_{Review by Kayla Hamilton (@kaylazomboid)}

alt. w/ Bad/Love and Akira Slide
Lion Arts Factory, South Australia 20/6/26

After a two year hiatus, Adelaide’s aptly named alt. returned to the stage to celebrate the release of their latest EP, Nevermore. A bittersweet affair, as it was also the last time vocalist Dan Cullen-Richards last show fronting them. Before the festivities of this historic alt. set kicked off at Lion Arts Factory, there was a lot of action that went down with our opening acts.

Tasked with getting things underway was fresh SA outfit Akira Slide. In what was only their third show, the theatrical post-hardcore band took to the stage with a sea of support. Looking every bit the part and embodying their deeply entrenched concept, this unique group caught the attention of all those in attendance. Flicking between melancholy anime-opening esque anthems, tricky heavy tunes and some sultry sexy tones, Akira Slide is one of those bands that has a little something for everybody. There is no doubt we will be seeing more from these guys going forward.

Making up the interstate contingent was Melbourne heavy unit Bad/Love. When it comes to stage presence, this band is dripping with it. Raising the energy in the room in what can almost felt like a battle between them and the audience, it didn’t take too much convincing to get a pit going. Frontman Landon Kirk laying out the challenge to the Adelaide punters and them taking the bait, they put on a stellar set from start to finish. No frills, just straight up catchy, heavy tunes. There is an undeniable weight to their music that just has you in awe. A little emo, and a lot intense, songs like ‘Dead Weight’ will always go down a treat.

As incredible as the two first bands were, there was no doubt that the room was packed in anticipation for alt. It was hard to fathom that it had been two years since these local legends had hit the stage, but it was every bit worth the weight. Ripping open the room, it was not long before the pit was moving. With a wall of death quite early in the set, the punters were singing their lungs out along with the band that they have grown to love oh so much. Switching between their classics and of course debuting their new ones from Nevermore live, the band did not miss a beat. The passion in which the songs were written, especially songs like ‘They’ve Always Lived In The Castle’, hit just as hard as if it was a decade old classic. 

One thing Adelaide does is show up for their own and did they ever this night. An eclectic crowd for sure, but a passionate one. That just speaks to the depth of their music. No matter what era of alt. they dipped into, and it was met with awe. As incredible as their set was though, it was tinged with that feeling of sadness. Both the beginning and end of an era for the band, it is going to be hard to imagine how they are going to look going forward. One thing is for certain, from the way their fans showed up, finishing up the night with another wall of death for starters, no matter how this band moves next- they won’t be alone. 

Alt. will be forever loved in not just the Adelaide scene, but the wider heavy music community, so whoever decides to step into Dan’s shoes will be inheriting the support that this band has built from the ground up. 

After this EP launch, I personally can’t wait to see what they do next.