Music festivals have been in a precarious position within the Australian music landscape as of late. Who could forget when Splendour in the Grass released their controversial lineup, only to cancel not two weeks later due to poor ticket sales? It’s been a sad recurring theme spliced amongst a sea of headliners pulling out of their festival appearances, begetting anxiety amongst ticket buyers and creating a vicious cycle of uncertainty.
If you attended the fourth iteration of Froth and Fury over the weekend in Port Adelaide however, you’d be shocked to hear of such uncertainty. The spirit of the festival was well and truly alive and with three stages hosting some of the best in state, national and international heavy metal acts. This year’s Froth and Fury festival took a new direction by moving to Hart’s Mill, and it couldn’t have been a better choice. The industrial, warehouse-like atmosphere lent itself to creating an immersive, intimate environment for fans without compromising on space or sound quality.
Partnered with SA favourites and Port Adelaide locals, Pirate Life Brewing, the drinks selection ensured that fans were well-hydrated until the closing act; and a convoy of food trucks catered to any dietary need you could think of – all the while supporting an array of the state’s small businesses. The real treat however was the extracurricular lineup – a space dedicated to wrestling and jousting performances, and a merch hall offering on-the-spot tattoos meant that you had plenty to keep you entertained while waiting for your next gig.
The crowds were well and truly warmed up by the time the headliners started. Northlane, Thy Art is Murder, and Fear Factory were electric, as expected, and performed massive shows with a fervour that set the crowd ablaze and stage and lighting displays that amplified the adrenaline. The Explosive Stage, as the name suggested, accommodated a number of energy-pumping acts including a personal favourite: Pizza Death, whose sang exclusively about pizza and hosted some of the best fun I’ve had in a mosh for a while.
Full disclosure, I attended this festival as an outsider, accompanied by an insider. You won’t find much – if any – metal music in my Spotify playlist, save for Covered in Chrome by Violent Soho (please hold your groans). I was also a sceptic that a fest with such a niche would survive amongst a slew of cancellations, but I’m ecstatic to have been proven wrong. While it took a crash course in metalcore courtesy of my insider friend, Froth and Fury restored some of my faith in the Australian festival landscape and introduced me to fun like I’d never expected.
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