Set in an idyllic location right across the road from the beach, the Seabreeze Hotel was lucky enough to play host to The Butterfly Effect’s sold out the third show of their national tour featuring special guests Caligula’s Horse and Thornhill.
Instead of their usual night time gig, it was an early start on a Sunday afternoon due to it being the NRL grand final night. That didn’t stop the punters from arriving early. With doors opening at 2 pm, the line snaked through the hotel with fans excitedly awaiting what was to come.
Brisbane‘s own prog metal band Caligula’s Horse opened with track The Tempest from their 2020 album Rise Radiant and had the crowd engaged from the get go. More songs followed from Rise Radiant and 2015 album Bloom including the epic track Marigold, before finishing the set with Dream the Dead. Vocalist Jim Grey kept fans attention between songs with friendly banter.
After a short break, Melbourne band Thornhill took the stage. Fresh from their headline shows in the USA, this set focused heavily on their newly released album Heroine. They had many fans in the audience as they played new songs Leather Wings and Hollywood the mosh became intense. Views from the Sun had people literally falling down in the pit. Ending their set with Where We Go When We Die left the crowd wanting more.
Venturing outside for a breather after Thornhill the crowd was buzzing and i overheard one young chap say that if he hears Window and the Watcher that he will die. His excitement was palpable.
By the time The Butterfly Effect were ready to take the stage, the venue was packed to capacity and the air was hard to breathe. Anticipation was building as the instrumental title track from their recently released album IV played in the background. The band then emerged on stage to the rousing cheers of a very excited and fully primed audience. Starting the set with new song Dark Light, they then whipped the crowd into a frenzy with favourites Window and the Watcher and A Slow Descent before taking us all the way back to 2003 with Always. Just a side note, old mate is still alive.
Between the moshing and the overworked air con the room was now a sauna with vocalist Clint Boge even joking that he would be losing a few of his pandemic beer kilos today. New tracks So Tired and Nil by Mouth followed before an amazing performance of Gone that had the whole room singing along. Worlds of Fire from Final Conversation of Kings closed the set.
After chants of one more song and encore the band returned to finish the night with new single Visiting Hours and the classic much loved Reach. As we all sang the final line with Clint, the collective feeling and the love in the room was intense. We’d been taken on the best ride over the last 20 years of their career and also, according to ex Caligulas Horse member Adrian Goleby, guitarist Kurt looks great in a singlet.
REVIEW BY LEAH BRYCE | PHOTOS BY CARLIE TANITHSKYE PHOTOGRAPHY
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT
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THORNHILL
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CALIGULA’S HORSE
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