It’s a heavily anticipated event when the Byron Bay surf rats, Parkway Drive, once again find themselves back on UK shores. Crushing arena after arena across Europe in celebration of 20 years, bringing with them fellow countrymen Thy Art Is Murder and The Amity Affliction. Tonight we head out to witness the promised chaos unfold at Manchester’s AO Arena.
First up on the roster are metalcore stalwarts The Amity Affliction, who in spite of the noticeable spacing between stage and crowd due to some unique staging setup, make quick work of getting said crowd moving and jumping. The sound the band blasts out manages to be at once both fantastically heavy and heartwrenching. The big passionate choruses make impressive work of filling the arena, doubly so with an impassioned crowd singing phrases back in force, and the heavy lows rumble the stands.
Quickly following on we have Sydney’s Thy Art Is Murder, who as expected, deliver up the goods. A flying battery of double bass and blast beats on a PA of this size is a certified assault for the senses as the band tear into a combo of “Blood Throne” and “Fur “and Claw” to kick things off. By the time the unrelenting “Death Squad Anthem” rolls around it’s chaos as usual, with multiple circle pits running in tandem throughout the arena.
Vocalist Tyler Miller admits that at a glance, the group may seem an odd duck on the lineup, being the sole deathcore representative wedged between two very much metalcore-styled bands. But nevertheless, it’s a welcome switch up as the group lead a rabid crowd through a barrage of countless down and dirty death metal riffs.
In no time at all, it’s upon us, the main course of tonight’s lineup. It’s been awesome seeing the flood of photo and video snippets of this show throughout the year, and only lends to the anticipation of seeing this thing unfold in front of our eyes. Because if there is one thing Parkway Drive know how to do, it’s put on a show!
Lights drop and heads swivel as the group make their way from the back of the room. Parkway Drive have been pulling off the gimmick of walking through the crowd for some time now, but in all honesty it still looks cool as hell. Seeing the procession of flags emblazoned with the PWD logo snake its way through a sea of heads towards the stage, bringing to mind fighters making their big entrance on the way to a ring, just has the effect of pumping up the crowd further.
Finally rising to take their places, part one of the night utilises the “B Stage”, a small square platform structure surrounded on three sides by the buzzing crowd. Though it’s clearly supposed to be the time to strike some stoic poses as the band waits for quiet to once again settle, the giant grins present on the faces of Winston McCall and crew gives the game away; they’re enjoying every second of it. They also know exactly what is about to be unleashed as that gorgeous, all-timer of an opening riff rings out and the roar of the titular call “CARRION” is screamed in unison. From this moment on, whenever there is music, there is movement.
Opening your set with one of your most beloved hits is a bold statement for sure, but with a band like Parkway Drive, it only showcases the sturdiness and confidence they have in their decades-spanning catalogue. Keeping that energy from the opener going, we jump straight into “Prey” with its incredibly bouncy chorus, further warming up the already sweaty crowd. Not quite as sweaty as the palms of the arena Fire Safety Marshall though I’m sure as “Glitch” acts as our transition into the next segment of the show, a drawbridge is ominously lowered down connecting B-Stage and Main, and here is where we are introduced to the first teaser of the stage show prope,r also known as the Parkway Drive pyro show. It would honestly take an essay’s length to list each awesome example of the fiery stuff that’s shot this way and that throughout the night, so suffice to say, from here on out there’s a hell of a lot of the stuff. From jets to flaming spinning drum kits the crew have seemingly got it all and they’re not afraid to use it.
A little further into the set, Joel Birch of The Amity Affliction and Andy Marsh of Thy Art Is Murder get in on the action for a pummeling rendition of “Boneyards.” The eerie “Cemetery Bloom” acts as a quiet, brief withdrawal from the chaotic antics that have been a constant up to now, crafting an anticipatory atmosphere for what is about to come. A double header of “The Void” and “Wishing Wells” throws us back into a whirlwind of movement, and as this is a celebration of a long career, it’s impossible to cram all the favourites into an already packed set, so a medley of “classic” tracks is a must. As expected, the crowd goes suitably wild for this segment, with pits once more opening all across the floor. McCall gets in on a portion of the action during “Idols and Anchors” taking to the crowd as he conducts a giant circle pit around himself.
By the time “Crushed” appears on the setlist, you know all hell is about to break loose. The centrepiece of staging for this piece is an incredible flame spider contraption raised high above the audience. If you somehow haven’t seen this beautiful monstrosity burn its way through your social feed at some point in the past year, you must be living under a rock. The vision of a stage engulfed in flame with a group of 5 lads visibly living their dream is one you’ll not quickly forget.
Parkway Drive’s rise to superstar status is at this point undeniable. The effort and care they’ve put into their stagecraft, honed over a nonstop 20-year career, is breathtaking to witness, and the PWD machine clearly shows no sign of stopping.
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WORDS AND PHOTOS BILL MAWDSLEY
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