GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL REVIEW AND PHOTO GALLERIES
Twas the night before good things, when all through the house, the metalheads were stirring, and even a shout; The boots were hung by the front door with care, In hopes that good things soon would be there. The day finally came and the metal heads were on their way, and they were ready for the mud pit today. As the metalheads packed in for rain or shine, the music was the only thing that crossed their minds. The food trucks, drink vendors, stalls and merchandise stands, set you up for good things and our money was well spent, And on Christmas day metal heads looked under their tree and found tickets to Knotfest and shouted Yippie.
Pyrefly
As we got to the festival we headed straight to Pyrefly and we got to watch Alanis on drums, KJ on lead vocals and guitars, Andrew on guitar and Trent on bass and it put a glimmer in our eyes. The rain was strong and the mosh pit was ready and we got a great show from start to finish. As they played their set we got to listen to hits including "Numbered, The Baron, Redcliff, Blind and The Void". Pryefly were engaged with the crowd and they threw out pool noodles and we got to see a wave of blue and red and the crowd rode the wave with a mosh pit. As the fans sang the lyrics back to the band, you could see why Pyrefly deserved to be on this epic line up. The intense Drums, electrifying Guitar, Heavy Bass and phenomenal Vocals filled our ears with joy and the band was full of energy and the crowd’s response was thunderous. Pyrefly captivated us with their set and it was one of the best metal acts of the day and they should have been on the main stage.
Bowling for Soup
Next up was the one and only Bowling For Soup and we were excited to see this act. As we welcomed Jaret Reddick on lead vocals and guitar, Rob Felicetti on bass guitar and Gary Wiseman on drums to the stage, a roar of excitement came from the crowd. As they played through their set we got to watch songs including "Almost, The Bitch Song, Today Is Gonna Be a Great Day and Girl All the Bad Guys Want" and the Pounding Vocals, heart-wrenching choruses, Sizzling Guitar, Rocking Drums and Gripping Bass lines were Infectious. As we watched Bowling For Soup Jaret Reddick stuck a pic to his forehead and Rob Felicetti put a pic up his nose, which was a different site to see. The show was electrifying from start to finish and Bowling for Soup Finished off their set with a cover and crowd favourite 1985, which was originally by SR-71.
311
Next up was 311 from Omaha, Nebraska and it was their first time back in Sydney after 26 years. As we got to watch songs including "Beautiful Disaster, Don't Stay Home and You're Gonna Get It", the Killer vocals, blasting lead guitar, Upbeat Drums, infectious bass lines and epic rhythm guitar sent us into a trance and made us love their music even more. As the band played with Charisma it was brought to the crowd and gave them a burst of frenetic energy. When 311 played a cover of "Lovesong by The Cure" the crowd was singing along and the liveliness in the crowd left us on an unbelievably high note. I have never seen this band live before and I am now a fan and cannot wait to see another show. As they finished off their set with "Feels So Good" we were sad to see them leave and they got us pumped up for the following sets.
The Living End
Next up was The Living End from Melbourne Australia and we got to watch Chris Cheney on guitar and vocals, Scott Owen on Double Bass and Andy Strachan on drums and they killed it. As they played songs including "Second Solution, End of the World, White Noise and Prisoner of Society" the roaring lead vocals, powerful double bass and backing vocals sent vibrations through the mosh pit and the fans jumped around wildly. As Scott Owen played his double bass he climbed on top of it and played, the amount of balance he had was crazy and impressive. The songs captivated the crowd and The Living End ripped through all the classic hits and the rhythmic drums and backing vocals made the crowd sing along to hits they grew up with.
Northlane
Northlane was next up on our roster and they delivered an excellent set with hits including "Carbonized, Bloodline, Welcome to the Industry and a mash up of Worldeater, Dispossession and Jinn". As the Smoky Vocals and Buzzing Lead Guitar notes hit our ears it made you want to get closer to the stage. The harmonies created intoxicating elements and the remarkable Rythem Guitar and Unique Drum beats sent the audience over the edge and into overdrive. Northlane got the fans to Split the pit for a wall of death and a roaring commotion happened. As the blazing tempos made you excited for more, Northlane's set came to a close with the last song "Clockwork".
Mastodon
Mastodon hit the ground running with an epic lineup at Good Things Festival and we got to watch Troy Sanders on bass and vocals, Brent Hinds on lead guitar and vocals, Bill Kelliher on rhythm guitar and backing vocals and Brann Dailor on drums and vocals and they smashed their set out of the park. As the colourful backdrop caught your eye and sent you into a colourful trance and the ripping guitar and vocals pulled you in, we got to watch Mastodon deliver hits including "Crystal Skull, Pushing the Tides, More Than I Could Chew, Megalodon and Blood and Thunder" and the energised Guitar, Power driven Bass, Punchy Drum and Crisp Keyboards had everyone raise their metal horns in the air and they delivered the Catchy metal tunes that we know and love.
