Megadeth and Anthrax in the same month. What could be better? I can't think of too much myself...

It was off to the UNSW Roundhouse nice and early once again (Sydney transport is not something one can rely on even taxis as you'll find out later). A train and bus ride later I arrived at the venue to find an already large mass of black-clothed metalheads waiting in line, drinking/smoking in the bushes while security were looking the other way and eagerly anticipating the opening of doors. I must admit there was a much more relaxed, less fanatical vibe than exactly a month ago when Megadeth fans waited in line, yelling, chanting and singing until they were let in but there was perhaps a turnout of only a few hundred less people than were there for the sold out Megadeth show. Quite impressive.

As 8:00pm rolled around the first (of many) people I'd never met yelled 'Pyro' and introduced themselves. Meeting people at gigs is always fun. After a quick chat it was off to wait for a new-look Mortal Sin to hit the stage (with only two members from the original 1985 lineup present, vocalist Mat Maurer and Bassist Andy). They got their set underway around 9:00pm and although the majority of the crowd didn't seem to have heard of them, there were a few hundred longtime fans who were keen to help out in choruses and really get into it from the outset but after the first couople of songs everyone seemed to be having a great time. When the catchy hook of one of their new songs 'Out Of The Darkness' set in, Mortal Sin had really made their mark on the massive crowd. Toward the end of the 12 song set came my personal favourite and one of the great thrash songs of 1987 - 'Lebanon'. This was without a doubt the biggest crowd-moving song of the set with some serious headbanging action ensuing. Mat leapt into the crowd a few times through the set and even took to mounting the massive speaker set for a great view of the crowd. When Mortal Sin wrapped up they'd clearly secured a legion of new fans.

Mortal Sin setlist:

My Nightmare
Lost Within
Voyage Of The Disturbed
Rise Or Fall
Terminal Reward
Out Of The Darkness
Broken Promises
Into The Fire
Dead Man Walking
Lebanon
I Am Immortal
Mayhemic Destruction

As both an anticipation builder and boredom cure, Anthrax's latest DVD was showing on a projector to keep the eyes of the crowd busy as the stage was set up. As it wound up a huge road went up and Anthrax took to the stage. Belladonna, Ian, Spitz, Bello, Benante. 1985 Anthrax all over again and what a reaction (well deserved I might add).

Anthrax were absolutely electric from the word 'go'. Joey utterly owned the crowd from beginning to end, his stage presence among the best I've seen. He is a true showman and I get the feeling it may be tough for Anthrax to bring Bush back as a full-time vocalist (though honestly, I think it would work fine to bring both on tour and have them sing their own material). Throughout the set Joey ran, jumped, pointed, acted, joked, appreciated and totally engaged the crowd. Not only that but he wore both his trademark cap (thrown on stage by an audience member), a Chicago Blackhawks jersey and Indian headdress that he spotted in the crowd during the song that I know needs no mention. (I might mention I managed to snap a few photos of this too).

Ian, Spitz and Bello were jumping and dancing about the stage like overly energetic madmen, Benante finding time to twirl drumsticks in between pretty quick beats, and a couple of throw and catch efforts to boot.

Every single member of the crowd loved every minute of the set, chanting, cheering, singing, headbanging and raising fists at every given opportunity. Those that missed out on seeing this tour, I really do pity you. You missed an amazing time-warp. Mortal Sin and Anthrax breathed new life into old classics and showed that Thrash is alive and kicking in 2005.

Anthrax setlist:

Among The Living
Got The Time
Caught In A Mosh
A.I.R.
Madhouse
Anti Social
(Efilnikufesin) NFL
Death Rider
Medusa
In My World
Indians

Encore:
Be All
I'm The Man
Metal Thrashing
I Am The Law

After the gig wound up there were about two or three busfuls worth of metalheads waiting for a single bus to come by so I an my company (who I'd met for the first time as we were going into the gig) headed up the road to call a Maxi-Taxi to get us home. We hailed and rang countless taxis and companies all assuring us that they provided taxis to seat 5 people... then informing us that they no longer provided such a service for that many people and 'kindly' offered to send two taxis and scam us out of a good $50 (probably assuming we were another bunch of drunks to milk some easy money out of). No thanks! During our trek two empty Maxi's drove past, seeming not to notice our hails. Another call to another company and I was hung up on for a reason beyond me but after an hour we'd stopped at another bus stop waiting for the next bus to come by which we hoped would have room for us. Thankfully it did. As soon as I sat down someone said 'Pyro' and I looked up to see two fellow giggers who'd waited around for the next bus, one of whom recognised me from somewhere.

That's about where my night becomes pretty uneventful unless the drunken, mentally unstable transsexual on my final bus home counts....I love Sydney.

Overall May 15th is a night I won't soon forget. An excellent time-warp back to the year I was born. 1985. Be sure to check out the photos below.

You can download ZIP packs of every photo taken and/or view images in our gallery below:

As always, these photos can be hosted on YOUR website or anyone elses, emailed around, printed in magazines etc. The only condition is that the remain to scale (proportionally the same as they are now) and that the watermark (PyroMusic.net) remains in the bottom right of the image unaltered and images are not resized smaller than a size whereby the logo is clearly distinguishable and you must inform me (see contact section) where the picture are being hosted/printed.

Cheers!

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