And, with a fresh, trashing album to play, Adelaide trio Tracer didn’t disappoint. El Pistolero – the first single from the album of the same name – kicked things off. Front man Michael Brown deftly directed the crowd.
Also made up of new bassist, Jett Heysen-Hicks, and drummer, Dre Wise, Tracer quickly proved their onstage chemistry. Heavy drums, an energising bass and vocal dexterity quickly brought the audience around to their new material. Air punching and head banging were the order of the mosh pit.
When Brown announced one of their oldies – Voice in the Rain – cheers erupted. And his crowd rousing commands – “Join in or I’m gonna’ come down there and rip your nipples off!’ – were instantly effective. The moustachioed, black clad fans sang along with every word.
A favourite from the band’s debut album, Voice in the Rain testifies to the talent that won them Classic Rock magazine Best New Band in 2012. There’s a clear progression from the stoner sound of that record to a heavy injection of power rock in their newer material. New UK four-piece, Cage The Gods, provided a stomping opener. While their sound is mellower, their energy matched that of the headliners and vocalist Peter Comerford competed with Brown with his audience motivation.
Consisting of an Irish man, Scots man, English man and Welsh man, their blues infused sound proudly represented the UK. Tracer served their fans with a night of energising musical talent. A generous slice of their last record was well balanced with good taste of El Pistolero.
With three more UK dates and another tour planned for autumn, these Aussie rockers are set to seriously grow their European following.
Photography: Benon Koebsch
