Thursdays Page

"It was an intense brand of rock ala Muse and System of a Down, but they never got carried away. The singer hit the wavering Bellamy falsetto without much effort as the lead guitarist executed creative swings in rhythm and style that kept the audience engaged" - Brayden Edwards DRUM MEDIA

FROM: fasterlouder.com.au

THURSDAYS PAGE - Beyond Paradise EP Launch @ The Rocket Room, Friday 29th of May 2009

The Rocket Room is usually host to some quite hardcore rock acts, but Thursdays Page fitted right in at the launch of their alternative rock EP, Beyond Paradise, and packed out the venue.

First up to support the band was Bunbury’s The Words, who were eager to please the crowd. Unfortunately, they lacked a little confidence and stage presence, making the vibe a little awkward. The songs were mostly quite original though, and the inclusion of the harmonica was a pleasant surprise.

The nerves of the band may have been showing through, but the lead guitarist did not fail to please the crowd with his awesome guitar riffs and enthusiasm. Although perhaps there should be more of these in the songs, as most of the set consisted of common timing and tempo. Also, a lot of the songs had really similar breakdowns towards the end, making it seem like they were ending their set about 4 times before it actually ended.

A solid performance, the band was tight and well rehearsed. A little more experience will no doubt increase their confidence and hopefully their song writing skills, and their gigs in the future will only get better.

Following The Words were Sons of Rico who opened with a quick, upbeat piece that grabbed the audience’s attention immediately. They followed this up well and did not waste time getting into their set. The drummer held the band together excellently, being showed up only by some awesome guitar riffs.

Although the set fell down a little towards the middle when the songs all began to have the same steady drum beat accompanied by minimal rhythmic guitar. Compared to what the band opened with, this lost the interest of some of the crowd.

Getting back to their opening vibe was not hard though. The band grabbed the audience’s attention again with excellent guitar, awesome breakdowns and timing changes that showed the audience what Sons of Rico are capable of. They are clearly a very original and talented live act.

By the time Thursdays Page hit the stage, it was clear who the audience was there to see. The Rocket Room was almost at full capacity and no one was left disappointed. As soon as the band started, vocalist Jake Hoskins showed his talent with an archipela opening before the band launched into their first song. Hoskins’ falsetto is amazing, and used at exactly the right times.

The second song, Impressive Direction showed a more versatile side of the band with an introduction on the guitar that sounded almost techno. The song morphed into a rockier sound, before bringing out Phil Watts on keys as a more prominent sound.
Although the stage set up was a little wierd, with the drummer Ryan Ammon off centre making the bassist Ben Mathews and Watts a little squished in the corner, while the lead guitarist Glen Hagger looked a little lonely over the other side of the stage, there was not much else to fault in the performance.

Disbelief changed the mood a little, by starting off slow and melodic and showing the lower range of Hoskins and the harsher side of his voice. The band was good at controlling the mood of the crowd. In fact, at one point the had people climbing the walls…literally.

It was clear that the main focus of the band was Hoskins and his falsetto, and although he is clearly a huge asset to the band, it would have been great to hear the other instruments show off a little as well. Thursdays Page did not disappoint the loyal punters who showed up in support, and no doubt Beyond Paradise will be a huge success.
- FASTERLOUDER