LIVE REVIEW: LETLIVE + STEPSON @ THE TRIFFID 05/09/25
Photo Charlyn Cameron
Words by Alec Smart. Photos Charlyn CameronLetLive, the American metalcore/ ‘screamo’ quintet from Los Angeles, California, performed at The Triffid in Newstead, Brisbane, the first show of their 2025 Australian national tour.
The recently-reformed band, which was founded in 2002 but whose members went on hiatus in 2017, reunited for a limited six-month series of live concerts as a proper ‘farewell’ to fans worldwide. The tour, titled Sincerely Yours, extends from June-November 2025 and also takes in Britain, Europe and the United States.
Support at the Queensland gig was from melodic hardcore band Stepson, the Brisbane five-piece formed in 2014. There was a large turnout of enthusiastic fans at The Triffid, and Stepson did an admirable job of warming up the crowd.
Singer Brock Conry, who’s completely covered in tattoos, wore a T-shirt featuring a ferocious pit-bull dog with a spiked collar and the words, “Bad dogs get tattooed…”
Photo Charlyn Cameron
Stepson gained a lot of publicity in 2020 when they were signed by renowned American Indie record label SharpTone, which subsequently released their debut album, Help Me, Help You. Their songs cross hard-rock genres, some with pre-recorded synthesiser, but typically involve Brock Conry shouting furiously while guitarist Nick sings harmony vocals.
At one stage Conry called for a ‘wall of death’ clash on the dancefloor. The moshpit divided in half and both sides faced off. However, Conry forgot to call out the charge, and as the band continued playing, the crowd slowly closed the gap and resumed dancing instead.
There was a long wait between Stepson and LetLive (the latter band’s name usually written in all lower-case letters) and the soundtrack played over The Triffid’s loudspeakers feature, somewhat ironically, old ballads from the 1930s-40s and mid-twentieth century French chansons.
LetLive ascended the dimly-lit stage amidst a wall of guitar feedback and smoke, then turned their backs on the audience, like they were at a rehearsal discussing a new song and the crowd behind were irrelevant.
Then suddenly the music kicked-in, spotlights shone, the band spun around, and adrenaline levels ratcheted up tenfold.
The band are very animated, musically tight, and clearly enjoy performing together.
Photo Charlyn Cameron
Vocalist/frontman Jason Butler, co-founder and longest-serving member, has a powerful voice and a commanding stage presence. The revived line-up of the band comprises Butler and guitarists Jeff Sahyoun and Jean Nascimento, joined by Issues bassist Skyler Acord and Point North drummer Sage Webber.
They performed highlights of their 15-year recording career, which includes an EP and four studio albums. The latter two, Blackest Beautiful and If I’m The Devil.., were released on independent label Epitaph, founded by melodic hardcore giants Bad Religion, which has overseen albums by Offspring, Green Day, La Dispute and NOFX among others.
The music varies in tempo, transcending the boundaries of hardcore, emo and metal - Butler’s vocals always impassioned and transcendent.
Butler frequently pauses between songs to give heartfelt tributes to the crowd and his bandmates. “We started this project to find misfits and feel comfortable among ourselves,” he announced (or words to that effect). “Thanks for giving us the space to come back…”
He later elucidated, “All power lies with the people. Sometimes rest is an act of resistance. Sometimes compassion is revolutionary.”
Near the end of the night, after several personal revelations and exhortations to be considerate of others, Butler joked, tongue firmly planted in cheek, “Thank you for coming to my personal therapy session tonight!”
Before performing their song Muther, Butler explained he went through a depressive episode in life when his self-esteem plummeted, until, eventually, he refocused his energies. “Everybody in this room deserves love, but the first person you must love is yourself,” he insisted.
Midway through the song, Butler ripped-apart his white T-shirt to reveal a tattooed body, his back covered in a giant illustration of a sheep wearing a wolf’s head. The symbolism is the opposite of the ancient idiom, ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing’, which traditionally describes a deceitful person with harmful motives.
Photo Charlyn Cameron
The band revealed that the last time they played together as a band they performed in The Triffid, during an Australian tour. “Australia is not the reason we broke up,” Butler hastily clarified, “Australia is the reason we came back!”
During one song, Jeff Sahyoun played guitar while standing on his Marshall amplifier. At the end of the set, Sahyoun left his guitar atop the amp, which issued a constant wail of feedback after the band departed the stage.
The band then returned to the stage - Butler wryly asking the crowd, “Are you all still here?!” - and performed a three-song encore, with Butler singing most of the finale, Day 54, from the edge of the crowd barrier.
LetLive Set List
Le Prologue
The Sick, Sick, 6.8 Billion
Renegade ‘86
Dope Beat
Homeless Jazz
Banshee (Ghost Fame)
Muther
Good Mourning, America
Dreamer’s Disease
Pheromone Cult
27 Club
Encore
I’ve Learned to Love Myself
Empty Elvis
Day 54
