MAGGIE LINDEMANN - Live in Sydney 2023
Written by: Jimmy Wah - Sense Music Media | Sunday 7th May 2023
Photos by: Adrianne Armida >> VIEW GALLERY
Now is the Winter of our discontent…
As Autumn begins to draw its final curtain and fans are left standing in the bitter cold, the tale of tonight felt like a Shakespearean love story filled with potential unfulfilled. Why was there a massive line in the freezing cold an hour after doors opened? I still don’t understand. Even more shocking was that the opening band BESTIES was half way through their set and the band room looked almost empty. But that was all about to change…
The BESTIES crowd was shallow but thick and their refined punk-rock sound boomed in the treasure chest of the band room. Seasoned musicians delivered track after track of bangers that could have easily kept up with GOOD CHARLOTTE and BLINK-182 back in the day. The familiar faces of vocalist Max Pasalic and guitarist Nat Sherwood have been prevalent in the local hardcore, hip-hop and pop communities throughout the years which explains how their sound is able to transcend emo-rock and hip-hop genres to deliver quality tunes.
A couple of snaps later I turned around to find a crowd that had tripled in size. I’ll admit that I didn’t know who MAGGIE LINDEMANN was until the announcement of this show, but a bit of research told me that this US pop-punk alt-rock star had shot to fame in recent years and a listen to her Spotify proved why. I’ve had the guilty pleasure of indulging in a bit of HALSEY and LANA DEL REY recently so was keen to broaden my scope. The crowd was instantly buzzing and already schooling me in popular music of the next generation. Some heavy low-fi bass notes reminiscent of NINE INCH NAILS tested the speakers and I knew I wasn’t going to be disappointed.
Joining her emo-clad guitarist and drummer with boots that could start a war and nails that could fight it, Maggie cleared the haze and proved that her presence bigger than The Crowbar had room for. Opening with Take Me Nowhere from her newly released debut album and Scissorhands from her 2021 EP, she stomped her dominance over the stage and forced the audience into the palm of her hand with her beautiful voice and sassy dance moves. Taking time to acknowledge her fans by saying “Sydney, I’ve always wanted to come here, so why don’t you make it super fucking memorable for me?!'“ before launching into Self-Sabotage which had a breakdown that could sink a ship. It’s always weird seeing an electric guitar utter bass notes that are worthy of an industrial work-site, but this is the age we live in.
After witnessing the most packed photo pit I’ve ever seen at The Crowbar, I moved to the back of the crowd where I thought I’d get a clearer grip on the sound but at such a distance surrounded by people I found it to become quite muted. Watching people recording the experience on their phone was the only way to get a clear view of the stage which is raised from the floor by only a couple of feet. If Maggie wasn’t wearing platform boots it would have been impossible to see her. The hope I had for an interactive show was dampened even more by the fact that Maggie hardly said a word to the audience except to acknowledge SLEEPING WITH SIRENS singer Kellen Quinn who she likes to collaborate with. When I managed to get a vantage point from the sound desk I could see that the lighting was awesome, the energy was real and the sea of phones and chorus of voices proved it was a hit.
Blasting through all the crowd favourites, we were treated to an impressive repertoire that seemed to bridge genres from punk to alternative to nu-metal. I was very happy to hear influences from AVRIL LAVIGNE to EVANESCENCE with a touch of LANA DEL REY in her voice. The massive sound was disproportionate to the 2 band members on stage, which made me wonder how much of the music was actually being played. The live autotune on the vocals was also a little disconcerting but all in all, it was great to see the legacy of great music playing out.
The passionate fans immersed in the show were singing from the floor with their favourite songs. As Maggie launched into her biggest hit She Knows It the night ended abruptly. Calls for an encore were met with house lights the cold air from the open doors. It felt like we were being told to go to bed way too early. As much as I love The Crowbar, MAGGIE LINDEMANN needed a bigger venue with a longer set, where the view is not obstructed and the sound can be fully realised. I’m sure she’d have no trouble selling tickets!
Photos by Adrianne Armida
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