Friday 4 July

Supports: The Similar

The Living Tombstone have taken over fandom spaces online over the years but  Friday night they took over The Triffid for their fully sold-out debut Australian tour! The  guys weren’t alone and had The Similar opening for them, helping make this truly a night to remember.\

The vibes of the show and crowd were high before you even stepped into the venue. Fans lining up down the street dressed in cosplays from iconic games and shows where The Living Tombstone have left their mark with their electrifying and thematic  music. Everyone was ecstatic to be let in and finally hear songs they have enjoyed for  years. 

The energy continued inside while we all waited for the opener to come on, the  crowd hyping each other up by cheering on plushies others would hold in the air or fandom related videos for a bit of fun.

The Similar ended up taking the stage a bit later than planned but still gave the  crowd an awesome show. Despite only playing a handful of songs, they still had myself, along with many others enjoying the tunes, picking up on the lyrics quickly and searching them on socials to give them a follow to support the guys more. It turns out this was the band’s fourth ever live show which was insane and a bit of a treat for us all.

They really hyped the crowd up with a special cover, explaining they had done a cover at previous shows and wanted to change it up for us here down under. So, they  brought out The Living Tombstone vocalist Sam Haft to join them on stage in performing a  cover of ‘Pink Pony Club’ by Chappell Roan. The crowd went insane, and we all got a taste of what was ahead of us for the night, everyone singing the lyrics at the top of their lungs while jumping and dancing to the iconic and unexpected cover.

When The Similar finished, we all found ourselves filled with anticipation as we waited for the clock to strike 10 and for The Living Tombstone to take the stage. The  moment those stage lights dropped, the backstage door opened, and I could see the  glowing lights, all the adrenaline came rushing back and I was ready to dance my heart  out.

I was instantly mesmerised by the colours and bright costumes, looking back at  my videos I realised I was swearing over and over again by the shock at how awesome they were and the fact I was seeing them live. They kicked off with iconic high-energy track ‘I can’t fix you’, getting the crowd pumped from the get-go and having us all in the palm of their hands ready to sing, chant, jump and have a good time. 

The group played a wide range of their discography but some of my personal favourites were the songs from their new album Rust which came out in late May. Notable songs would have to be ‘Be Alone’ and ‘Goliath’ which had more of a heavier tone to them than some of their other music which were perfect for jumping, something I adore doing at gigs.

The interaction with the crowd with these guys was comedic and enjoyable,  incorporating little segways into songs and just having fun interacting with everyone.  Like heading into their song ‘No Mercy’, vocalists Sam Haft and Yoav Landau having a  small banter about Yoav’s gaming skills before Sam getting the crowd involved to sing along the lyrics at the iconic parts to get his point across.

Of course, a cover had to be included, and these guys had a bit fun whilst performing their remix of ‘Spooky Scary Skeletons’! They then slowed it down for a moment, preforming ‘This Comes From Inside’. Yoav talked about the song and its importance saying “… in the series of Five Nights at Freddy’s Songs we’ve done. This song is a ballad, it’s what we made as a dedication to you guys the fans, to ourselves as  song creators and to the creators of the game.”

You could see how much this meant to fans. Flashlights were up, and tears were shed as everyone calmed down for a moment and appreciated how far these guys have come. For some this was a moment to reflect on how far they have come after growing up with The Living Tombstone being a key source of music for them.

The slow energy didn’t last long, the group kicking back up and giving their absolute all for the last couple of songs for the night. Their song ‘Discord’ was insane with the band coming down to say hi to all of us along the barricade followed by their most streamed song ‘My Ordinary Life’, which they mentioned to the crowd that it was the  first song of theirs to ever reach platinum.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a Living Tombstone show if they didn’t play hit song ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ titled after the game. Before playing they talked about how far it has come, from the song being made in the early days of when the first game was  released back in 2014, to it becoming one of the most recognised songs for the game  and even being featured in the end credits to the movie. 

The whole way through everyone felt on the same wavelength. From everyone embracing the nerdy and weird vibes, to just having the time of their lives and not caring if they were being cringe. The crowd was also the nicest I’ve experienced at a  show I’ve had barricade for. Not once did I get pushed by those behind or on the  barricade. Instead, we all gave each other space, and all checked in and made sure  everyone was okay – which was a nice change to the shoving I’m frequently used to. 

The night was truly unforgettable and filled with nostalgia and new forged memories. The debut shows were something to be remembered, and I will be eagerly waiting for the next opportunity to see these guys live, along with continuing to hear what direction The Living Tombstone go with their music.

Review by Alastair Butterworth

Photos by Jess Asher