The Five Soundwave Bands You Should See Before The Headliners Hit Stage

King Parrot

If you had to fire one complaint off at Soundwave, it might be that there always seems to be a shortage of Australian acts gracing the bill. There are a few more locals this year, and it’s always important to go and watch some homegrown talent. If you’re there early enough, take the chance to see King Parrot.

Apart from making some of the greatest music videos of the 21st century, King Parrot are a metal band who combine elements of punk, thrash and grind to create a visceral and intense sound, sure to be backed up by their live show. If you get to Soundwave and you still have cobwebs in your head (and let’s be honest, who wants to be awake before midday?), King Parrot are guaranteed to blow them right out, along with some chunks of your brain too.

The Bennies

There’s only one band on the Soundwave bill that describes themselves as “psychedelic reggae ska doom metal punk rock from hell”, and that’s The Bennies. Joining Soundwave last year as the openers of the Melbourne leg, the four-piece must have impressed the right people, because they have been upgraded to the full tour, bringing along their energetic live show and ‘party or die’ attitude. The Bennies just released their new EP Heavy Disco and will be playing tracks from that, as well as a handful of other ska/punk tunes to get you back into party mode.

The Aquabats

The Aquabats are a ska/punk outfit who have all the potential to be your new favourite band… but they’re probably your four-year-old cousin’s favourite band already. That’s not because your baby cousin is a massive hipster; it’s because when The Aquabats aren’t spreading their ska tunes across the world, they’re working on their very own kids program The Aquabats! Super Show! where they live out all their wildest superhero dreams. You can expect much of the same things onstage: lots of men dressed in spandex while they sing about fighting evil (as well as more than a few songs about food).

We can’t wait to see The Aquabats, and The Aquabats can’t wait to get down here either. In an interview with the the BRAG, lead singer Bat Commander said, “I’m not just brown-nosing here, but I would totally love to move to Australia. We all love it down there – we’ll even take out a few cane toads for you guys while we’re in town. We’ll just stay there, in costume, exterminating cane toads for weeks and weeks to pay for the shows. That could also be a really good episode of the show, now that I’m thinking…”

Monuments

Featuring members of Fellsilent, Periphery, and this hilariously-titled Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, Monuments are a band that few have heard, but many can’t forget. Their style of techy metal has won over fans around Australia, who all collectively screamed with joy when the band was one of the first acts announced for the Soundwave lineup. Their technical ability can’t be denied, and their use of electronic samples is one of the strongest in the genre, sperating them from your everyday ‘djent’ group. The band’s intense musical style culminates in an explosive live set, so if you’re into the heavier side of things, this is not to be missed.

Apocalyptica

Without a doubt one of the more out-there bands on the Soundwave lineup, Apocalyptica originally started as a Metallica cover band, before branching out with their own style. What makes this band different is that they’re made up of a drummer, and three classically trained cello players. It’s about as close as someone wearing a “God Hates Us All” T-shirt is going to get to going to the opera. But don’t be confused into thinking this is going to be a lazy way to spend your afternoon – Apocalyptica are amazing musicians, and take in a lot of different genres of metal to create something that is as intense as it is enthralling.