Review: SPEED @ Lion Arts Factory 22/03/25
ARIA Award winners and hardcore globetrotters SPEED levelled the Lion Arts Factory when they returned to Adelaide, embracing local hardcore and above all cherishing their friends and fans.
Words by Will Oakeshott
Image by James Hartley
SPEED w/Culture Shock, xSTRESSEDx & NOWHERE2RUN @ Lion Arts Factory 22/03/25
“Friendship is a wildly underrated medication.” - Anna Deavere Smith.
This award-winning actress, playwright and Professor has unquestionably reached the heart of the matter with this illustrious articulation. One does not have to venture too far into their memories or search meticulously to find shining examples of how healing friendship truly is. Whether being an active listener to one’s deepest thoughts and challenges, a person to lean on when times are troubling, a source of inspiration and even laughter, or a support in the most trying times – the list is arguably boundless.
Essentially, friends can be the light when one’s world seems to be suffering from darkness.
Recent ARIA winners and adored hardcore globetrotters SPEED were scheduled to play this event in the latter half of January 2025. An extremely saddening event arose when a close friend to the quintet, ‘Aje’ (Chang-Wook Yeo), was reported missing and the band prioritised assisting in searching for their “brother” and delayed numerous planned shows. Utilising their online following to promote awareness, as well as helping in the search through multiple approaches – SPEED had thousands of people offering their assistance to help find Aje, demonstrating their commitment to friendship.
In rather heartbreaking news, it was disclosed on January 12 that Chang-Wook Yeo had passed away. Inspiringly, the five-piece rebooked their arranged tour and honoured him “by banding together with our family and friends to continue his tremendous legacy in everything we do”.
The friendship from music was to be the medication and healing for all involved.
The first noticeable difference about the Lion Arts Factory for this event was one that enthusiasts of the hardcore genre would have cherished seeing upon arrival. The barrier in front of the stage had been removed for this showcase. For the ill-informed, this meant that crowd members were able to join the performing band onstage. Dancing, moshing, singing and screaming into the microphones were encouraged wholeheartedly. Most importantly, stage diving into the audience in response to the elevated adrenaline and ecstasy from the powerful hard-hitting music was more than advocated; the genre’s history had featured this beloved act for decades.
Adelaide moshcore quartet NOWHERE2RUN had the distinct honour of opening the exhibition, and even with a sold-out audience presenting quite possibly a daunting scenario, the four-piece were instantly in their element. Merely seconds into their set, the slam dancers erupted into convulsions of windmills, two-step dancing and unhinged ninja moves much to the exhilaration of the quartet. The crushing beatdowns of the outfit’s formula shook countless witnesses into either psychotic hardcore mosh movements or magnetised headbanging in appreciation. ‘Where You Belong’ was the highlight, fusing the classic breakdowns of Bury Your Dead with the more modern approach of Liferuiner; retrospectively though, the song’s title itself best described the unification of NOWHERE2RUN’s fans and friends under their musical guidance.
Adelaide’s (are you noticing a theme here?) hardcore straight-edge motivators xSTRESSEDx escalated the already energised aura of this showcase with their outstanding initiation, a cover of Sentence’s ‘War Begins’. A pulverising metallic hardcore uppercut that was sublime in its delivery. ‘End’ dazzlingly followed with vocalist Nicole Fickling commanding the room magically and displaying her passionate lyrics with sensational snarls and moshing.
‘Til I Die’ incredibly enhanced all of these amazing aspects into another stratosphere and led flawlessly into the introduction of a brand-new untitled track that needs to be recorded and released as soon as yesterday. The heavily revered cover of Hatebreed’s ‘Burn The Lies’ provoked stage dives and a moshing lunacy that was simply, terrorific. Closer ‘Silence’ possessed a superb savagery that put xSTRESSEDx at an international level of professionalism and protest perfection. It is their drive for equality and their message of standing up for what is right that incites the enthusiasm of their friends and fans. The four-piece scream their messages poetically and in reference to the aforementioned “shining light on the darkness” statement – xSTRESSEDxset that darkness ablaze.
South Australia’s Culture Shock put the “up” in “upheaval” with their brand of riotous hardcore punk. There are still moments of the more metallic nature that Backtrack and Bitter End executed so well, however, Culture Shock also have that remarkable Australiana feel with our unique outlook and vocabulary (the “C-bomb” is flawlessly presented).
‘Frozen Solid’ had an infectious groove and instigated circle-pit mania, and ‘Desperate To Win’ took this marvellous madness to the next dimension. An excellent recollection of Australian metalcore trailblazers Parkway Drive travelling through every city in our fine nation and building friendships with communities was discussed and rather suitably, SPEED were compared and fundamentally have become that admired outfit.
‘.308’ closed the exhibition and this single needs to be on every hardcore devotee’s playlist. An impactful exploration of the mistreatment of Indigenous Australians and their catastrophic past – this venomous yet awakening hardcore anthem is heart-wrenching and phenomenal. It doesn’t just need to be heard, it needs to be ingested and treasured.
Culture Shock, the world needs more. Your astonishing art is connecting countless friends and fans together.
“By banding together with our family and friends to continue his tremendous legacy in everything we do”.
‘Aje’ (Chang-Wook Yeo), your legacy truly shone through on this night and the sold-out crowd was better for it.
It is that conflictingly envious yet impossibly exciting prospect that Sydney’s SPEED are potentially overseas more than they are in their home nation. Nevertheless, their success comes from their hard work, their love for hardcore music and most importantly, their love for friends and family throughout the world.
This wasn’t to be a demonstration of the expected chaos that occurs at a SPEED show. This presentation was one that incorporated more emotional connection, more appreciation, more devotion and more dedicated hysteria. Under the ceiling of the Lion Arts Factory, SPEED celebrated friendship in an impeccable “modus operandi” – they gave it everything.
Visibility had become an impossibility, frequent bodies could be seen soaring through the air from the stage, and an impressive athleticism through slam dancing that was more aligned with Olympic gymnasts overtook the dancefloor. ‘Not That Nice’ was an immediate anthem: “GANG CALLED SPEED!” – Those three words did not just represent the quintet at this moment. That statement represented the hardcore friendship in this entire venue, but it expanded to every part of the world who are aware of these extraordinary New South Welshmen.
Their sound revolves around the hardcore genre, yet their presentation is one of a happy-core nature. The five men (plus all of their friends) are undeniably in their world of brightness when they play onstage, more so when dozens invade that space. This was the longest Australian tour SPEED had undertaken; they were relishing every moment of it.
‘I MEAN IT’ was immeasurably befitting, “Say what I mean, mean what I say” – undoubtedly idyllic. ‘REAL LIFE LOVE’ potentially had more significance in Adelaide on this night than ever before.
Vocalist Jem Siow is an exceptional and prolific public speaker. He often recalls his time in bands like Endless Heights, performing at Enigma Bar, sleeping on floors and savouring every moment. His infectious smile during SPEED’s time onstage is not only enchanting, it is magnetic. He does repeat himself, but he means every word. Just as he does with each lyric he bellows in their compositions, in each roundhouse kick he executes energised by hardcore music, by every friend that supports SPEED.
‘THE FIRST TEST’ concluded this significant showcase of hardcore and more importantly, embraced friendship to the wildest levels. The positivity was beyond radiant from every attendee present.
“Friendship is a wildly underrated medication.”
