It was a perfect Melbourne day in March when Full Tilt returned. Third time lucky for the festival after two rescheduled shows and the crowds were there to celebrate. We settled into Reunion Park – which is fast becoming a go to live music location and it is easy to see why: a large grass area sat on the edge of the Yarra, gum trees to provide shade, flanked by public transport and plenty of room to host the two massive stage tents. The layout drew punters in past the food trucks and to the entrance of the main stage. Beyond this sat the main bar, followed by the second stage.

The boys played their big hits ‘Clothes I Slept In’ and ‘Anything Near Conviction’. They sounded great and their cover of ‘Champagne Supernova’ was something I never knew I needed, but so glad I heard. Only downfall of their set was a bare LED wall behind them, however can appreciate this may have been their plan to focus on the music.

Following up was Slowly Slowly who were my favourites of the day. They absolutely deserved the main stage slot as they filled the tent with ease. Thousands sang as they opened with their hit ‘Blueprint’. Their thick kick resonated through the tent, with a drum breakdown to boot. It was a well thought out set and multiple guitars brought out to deliver a dynamic set.

Thornhill kicked off on stage 2 shortly after Slowly Slowly, however we couldn’t get in! Testament to their popularity, they had stage 2 at capacity and a line of hundreds. Understandably, people were frustrated at being told they couldn’t watch the Melbourne locals. It appeared the organisers did not appreciate the popularity since Thornhill released their brilliant album ‘The Dark Pool’ in 2019. They were set to play 10 minutes before punk rockers, Frenzal Rhomb but kicked off about 20 minutes later due to extended technical delays. From all reports – it was a killer set and I am shattered to miss it.

While Frenzal Rhomb pull massive crowds in both the domestic and international stage, they have been playing a few festivals this season and couldn’t compete with Thornhill. All this being said, there were plenty to sing along to their classics. After 30 years of performing, their ongoing energy and love for the stage was impressive. Frenzal Rhomb were heavier than the last two bands of the day and a rougher sound and mix, but as lead singer, Jason Whally put it “That’s what happens with Frenzal Rhomb – its not half tilt or three quarter tilt…its full f*cking tilt!!!”.  

Moving back over to stage 2, it was time for party band and all around legends, The Bennies. Acknowledging they were performing on stolen land, the crowd cheered at the dedication to the traditional owners. They may be party machines, but The Bennies were mindful to take care of their crowd asking “Are we gonna be nice to each other? Are we gonna party? Are we gonna smoke some chronic?!”. Unfortunately the sound engineer forgot to turn the kick mic on for half of the first song but it wasn’t long until ‘Mushroom tea’ and ‘Detroit Rock Ciggies’ created a circle pit. The set was amping up, with the band noting “this is our last song” and we were all itching to sing along to the anticipated “Party Machine”, but it was cut short. Due to the earlier delays with Thornhill, the festival was running behind. The Bennies apologised to the booing crowd who begged for “one more song”, but they could do little as they were ordered off stage.

Aussie Metal/Deathcore lads, Thy Art is Murder came with an epic stage setup - giant box fans, maybe a metre square were lit up with LEDs. It reminded me of the golden era of video clips, with fascinating visuals that elevated their performance. Not only fans, but curated lighting and smoke machines across the stage. Their album ‘Hate’ is celebrating 10 years since being the first metal album to break the ARIA top 40 charts.  ‘Reign of Darkness’ remains their biggest song, tracking over 24 million streams.

In Hearts Wake showed up as one of the best of the day. Everyone I was with dove into the crowd to mosh. Their drummer was unbelievable, extremely tight set – you may notice from my comments that I was attending with three drummers including Harts drummer, Craig Luebker and Melbourne Producer/Engineer – Stu Watts of Marshall Street Studios. Its also important to consider the fact the foundation of an epic heavy band is a great drum sound. In Hearts Wake included a lot of call and response in their set with lead heavier vocals supported by a cleaner sound from the bass player. Lead singer, Jake muscles glowed in the LED fan lights. It was the first time I had ever seen a band with a giant bubble machine.

Metalcore Royalty, Northlane were the headline and closing act of the main stage at Full Tilt and they quickly proved why. The set pulled out all the stops but at no point felt like it was too much. Fans were triple stacked on friends shoulders as they presented the ultimate festival show. It was closer to a headline tour with the level of effects: CO2 guns, flame throwers and a kick drum that could restart your heart/ I am not a heavy metal fan but Northlane are converting me. If you aren’t a fan, you had to respect their set, it was so engaging and the masses agreed. There were shirts thrown across the crowd between the vape spirals. Their set list included a mix of old and new tracks, according to the fans around me and their choice to record one of the songs led to a monumental energy lift. Northlane reminded me of PNAU final set at Beyond the City – incredible showmanship and overall next level artist that exceeded all expectations.