Review: BOTCH - Live in Brisbane

23 May

MATHCORE PIONEERS FINALLY MAKE IT TO AUSTRALIA

Written by: Tom Wilson
Photos by: Nate Rose >> SEE PHOTOS
Thursday 23rd May 2023

In possibly the strangest support pairing since emo rapper ZHEANI opened for LIMP BIZKIT in December (and had things thrown at her), the Brisbane leg of mathcore legends BOTCH is being opened by instrumental six-piece WE LOST THE SEA.

Their sprawling, dense soundscapes are at odds with the BOTCH’s tense chaos, but the talent is undeniable, and the die-hards on the barrier are transfixed. Several times during their set I found myself fixating on the performance of a particular member, watching them lose themselves in the music, before realising that I myself had been losing myself, and the performance has become less about music and more about an enormous, engulfing mood. From the time they take to the stage to the time they leave it, they don’t say one goddamn word, but they don’t need to. Highly recommended.

Finally making it to Australia some 20 years after they broke up, it’s safe to say that no one saw this one coming, and when BOTCH take to the stage tonight and start to languidly noodle their way through Swimming the Channel vs. Driving the Chunnel, the anticipation is at fever pitch. Finally, To Our Friends in the Great White North explodes in our faces, and Dave Verellen is soon mounting the barricade, sticking a mic in our faces to help with the “fucking up again” line. Full credit goes to whoever is twiddling the knobs tonight, because it sounds immaculate.

Between each explosive maelstrom of mathcore, the banter between the members is sharp, and Dave praises Australia’s heckling ability, particularly when some quick wit shouts out for them to play 43% Burnt from fellow genre luminaries THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN. Bassist Brian Cook takes a moment to praise The Triffid, and asks us to take care of it and keep supporting it, citing the recent announcement of The Zoo’s closure. Rounding out their set with an absolutely storming rendition of Hutton’s Great Heat Engine, they head off for a breather, and return to a rousing cheer. “I needed to pee,” Dave tells us, which is a consideration once you get to his age. They pummel us with another couple of tracks, before it’s time to say goodbye, and Dave jumps down into the photo pit to offer handshakes, hugs and photos for all comers. We might never get new music from BOTCH, but hopefully this isn’t the last time they grace our shores, because tonight was an absolute masterclass.