Jet
Jet from Melbourne played the main stage at Good Things and they delivered every hit that we know and love and grew up with. We got to listen to Jet play songs including "Last Chance, She's a Genius, Are You Gonna Be My Girl, Cold Hard Bitch and Rip It Up" and the roaring Drums, up-tempo Rythem Guitar riffs and Blazing tempos brought an amazing atmosphere. As we sang along to every hit we know and love, the Catchy Choruses, Unforgettable guitar riffs, Piercing keyboard lines and sharp bass lines perked up our ears and the deep vocals inspired us to reminisce on the past. Jet delivered a fun set and it made us want to listen to their songs on repeat when we got home.
Violent Femmes
The Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and they opened up their set with a banger and the timeless classic. As they strutted their stuff and played "Blister in the Sun" it got us strung out and amped up for more songs. As they used a BBQ as part of their drum kit and a cool blue guitar it drew your eyes to the unique instruments on stage. Violent Femmes continued with hits including " Please Do Not Go, Prove My Love, To the Kill and Good Feeling" and the thunderous Guitars, ripping box drums and loud bass lines and booming vocals brought a buzzing performance. As Violent Femmes sang "Dance Motherfucker Dance originally by Voot Warnings" it made us dance and jam out. The band ended their set with "American Music" and their vibrant jams brought an energy that couldn’t be denied.
Kerry king
Kerry King is the metal Godfather and it was one of our most anticipated sets of the day. Kerry King and his band are legendary and we got to watch "Kerry King on guitar, Mark Osegueda on vocals, Phil Demmel on Guitar, Kyle Sanders on bass and Paul Bostaph on drums and they played original songs and slayer songs. We got to see "Diablo, Where I Reign, Trophies of the Tyrant and Two Fists" and the Shread drums, brutal lead guitar, Powerful crushing bass rhythm guitar and the energy-fueled performance created a masterful and fiery atmosphere. As we got into the "Slayer" hits "Disciple and Raining Blood" and a cover of "Killers by Iron Maiden", the powerful and awe-inspiring atmosphere had the fans hungry for more and they feasted on these classic heavy metal hits. This set filled our souls with metal and pumped it through our veins. We listened to the last song "From Hell I Rise" and we were sad to see this set over but ready for the next act.
Electric Callboy
Electric Callboy was next up and we got to watch Nico Sallach on vocals, Kevin Ratajczak on vocals, Pascal Schillo on rhythm guitar, Daniel Klossek on Bass and Daniel "Danskimo" Haniß on guitar and the Electric Callboy Drummer Dilemma was Solved by Frank Zummo the drummer of Sum 41 who filled In for David Friedrich. As Electric Callboy kicked off the set with "Tekkno Train, MC Thunder II (Dancing Like a Ninja), Spaceman and Hate/Love" the electrifying vocals, Popping lead guitar and bouncy and catchy tunes were delivered with incredible and expressive energy and as the band moved around the stage, they brought the fans into their world and the crowd swayed and danced along with them. They continued their upbeat set with "Everytime We Touch originally by Maggie Reilly" and it took me back to my clubbing days and I sang along. They played their song RATATATA which they originally recorded with BABYMETAL and Electric Callboy and the galvanised Bass and vocals were sublime. As they closed out their set with "We Got the Moves" it was a fun set and we cannot wait to see them next time.
Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan is best known for his work in the rock band The Smashing Pumpkins and we got to watch him in his solo project at Good Things and he killed it. The set kicked off with "Dancehall" the elevated vocals, awe-inspiring bass lines and blissful drum beats were first class. They played "To Love Somebody originally by Bee Gees" and the supreme vocals and terrific upbeat energy brought a fun atmosphere to the fans and it made us dance. As the insanely mind blowing set continued with "The Smashing Pumpkins" hits "Stumbleine, 1979, Age of Innocence, Tonight, Tonight and Today" and the bristling rhythms made you want to headbang and the unique Lead Guitar riffs kept the energy flowing.
Korn
Next up was the headline act, the one and only Korn and they brought their A game. They kicked off their set with "Here to Stay" and a Wall of metal came flying at you and crowd surfers flew over the barrier from the first note. As Jonathan Davis vibrant Vocals knocked us off our feet and Brian Welch played Vigorous Lead Guitar it was better than a fireworks display.
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The vibrant delivery continued with "Dead Bodies Everywhere, Got the Life, A.D.I.D.A.S., Hey Daddy, Good God, Start the Healing and Blind" and the heavy metal roughness with old school vibes and the guitar harmonies were on fire. Reginald Arvizu delivered us sharp and heavy bass lines that got us supercharged and we were ready for the next song. As ‘Ball Tongue’ was being played, Korn stopped their performance part way through the song because of a situation that happened in the crowd and made sure everyone was ok and then continued with "Clown".
Next up Jonathan brought out the Bagpipes and then continued playing "Shoots and Ladders, with a snippet of One by Metallica". The set continued with "Twist, Make Me Bad and Y'All Want a Single" and Ray Luzier played crushing drums and brought powerful beats and breakdowns to the set. The riffs and the harmonics showed us why we came to rock out with this epic band. Korn walked off stage and the crowd cheered for an Encore and Korn finished off the night with "Falling Away From Me, Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" and a crowd favourite "Freak on a Leash".
Good Things left the fans buzzing on a high. As you looked into the crowd you could see the excitement on everyones face and the fans were leaving the venue with a skip to their step. We cannot wait to return to Good Things next year and we hope you find a Knotfest ticket under your Christmas tree.