LIVE REVIEW: PRINCE DADDY & THE HYENA + MACSEAL + SUZI + TALK HEAVY @ THE BRIGHTSIDE 17/07/26
Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi Photos Steph Ure
It was a cold and wet Brisbane evening at The Brightside as fans lined up outside for a fantastic four-band winter musical feast of indie punk and rock. The talented locals Talk Heavy kicked off the night. Suzi followed with her band (with one male guitarist!) and delivered an outstanding short set. Then, New Yorkers and debut Australian tour co-headliners Macseal and Prince Daddy & The Hyena, delighted fans with terrific powerhouse performances on their first ever visit to Brisbane and first performances in Australia. It was a historic night as the bands ripped any sense of gloom to shreds with glorious rock sounds.
There was a big crowd gathered early to see Talk Heavy. And within 30 seconds of the band’s first song, ‘Something Cool’, bouncing off the walls, it was obvious why the venue was full. Talk Heavy were fantastic! Their second song was ‘Die 4 U’ and the melodic rock delivered was just a joy to hear. I have instructed the algorithm in Spotify to keep me updated on this band!
Talk Heavy comprises of Matt Cochran, Patrick Shipp,Tayla Ellerby and Beej Vaughan. Their musical soundscape draws from punk, emo, indie and alternative rock. They immediately set the tone for the evening with their big melodic driven rock songs. The stand out songs were the introspective, and very romantic, ‘Wedding Bands’ and ‘Hoping The Middle’. However, for Macseal it was ‘I Wanna Skate Again’ that was called out for praise later in the night. It was a crowd favourite!
The band got the mosh started. Then, their fans got the infectious bouncing fun underway. Talk Heavy were playing so hard that the guitarist had to swap out his guitar as his strings broke. The band had such a great sound and proved how good they were at playing rock in all its musical colours. Talk Heavy were the perfect openers and knew how to kick off a night right!
The changeover between bands was really quick. The crowd settled in as Melbourne-based indie rock musician and singer-songwriter Suzi (Suzi Yaghmoor)and her band (Holly, Nick and Ali) brought theindie vibes and energy to the stage.
Suzi and her band provided the energy with an incredibly energetic and touching set that started with ‘Planes’. The venue was packed with dedicated fans and supporters. And as ‘It’s You & Me Kid’ hit, the bouncing had started and the singalong was on. The crowd was fully engaged, responding enthusiastically to each song such as ‘He Wants Me’. Then, Suzi taught the fans the lyrics to ‘Nice Job’, and the singalong was loud, present and fun.
Suzi and her band played with real dynamism as she took her fans to her hit song, the emotionally raw, ‘Everyone Out There Hates Me’, with its urgent, desperate and explosive hook and lyricism. It’s an anthem for anyone battling self-doubt. Then, she played everyone her new song ‘Short Lived’, and it was received well. Suzi ended her tight and funky set with the brilliant ‘Centrelink Summer’, that earned a rousing reception.
Suzi’s band added to the magic of the short set as they launched around the stage, especially at the end with the rock-god ending on their knees, worshipping their guitars, and the great work of the drummer, who radiated passion from behind the kit. Suzi wrapped up by thanking the crowd warmly. I think it is safe to say Suzi and her band won over plenty of new fans from that short performance. Here’s hoping Suzi and her band return to Brisbane quickly for a headline show.
There was another quick change over and within a very short time Macseal (Ryan Bartlett, Cole Szilagyi, Justin Canavaciol and Francesca (Frankie) Impastato) were warming up their instruments and ready to launch into their first ever performance on Australian soil. The bubble machine was working overtime from the crowd.
And theLong Island indie rockers Macseal made an immediate impression. Wow!
Macseal brought a raw, urgent punk rock energy that cut through to the crowd. The venue was instantly chock-a-block full as everyone flocked towards the sound of balanced melodic guitars and the tight rhythm section. The drumming was superb and the bass kept it tight! That rhythmic energy underscored the vulnerability of Macseal’s songs, while the heavier emotional outbursts in the lyricism reflected the tone of the opening bands.
Macseal commenced their set with ‘A+B’ and the fans in the venue became unglued as everyone bounced and sang along in unison. Then, the songs rocked out in fast progression with ‘Your Door’, ‘Lucky For Some’ and ‘Every Dream’ before the band asked the crowd to get a bit “rowdy”. They did! The mosh was bouncing! For someone only really familiar with a few of Macseal’s songs, I was hooked from ‘5:45 AM (Not Fun)’ and ‘Sandbox’. I was a bit perplexed with the “meowing” from the crowd, but I got it when ‘Cats’ was delivered.
The highlight of the set musically was the performance of the three songs ‘Easily Undone’, and the brilliant ‘Beach Vacation’ and “a song about dogs”, with ‘4 Legs’. Macseal’s stage presence felt loose but with lots of engagement and chat as guitars were tuned. They took the crowd on a journey as they brought them in with discussions about Vegemite and other unique Australian fancies – and there was a very clever avoidance of the “shoey” request.
The band’s display of musical skills on their instruments was outstanding. Macseal’s songs carried a sense of catharsis and emotional honesty and when they played ‘Shelly’ the crowd was hyped. Then, the crowd went off as ‘Harry’ was performed and the shout-along was huge! The band closed out their setwith ‘Next To You’ and the crowd was in rock heaven. Macseal delivered a powerful set that was full of joy. The fans were ecstatic at Macseal’s performance and the end of the set was full of happiness.
There was another tight changeover. It was also quick as Prince Daddy & The Hyena appeared on stage, and were warming up their instruments and sound checking. The band played a short blast of music to check levels and Kory Gregory watched the crowd and stated, “come closer, closer…yes you on the seats, come closer”, and those sitting left their seats and headed to the floor as Prince Daddy & The Hyena commanded.
Then, the bandkicked straight into gear and began their first ever performance in Brisbane with songs from their new album ‘Hotwire Trip Switch’ as ‘24-03-04_Birthday_B4’ blasted out at a fast-pace in a loud and quirky pop-punk musical ride. The New York rockers brought out ‘Big Box-Store Heart’, ‘Jesus Fucking Christ’, ‘Adult Summers (PART 2)’ and ‘Keep Up That Talk’, and they had the mosh boiling and the crowd kept up that energy for the rest of the set.
Prince Daddy & The Hyena’s high-energy performance just kept coming and it was also devastatingly loud. Talk about ‘F**kin' A’! The band really brought the breakdowns in their aggressive, no-frills delivery. The songs were a kaleidoscope of modern rock as ‘Slip’, ‘Really’, ‘Shoelaces’ and ‘Thrashville’ were rolled out. The band engaged their fans with genuine warmth and there were birthday wishes for a fan at mid-set.
The band had a deeply satisfying instrumental cadence as thelead vocalist Kory Gregory and guitarist Cameron Handford played off each other. But, it was the bassist Zakariya Houacine who really impressed with his pop punk fingerstyle playing. The set really reached its peak with ‘El Dorado’, ‘Curly Q’ and the funny, and fun, ‘I Forgot To Take My Meds Today’.
The ‘Cosmic Thrill Seekers’ had the crowd encased in their musical mayhem as the band closed out their set with a swift ‘Pinch’ and a touching encore. Fans could be heard yelling, “we f**cking love you”, as the set ended. As the band left the stage, and the lights came back on, fans moved out of The Brightside and into the dark Brisbane night.
What a treat! Four fantastic band performances and brilliant debuts from both Macseal and Prince Daddy & The Hyena. Fans were not left disappointed, and the night was a real joy as Suzi said, “the best line-up ever…in my opinion”, and I think the fans in Brisbane would agree.
