Live Review: Pendulum
Pendulum, RAC Arena Perth on the 8th of October 2023
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
The sea of followers is sonically pounced by the infectious hooks and the signature throbbing melodies. They vie for attention, jumping and raising their hands, clapping to the cadence, and climaxing into a state of euphoria. The swagger ends, the stage darkens, followed by a giant eight-legged monster with harry long legs creeping on the massive screen. Screams of paradoxical anticipation echo across the arena. The lead vocalist leans forward and screams, possessed by his own sonic salutation and by the army of seven thousand worshippers, while the guitarist raises his hands in unity. Twilight dissolves, brightening the single arrow of light reflecting from the guitar, symbolising a ray of liberty through the sounds of drum and bass…
Pendulum have been pouncing across the global stage since the start of the millennium, wandering through the dance wilderness with their unique rock electronic tunes, all sparked from the humble home in Perth as a trio of DJs, with their early work dominated by drums and bass. They are known for their fusion of an eclectic mix of dance, rock and heavy metal – pioneers in the genre, taking them to major festivals across the world. While new materials have been far and in between, they are still one of the most sought after live acts in the world, and tonight was Perth’s opportunity to be throbbed.
So, at ten before the hour, lights were dimmed. The deep throaty reverberation of the Tibetan chant resonated across the RAC Arena, drowning the crowd in eastern wonderment, perhaps symbolising a decade of solitude in new material during a particularly period in their existence, or perhaps nothing more than a presage, or an incantation before a fiery ferocity that was about to annihilate the venue. Blue hues hung from the stage above, adding the visual offering of peace; the calm was spiritually intense. At 5 before the hour, four shadowy figures graced the stage…punctuating the equanimity through the rapturous roar of the home crowd. It was the home coming for the ages.
Sparking the night was Driver, thundering the drum and bass with a ferocious beautification and the duality of hypnotic melodies and sonical frenetics…and just like that, the night ignited into a dance supernova. The biggest rave machine with instruments entwined with a turbo charged performance of bass and drums at 170 beats per minute. The track was a fitting spark to the night, given that in 2020 it was Pendulum’s first new release in ten years, opening the door to a new generation of fans as evident through the 20-something crowd who were projecting their voice to every melody and chorus of the track.
Propane Nightmares and Come Alive were next, followed by Blood Sugar and Voodoo People, a sample remix on Prodigy’s seminal piece. Complementing the original version, the heavier drums patterns, signature booming bassline textures and remix from Pendulum live drew the distinctive energy, injecting the rebellious nature into chaotic shenanigans. Fused with the message of the lyrics, the people tonight absconded from conformity and society’s social grace and projected themselves into their ideal world, paradoxically tranced by the music but free to immerse in any dimension they chose, as they were possessed by the bassline and twisted frenetics on stage. Fused as one, it was a moment of rebellion and liberty, personified by the jumping and fisting into the air. Their movements dictated by the live performance, and amplified by the fast paced beats and heavier patterns to the original club banger.
The bridled chaos continued to be three dimensional, visual and verbal, as the sea of people knew every word to virtually every song in a cult like personification. Tracks such as The Island – Pt 1 (Dawn) drew some of the biggest boom boom town karaoke, with some sitting on the shoulders while seduced by the faster track in this song than their earlier works.
Despite singing through the cacophony of bass, drums bombardments and the hysterical screams, the vocals of Rob Swire was able to distinctively propel through the noise, showcasing his vocals such as during the crescendo in Granite. Also the synth guitarist, the lead vocalist and Perth muso has the stage presence of a rockstar; donned in all black and occasionally leaning forwards with legs apart, he oozed the rock-esque trajectory, and inevitably inducing the majority of the limelight from the fans. Yet, there were no personal egos, instead he led a supercharged engine that was more water tight.
The stage was arranged as if to accommodate a multiple DJ set, with two elevated platforms on each side, including one for the drummer KJ Sawka, who pummelled the drums with a maniacal ferocity, attacking with the duality of dead set eyes and joyness. The four were well separated throughout, with soaring guitarists Peredur ap Gwynedd stood on the opposite ends of bass guitarist Gareth McGrillien.
The last song before the encore is the seminal piece Tarantula. For the arachnophobes, look away from the big screen. The giant spider is heading your way. The standout track of the 2005 debut album Hold You Colour is a teaser and tonight was no exception. From the subdued calm before the storm beginning, the fans were waiting for the bombardment of the raw hard noise. The anticipation was brewing in the alluring swagger at the intro, followed by the assault from the stage.
The night ended with ABC New Theme remix, the track that sealed the deal for Pendulum in the UK, followed by Watercolour – their latest track.
Not counting The Reworks, it has been more than a decade since the release of their last album, Immersion. With their huge following in Australia and even bigger in the UK, and the manner in which they possessed the crowds into hysteria tonight, it’s not foolish to assume fans are eagerly waiting for another seminal piece from the Perth band.
But for now, the beautiful cataclysmic sounds of Pendulum is best when viewed live.
Pendulum are touring across Australia and New Zealand. Tickets are available from Frontier Touring.
Sheldon Ang Media expresses their gratitude to Frontier Touring and Pendulum for the photo accreditation and tickets.
About the Writer/Photographer: Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) have been accredited to photograph and review the hottest acts in Perth including KISS, Red Hot Chili Peppers, RnB Fridayz, Rod Stewart, Sting, Harry Styles, Backstreet Boys and Florence + The Machine with reviews shared by the likes of UB40, Delta Goodrem, The Fabulous Caprittos and Tina Arena. He has interviewed rockers Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS), Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Ian Moss (Cold Chisel) and forty other legends.
