Review: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT - Live in Penrith
21 Years of Begins Here at Evan Theatre, Penrith, NSW
Supported by HANDS LIKE HOUSES
Saturday 15th February 2025
Written by: Jimmy Wah
Photographer: RA
Round 2! Last night we watched THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT electrifying Wollongong fans at Waves, Towradgi Beach Hotel as part of their 21 Years of ‘Begins Here’ By Demand Regional Tour - Early ‘25 with special guests HANDS LIKE HOUSES. Tonight, it’s Penrith. As promised, Evan Theatre at Panthers Penrith was next in line to host this amazing ensemble. THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT have been a renowned staple in the Australian alternative rock scene since they shot to fame with their seminal album Begins Here in 2003. Last year they blew audiences away in major cities across Australia with their 20th Anniversary of Begins Here, playing the beloved album IN FULL. This year they’re doing it all again, except this time they’re playing a mammoth 24 show run throughout regional towns from the top end to the southern tip of the mainland and East coast to West.
Blue skies from a mild summer’s day meant that we weren’t going to be faced with lightening and torrential rain that we faced last night. Much like Waves in Wollongong, Panthers Penrith has changed a lot since I last visited nearly 10 years ago. Where there was once ample parking now stands apartment complexes, hotels and an iFLY adjacent to the Aqua Golf. Thankfully Evan Theatre is still Evan Theatre, a semi-circular room with 5 or 6 stepped down levels to the floor and stage, with a bar at the back of the room beneath a mezzanine. There was a buzz of excitement in the air as concertgoers were slowly filling the room and friends found each other to witness what they knew would be an incredible performance.
Image: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT
When HANDS LIKE HOUSES took the stage, it was instantly apparent that this was something special. The floor to ceiling lights came up and filled the room, with an LED screen lit up behind the band that simply said ‘HANDS LIKE HOUSES’. The now familiar thundering drums opened up ‘Wildfire’ a new song from yesterday’s 16 track release Atmospherics. As the music kicked in the groove was infectious. These guys are a tight ensemble, with new vocalist Josh Raven fronting the stage with guitarists Matt Cooper and Alexander Pearson with Joel Tyrell on bass. Matt Parkitney on drums held down solid grooves with awesome fills. These guys have a dynamic range, from post-hardcore with a punk flavour to alternative rock with shoegaze feel.
Image: Josh Raven
Image: Alexander Pearson
Image: Matt Cooper
Image: Alexander Pearson + Josh Raven
Having recently joined the band in 2023, Josh Raven has seamlessly taken charge of vocals from frontman Trenton Woodley. From soaring anthemic choruses to rattled screams, commanding lows and everything in between, Josh is one of those singers who doesn’t just sing at the audience but takes them with him.
“Are you ready to have some fucking fun??”
Just like the night before, he amped up the crowd, explaining that most songs tonight would be from the new album. He locked his eyes on individual audience members, having the effect of personally singing to everyone in the room. After ‘Panic’ and ‘The End’ he jumped off the stage and for ‘Fatally Fractured’, taking his showmanship to whole new level. He interacted with newfound fans on the floor for not 1 but 3 songs before returning to the stage and announcing the final track ‘Heaven’. Josh kept the energy alive saying “Who wants to jump with me?”. Needless to say, the song was anything but soft despite the angelic name.
Image: Josh Raven in the crowd
Image: Matt Parkitney
Image: Josh Raven in the crowd
Image: HANDS LIKE HOUSES
For those game enough to leave their position in the theatre, an intermission allowed concert-goers to go and meet the HANDS LIKE HOUSES boys and enjoy the well serviced features of the rest of Panthers club. As show time grew nearer tension inside the room started to peak before the lights went down for an almighty cheer. The LED backdrop allowed for the iconic reel that flashed iconic moments from 2003 when THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT released Begins Here with a muffled reporter commenting over the PA. From President Bush to Guy Sebastian, wars to celebrations, and everything in between the lights went down as Kurt Goedhart, Ben Hall and Glenn Esmond appeared with keyboardist Ian Peres. Glassy guitar began the intro before the bass and drums kicked in and frontman Clint Boge finally appeared to begin, and the music dropped. The iconic opening line “Push me over the edges…” hung in the air for longer than usual before a wall of sound dropped and the crowd responded in kind. Everyone seemed to be singing (or screaming) the words to ‘Perception Twin’ and ‘Consequence’ with a full body experience that responded in kind. This album meant so much to so many people… and every one of them felt like they were in that room.
Image: Clint Boge + the TBE crowd
Image: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT
Image: Clint Boge
Image: The crowd showing their love - Clint Boge + Ian Peres
Fans never once turned down the intensity as they relished the extended breakdowns of ‘Consequence’ and ‘One Second of Insanity’. Glenn stole the show with a bass solo before Kurt joined in with notes of a familiar key, turning into an extended intro to ‘Crave’ which amplified the emotions of the crowd even further. Glenn, Kurt and Ben exited the stage leaving Clint and Ian to focus everyone’s attention with an evocative, almost spoken version of ‘Beautiful Mine’. The raw sound of Clint’s voice let the words cut through the air like the shards of light behind him and the band returned to drop waves of sound for the track’s ending. The ‘Filling Silence Intro’ took the tide back out before it flowed back in with ‘Filling Silence’. The soft intro of ‘Always’ and anthemic chorus mimicked this rhythm as the crowd favourite became apparent.
Image: Clint Boge + Ben Hall
Image: Glenn Esmond
Image: Kurt Goedhardt
Image: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT playing ‘Beautiful Mine’
It was only when Clint spoke his first words to the crowd that I even noticed he hadn’t spoken at all. Begins Here is so masterfully written that it deserves to be unbroken. Every piece fits. “How are you beautiful people?” kicked off a short greeting to the Penrith crowd before ‘Without Wings’ challenged everyone’s vocal range but Clint. An acoustic duo rendition of ‘Overwhelmed’ with Kurt and Clint accentuated that ebb and flow throughout the album before full the band returned to the stage for ‘A.D.’ the song that has it all. A soft spoken word intro with delayed guitar builds to an operatic masterpiece fading into screams and heavy music then blending seamlessly into ‘Outro’. The band leaving the stage what feels far too prematurely.
Image: Kurt Goedhardt + Clint Boge
Image: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT
Clint returned again with only Ian on the keys saying “We’d like to dedicate this song to everyone who couldn’t be here to make the journey with us” before singing ‘Gone’ from the sophomore album Imago. This song has so such heartfelt presence with just the vocals that it was hard to fight back tears. The mood lifted when the band returned for ‘Window and the Watcher’ and one of their latest heavy tracks ‘Nil By Mouth’ which sounds amazing live. Closing it out with ‘Reach’ made for a perfect encore before Clint invited everyone into the Panther’s foyer to meet the band, have some merch signed and get a photo. Aside from their unbelievable catalogue and talent on stage; giving their time, energy, warmth and sincerity back to the fans is a feature that makes THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT stand out above the rest.
Image: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT
A big thank you to Nobody Presents and Panthers Penrith for making this unforgettable night possible.
Photographer: RA
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