Fresh out of San Jose, hardcore heavyweights Sunami brought a taste of some real bay shit to Brisbane for two intense nights. Here’s the night one recap (06/06/2024).
Despite being one of the biggest names in the scene, Sunami’s venue of choice was the quaint AHEPA Hall in West End (although considering their history of throwing shows in peace and justice centres, this isn’t too surprising). Bringing with them more Bay Area energy via Big Boy, and homegrown acts Struck Down and Half Man, night one had a very DIY character. The barricade-free floor, local line-up, and connection with the crowd felt like it’d stripped the scene down to its roots: Real hardcore, no frills.
The night started off with some heavy riffs by Struck Down that ignited the room, a favourite of mine being Rut from their March single Play 2 Lose – definitely one to keep an eye on.
Things got passionate and personal with Half Man, demonstrating some killer vocals and sweet, sweet D-beats. You might recognise them from their December show where they featured alongside another Cali staple, Drain. Impossible not to move to, this set seemed to bring the crowd together and then destroy them with their distorted almost death-metal riffs. If Gulch and Nails had a baby, it would be this band.
Big Boy let us slow down for a second with their unmistakable groovy sound that seems to hit you straight in the soul. Heavy mid-tempo breakdowns that make for easy moshing, Big Boy’s sound is designed to keep you moving. Vocals from Brandon Flores pushed us out of Australia and right into the heart of the San Jose hardcore scene, a welcome warm-up for our headliners of the night.
Their ignorant pseudo-macho persona originally began as a joke, but after the viral success of their first shows, a sole whisper of the name Sunami is enough to extinguish every cigarette outside the building and send the fans running back inside (lest they be called a bitch). Sunami has since stuck to their guns and cemented themselves as Bay Area legends. It’s not hard to hear the area’s influence in their lyrics, which sometimes carry an air of East Bay hip hop energy alongside that true beatdown sound.
They started their set off strong with some fan favourites, standouts being Contempt of Cop (187 on a P-I-G!) and a surprise request. One lucky kid stole the spotlight and played the drums for Y.S.A.B., absolutely killing it and showcasing the real camaraderie in hardcore (video below). Spin kicks and stage dives ensued, and watching the coyness wear off in the pit amassed to an incredible atmosphere. Another fresh-faced song from their 2023 L.P., Defraud hit us with one of my favourite breakdowns of the night. As all good things must, the show came to an end with Weak Die First, leaving us on a high as everyone plugged their bloody noses.
For our homegrown hardcore: @struckdownhc @thehalfman614
For more real bay shit, bitch: @bigboyrealbayshit @sunami.408
Words by Manaia Watene (@manaiamay)
Photos by Chris Love (@comatography)