LIVE REVIEW - Slowly Slowly goes on a Forgiving Spree in Brisbane

First off, this trio of bands was a destined meeting in my opinion; what each act brings to the table from both sides of the world feels like three puzzle pieces that feel so unlikely to ever meet and yet the spirits who command the tours in place fated this tour to happen.

Grayscale started off the night with their biggest hits from The Hart so far, a dynamic and unbeatable display of their rock-remniscient songwriting. ‘Through The Landslide’ and ‘Kept Me Alive’ were incredible highlights, showing exactly what four guys from Philadelphia are capable of. Their lasting impression stayed long after finishing with ‘Not Afraid to Die’. 

Honey Revenge and their electricity reigned the stage next, showing off a extraordinarily well-rehearsed set. Their energy maintained a consistency that few acts within the country can match, blessing the audience with ‘Airhead’ to end their time on the Fortitude Music Hall’s throne of noise. As part of their first show in Australia, they gave back to their fans in the most personal way possible: a photoshoot at the merch stall met by a long line of excited patrons.

Scrolling through the new Forgiving Spree LP, Slowly Slowly made themselves known to all of Brisbane, showing their face for the first time since rocking out The Princess Theatre in May 2022. Wading through a sea of Slowly Slowly shirts and other merch, I found nothing but kindness and mutual enjoyment squeezing between a packed out Fortitude Music Hall.

Midway through the set, Benjamin Stewart, lead singer of the quartet, explained his grief just prior to that Princess Theatre show with the tragic loss of his stepmother. Benjamin led through to the titular track of the latest album, a hotly-anticipated addition to their show. The crowd’s voices sang through both this and ‘All Time’ in an acapella section that allowed every audience member to get their feelings off for the night. In a brief moment between songs, Benjamin teased Grayscale’s next Australian tour, this time as a headlining act with an eager response from onlookers. This building of hype for imported acts across the Pacific serves to fit his narrative of empowerment within the music industry; creatives encouraging creatives to pursue greater heights and fulfil their biggest achievements.

Maneuvering between his platform behind Albert Doan on guitar and Patrick Murphy’s bass drum, Benjamin delivered a stunning performance showcasing everything Forgiving Spree had to offer. Slowly Slowly’s devoted fans screamed every lyric from the barricade to the nosebleed, a unison that still echoes through my mind hours later. In particular, the crowd’s repeat through ‘Race Car Blues’ stands out as the band honoured their 2020 legacy. With an encore featuring both ‘Race Car Blues’ and ‘Jellyfish’ from 2020 and ‘God’ from 2022, it’s clear Slowly Slowly are conscious of where they came from and their mindset all the way through the writing and release periods of ‘Forgiving Spree’ as an era of their image. Where this era of Slowly Slowly goes - aside from Sydney and Melbourne this week - is on the top of my mind right now and I’m manifesting a world tour among the largest acts.

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