I Killed The Prom Queen’s ‘Rise Of Brotality’ Tour Diary

Photo: Alexey Makhov

I Killed The Prom Queen have been trekking cross-country on their ‘Rise Of Brotality’ Tour alongside Los Angeles hardcore outfit The Ghost Inside, In Hearts Wake, Bury Tomorrow, and Hellions. In between killer sets, games of footy and even bone-breaking injuries, the SA boys have been documenting their adventures in words and more than a few pictures exclusively for Music Feeds readers in this ‘Rise Of Brotality’ Tour Diary.

Friday, 5th September – Magpies City Club, Canberra ACT

Kevin Cameron: First day of tour feels like learning to walk again. Everything is clumsy, unorganised, frantic and overwhelming. So couple this by the fact only a couple days ago we were in USA, a 50-ish hour drive cross country to make our flight home, complete with two blown tyres and mere hours to spare before departing LAX, this sets the scene for day one in Canberra – 30-ish newborn horses fumbling around making sense of the 42 tonnes of gear we have all dispersed on the venue floor.

That said, once the show began it was all smooth sailing and turned into one of the best of the tour. No major disasters happen and despite my personal back injury which is keeping me immovable for the next week or so, it’s a fun set and a really stoked crowd. I’d never heard three of the other groups that are with us at this point but pleasantries are exchanged throughout the night between the groups and everyone seems in good spirits. High point of the show is Au Lac vegetarian restaurant.

Saturday, 6th September – The Cage, Picton NSW

Shane O’Brien: Day two of The Rise Of Brotality Tour finds us waking up in our gloriously comfortable hotel in Sydney – glorious being used in the context of not too many bed bugs, maybe 10,000 or so. Once awake we sludge our ways through the ever incredibly happy streets of Newtown, straight to the one and only Green Palace. With stomach loads of mock duck, soy crispy chicken and enough Boost Juice to start a franchise, we head to the bus and begin the trip to our sold out show in Picton NSW.

If you want to imagine what it’s like to travel in an Australian tour bus with 20 other people, it’s kind of like sitting on a beautiful, majestic golden-haired steed riding through the doors of Durin, hailed a hero by the masses upon masses…Yeah right! Picturing sitting on a seat from 1945, made by Darren Chairmaker, completely forged out of pain, where waking up from a sleep from the neck down feels like somebody spilt a vat of piranhas on you while inserting the worst smell from the ninth gate of hell into your nose. That’s a little more accurate.

Picton! We get to the venue and realise we are playing at an indoor football centre. The joy is indescribable. SPORTS! 27 bro shakes later, we rush all the gear in, set up and get straight to work. We hammer out a soundcheck, blow a PA system, redo soundcheck, all is good!

FOOTBALL MATCH! Prom dogs and TGI vs IHW and the Russian. Never underestimate a Russian. First to five, begin! I’m pretty sure the match was so intense that three of us were given contracts to Real Madrid, but it was super fun and the result doesn’t matter. Pfffftttt PROM WINS! I scored the winning goal. What of it? Melton.

The show packs out super fast upon doors opening, the opening band Signs Of Escape were great! Up next was good friends, Hellions. Thoroughly enjoy watching the set, great dudes and Dre’s got moves so slight Chris Brown calls him for Skype lessons. Bury Tomorrow were great enough to accept our invite to come along and join the tour, what a great addition as well. The boys absolutely exploded the crowd.

In Hearts Wake were no different and totally lifted the crowd’s energy ten fold. The Ghost Inside – what a good band and good friends of ours. We’ve done three tours with these guys in the space of six months. Every night is the same, amazing. Crowd loved the set and it finished with Vigil on a PA chorusing the crowd. We are up next.

After a warm up and group discussion on our favourite dinosaurs, we hit the stage/floor and did what we came for. Crowd had a really energetic vibe, with no barrier and being so close to the guys, it was good to see their faces while I sat safely behind the drums, haha. Crowd was fantastic and finished as one of my favourite shows of the tour.

Picton was great and we appreciate all the kids that came out. Legends!

Photos: ‘Rise Of Brotality’ Tour Behind the Scenes / Photographed by Matt Veitch

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