Jera On Air Review: Sick Of It All, Eagle Stage
I will be honest with you. ‘Sick Of It All’ was a band I only knew by name, not by music. But thankfully, because they took the stage before my favourite band at Jera on Air last week, I had the privilege of experiencing this American hardcore punk-band from New York live and at the barrier!
It was a glorious day, with a lot of sun. A lot. So it was only natural that frontman Lou Koller asked if we were still awake and energetic before the band started playing. It was 8:30pm, and everyone at the festival had just survived a day of sun, temperatures of 30-ish degrees Celcius and a lot of dust, but we were awake alright. Once he was satisfied with our screams for reply, they opened their set with “Injustice System”. After a slight warm-up the audience started to move and jump and the vibe of the show turned into a fun, powerful, dynamic and in no time I caught myself jumping, clapping, shouting and having a grand time, even though this was my very first time hearing Sick Of It All.
The energy of the show was really, really good. The band’s intensity was so contagious, multiple pits were forming and there were some really big Sick Of It All-fans in the crowd, who got the more novice fans, like myself, all hyped up and excited for the band. As they moved through the set, they played bangers as “My Life”, “Get Bronx”, (my new personal favourite:) “Machete”, “Friends Like You”, “Braveheart” and they ended their setlist with “Step Down”.
In between the songs there was a lot of contact between the band and the audience. During the songs, they made sure we knew they knew we were there, and it got us hyped up for the entire experience, because that’s what it was. After receiving a very sweet smile of bass-player Craig Setari, I just wanted to jump and dance even more. Sick Of It All made sure we had the time of our lives, both the experienced and new fans. With a show like that, I imagine they made a lot of new fans, or at least they gained one: me.
Next time they are in your area, be sure to check them out! You won’t be disappointed, I promise!
