Live Review: You Me At Six @ The Tivoli

Here’s a question: What are people least likely to use at a gig?

If your first thought was ‘bins’ or ‘deodorant’ then congratulations, most people with a semblance of common sense would agree with you. Ironically, the last answer anyone would expect became our Thursday night reality: the stage.

Much to the horror of Tivoli security and to the delight of the crowd, Melbourne thrashers Between You & Me climbed over the barricade and finished their set in the middle of the audience. They did not create the mosh pit; they were the mosh pit. Set It Off vocalist and Florida native Cody Carson then introduced a new element to ‘crowd surfing’ in the form of ‘crowd standing’, in which he crawled onto hundreds of outstretched hands and stood up completely once he reached the middle of the pit. Most artists say ‘go big or go home’, but these guys selected the far more effective secret option C: go into the crowd.

When You Me At Six took to the stage at 9:30pm the room was coated in deep, pulsing red lights that captured the visual essence of their newest album Truth Decay. The first injury of the night had been located. A punter in the front row with red hair and a red shirt stood unperturbed with blood streaming down from their nose, no doubt a savage courtesy from the previous mosh. Like the album cover, truly everything was red except for the matching white shirts and black blazers that each member of the band wore (save for drummer Daniel Flint who understandably opted for just the shirt).

Maintaining the atmosphere, Flint launched into the opening roll of Truth Decay’s first track DEEP CUTS, a painfully ironic reminder for our injured soldier toughing it out in the pit. Punchy, soaring, and evocative, the album’s sixth record heartLESS had the band dancing along with the entire venue while Chris Miller on lead delivered a tasty solo during the bridge.

Frontman Josh Franceschi and guitarist Max Helyer leapt around stage, arms outstretched toward each other in giddy jazz hands. “That is what people in their thirties look like dancing,” Franceschi laughed.

Bite My Tongue marked a change in the night, a powerful, sharper edge that leant further into elements of metalcore. Throughout the set Franceschi repeatedly exhibited the depth of his vocal abilities, though I’d wager his false chord scream at the end of No Future? Yeah Right left everyone speechless. Well, everyone except one audience member who for some reason brought along their own personal kazoo and was having a concert of their own. The juxtaposition of sound was a stark, rather unusual contrast and muffled laughter drifted across the room.

Despite it being a crisp winter night outside, the Australian heat still proved a challenge for the Surrey locals and Franceschi began to fiddle with his blazer. “Woo lose the jacket!” A brave soul called out, almost immediately drowned out by other yells of approval. He froze, his jaw dropping in mock horror. “You don’t own me I’m my own person!” That statement apparently convinced absolutely no one, including himself, because he followed it up with “I’m not really. Whoever speaks with the most authority to me I belong to them.” I can almost hear their music label and tour manager rejoicing.

For reasons unknown, Franceschi signed his proverbial death warrant when he brought up the idea of doing a shoey after nearly making it through the night unscathed. Inevitably, a “shoey!” chant flooded the venue, and the immediate regret on his face was so palpable it was hilarious.

He shook his head, defeated. “At some point this evening I will do a shoey…but not because you told me to, but because I wanted to! And I don’t know when that’s gonna be it might be later when I’m on the plane to Sydney.” Again, he managed to convince absolutely no one. Every person in that room knew there was no way anyone was letting him leave that stage until he’d had a feet-flavoured beer.

During God Bless the 90’s Kids Helyer and Franceschi called out “We need a circle pit right now!” And proceeded to start their own on stage and chase each other around, not even bothering to see if the crowd had followed – which of course they had. Reckless from their 2011 album Sinners Never Sleep had everyone up on the balcony standing along the railings, again to the horror of Tivoli security, though I personally blame Matt Barnes’s bassline riff because it was about three times meatier than the studio version and utterly intoxicating.

A four-song encore ensued, including the straight injection of adrenaline that is SUCKAPUNCH, from their titular album in 2021, along with Beautiful Way to close the night. Franceschi’s final words to us echoed in our minds, perfect in their simplicity.

“Life is short, but You Me At Six came to Brisbane.”