Parkway Drive
Sydney Opera House, Sydney, NSW
June 9th
“For over two decades, we have carried our home in our hearts as we roamed around the world…” So went the opening sentence of Parkway Drive’s brief explainer of the mammoth undertaking that was bringing their catalogue to the Sydney Opera House.
“Australia has made us; from the dirt to the sky, it is who we are.”
The concept of “home” and what it has meant for the Byron Bay metalcore outfit may have changed in its scope over the last 20 years, but Parkway Drive have always remained strong in their connection to the environments and communities that raised them.
Bringing their music to one of the world’s most recognisable venues, the Sydney Opera House, was a big swing from a band already renowned for their expansive and ambitious live shows. Yet to witness Parkway Drive backed by a full symphonic orchestra within the Concert Hall proved to be a new level of emotional evocation for fans to experience.
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The context of this show itself is important. Advertised as a black tie, historic celebration that was not to be repeated, the gauntlet was thrown down early: securing tickets to this Parkway Drive show was not going to be easy. Selling out instantly, the only consolation fans who couldn’t be in the room had was that the show is set to be released as a feature film and live album (watch this space).
For those who were in the venue, the commitment to the dress code was the first thing that needs to be commended. Knowing that there were fans who had flown internationally to be in Sydney for this show, feeling the electric energy in the foyer, it was clear this was a special night for fans of the genre as much as it was a celebration of the band.
Inside the Concert Hall – which has already hosted a diverse selection of music since its reopening post-renovation – the stage was beautifully adorned with native flora arrangements and fake moss made to look like the band were set to perform in nature as opposed to tearing up a pit or sitting politely in a concert hall.
Following a moving Welcome To Country delivered by Matthew Doyle, Brock Tutt, and Josh Sly, Parkway Drive and the symphonic orchestra – conducted by Alec Roberts – took the stage, with frontman Winston McCall bellowing the opening words, taken from 2010’s “Home Is for the Heartless”: “If home is where the heart is, why do I feel so fucking heartless?”
An immediate electricity flowed through the room, as the crowd remained seated (for most of the show, we’ll add) yet throwing their heads and torsos back and forth, horns up and belting lyrics along with the band.
On the stage, the drama of the orchestra and the specially-arranged music clearly imprinted on Parkway Drive themselves: broad grins spread across members’ faces as they allowed themselves to get lost in the experience as much as allowed.
McCall, whose presence is equal parts debonair and demonic on a night like this, is one of the country’s best frontmen of any musical genre. Treading the Concert Hall’s boards felt like a natural pivot for the musician, who is now well accustomed to arenas and massive festival stages with fireballs and pyro routines being his norm.
Here, however, McCall faced a unique situation where, although the rest of the band played at the level of brutality expected, the more stripped back and emotive parts of the show forced his vocals to be front and centre more than before. The delicate nature of some of the orchestral sections during these moments highlighted McCall’s vocal range – in the quieter moments, you could hear the minor breaks and trembles in his voice.
Where some performers may have faltered, McCall used whatever nervous energy may have been present as fuel. Buoyed on by the thrilling orchestra and the tight chemistry of the band, it never felt like any one moment was lost; the ball was never dropped.
High fives and excited looks of acknowledgement were exchanged between members of the front row and the band throughout the evening. The space was respected, yet this still felt like a typical Parkway Drive show. There was no way that Parkway Drive have performed in such an intimate space before, and there is no doubt that those fans who secured front row access got every cent’s worth of a memorable show.
The setlist, which comprised choice selections from the band’s respected catalogue that highlighted how well their theatrical and expansive sound has evolved over the years, lent itself to the orchestral environment.
Whether it was in newer cuts like “Glitch”, “Soul Bleach”, and “Darker Still” from 2023’s ARIA Award-winning Darker Still album; nods to 2018’s Reverence era in “Prey” and “Shadow Boxing” (featuring 3% rapper Nooky); or earlier cuts including “Dark Days”, “Carrion”, and “A Deathless Song” – the latter making its live debut with Hevenshe (Jenna McDougall of Tonight Alive) – these two sets threaded together with ease.
A show of this scale may have felt foreign to some back when it was announced, but seeing how Parkway Drive have continued to elevate themselves to new heights with each tour and album in recent years, it was only a matter of time before this type of performance took place.
As the rousing and anthemic swells of “Wild Eyes” filled the Concert Hall as the band’s final song of the night, the crowd’s intensity and the overwhelming emotion pouring from the band matched up perfectly.
Parkway Drive, as mentioned earlier, swung big with this project. Thinking back on the experience now the strings, horns and percussion have died down, it’s clear that not many other bands would be able to pull this type of event off in a way that remained unique and aligned with the band’s core values.
Parkway Drive are becoming the AC/DC of their generation, in the most complimentary way possible – should that be an aim of theirs, it would not be surprising if they achieve it earlier than they may think.
With a show like this one, they have proven their legacy potential in a definitive way. Sure, Parkway Drive have long been regarded as one of Australia’s best heavy bands, but this show at the Concert Hall served a potent reminder that they are one of Australia’s best live bands, period.
