Russell HughesPolaris and The Devil Wears Prada @170 Russell, 9/11/2018
A terror attack might have been trying to disrupt Melbourne life during the day, but people responded like people always do: they carried on doing the things that they love exactly how they wanted to do them. And there was so much life inside 170 Russell on Friday night that the real mystery is why these deranged people think they can beat that spirit at all.
After a surprise headline show on Monday, maybe the public had their fill of The Devil Wears Prada. Or maybe the going was a bit tougher because it was a support show, but either way frontman Mike Hranica was visibly upset at the amount of feedback he got from the crowd.
Hranica even apologised for being there at one point and was clearly exasperated at the contrast between his manic set at the start of the week and this more pedestrian affair.
But that all changed when he started playing his band’s older material – and maybe there is a lessen in there as it sparked the hardcore fans into action at the front of the barrier.
While Worldwide and Daughter went down well, it was really Dez Moines and the Office inspired Assistant to the Regional Manager that carried this support show.
The biggest cheer of the night probably came from their anti-Donald Trump spiel and the quick, angry mention at the violence Bourke Street witnessed earlier in the day.
It’s not often that you’ll see a band lead with their most popular song but Polaris bucked a trend that needs to be sent into the sea.
By kicking things off with Remedy they ensured the show started off in the most brutal way possible and frontman Jamie Hails made sure it stayed at that pace.
The good thing about releasing such a successful debut album is that even after just one record, you have a collection of bangers to play and that’s exactly what Polaris have in their armoury. When nearly every song is a rabble rousing tune their gigs are bound to go off and 190 Russell was only too happy to oblige.
Alongside the Remedy, the Sydney five-piece could also call on Lucid to end the night – and the confetti show into the air at the start and end of the show confirms a band who have got a natural flair about them.
If the crowd were a bit flat for Prada’s support, they were the complete opposite here as every request for a circle pit or for more crowd surfers was met with disciple like obedience. Hails had them eating from the palm of his hand and loved every second of it.
2018 has been huge for Polaris and they’re showing no signs of stopping.