue. Then, George Clarke spoke to the crowd and stated that his favourite song of the tour, ‘Body Behavior’, was to be delivered. He had the crowd singing along. It was followed by the intense heaviness of ‘Amethyst’, which ended the regulation set. What was impressive was the guitar work of Kerry McCoy and Shiv Mehra. They were just brilliant. Deafheaven are trailblazers of “blackgaze”, a fusion of the harsh blast beats, tremolo picking and shrieked vocal fry of black metal with the lush, swirling, effects-heavy guitar walls and melancholic melodies of shoegaze and rock music. When someone says Deafheaven's sound hits like a brick wall, they mean it!

Deafheaven started the gradual progression of ‘Incidental II’ and created a beautiful break before heading into the final songs of the set. The track ‘Revelator’ was undoubtedly one of the highlights as more fans joined the mosh pit. ‘Dream House’ followed and the mosh pit was in full flight. George Clarke climbed down to the barrier again, finishing the performance face-to-face with fans.

Then, ‘Incidental III’ was played as Deafheaven got ready to end their powerful set with the fan favourite ‘Winona’. The euphoria of the guitars and drums crashing in together let everyone loose. The crowd were in celebration mode as they bounced and crashed into each other. It was an impressive sight and effort for a Sunday night. The hot and sweaty bodies were on fire as the set came to an end. It was quite a sight looking down from above.

Deafheaven’s musical world is enigmatic, sleek and aggressive, with razor-sharp teeth and a theatricality running through it. For the crowd, there was a cathartic release of pent-up energy and emotion. The sweaty bodies collected themselves at the end and thanked Deafheaven for their impressive performance. Fans left happy – a bit dazed and confused – as they headed off into the dark Brisbane winter night.