UNIFY 2019 Sold Out Recap
UNIFY Gathering 2019 was a SOLD OUT celebration of the best of heavy music. It’s a testament to Australia’s thriving heavy music scene that heavy music is alive and well, with thousands of attendees for another year!
In 2019 we moved to our new home of Tarwin Lower, just down the road from our old venue, and a whole stack of heavy music fans came along to check out the new location, new set-up, new bands, new offerings, and everything else we had to offer! Indeed, there’s a sense of community and comradery within the grounds of Tarwin Lower that is undeniable. UNIFY is where moshers clad in horse masks, bananas in pyjamas costumes and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle outfits roam free.
The first day kicked off with incredible performances from Better Half, Hands of Mercy and Dream on Dreamer as the crowd streamed in throughout the day. Come sunset, Crossfaith exploded onto the stage and opened the first night with energy and chaos! With well-timed air-canons, hair-burning pyrotechnics, slick on-screen visuals, and all six members being all smiles and bringing high energy levels, theirs was one of the most visceral, fervent sets of the weekend. Then came Hellions, who brought an insane amount of energy for the entirety of their set. They set a high bar for every act to follow.
Needless to say, In Hearts Wake kept that energy going in every way possible. There was even a marriage proposal! They said yes! To round out the first day, came Perth’s finest, Karnivool and Underoath, who brought all of the energy back to finish off the first night. By the end of their sets, there was not a shoulder in the crowd that didn’t have a person sitting upon it.
Day Two kicked off with some more killer performances, with both Thornhill and Stand Atlantic starting off the day right with sets that engaged the moshing crowd. Bands connecting not only with each other but with the crowd is what UNIFY is all about. So much of the crowd were screaming lyrics back and having the time of their lives! Local favourites Clowns and WAAX, plus US internationals Citizen and State Champs kept the pure entertainment going, with ferociously energetic performances.
Later on, Trophy Eyes walked onto the stage singing none other than Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You,’ and the crowd went wild. Confetti rained down as the entire crowd sang every word back to lead singer John Floreantai. The band’s performance wasn’t just about them on stage, it was everyone who had congregated in the pit area to see them and how far they’ve come. There were thousands upon thousands of fans there watching and singing along!
Every Time I Die followed with a technical and visual masterclass, full of massive circle pits and fearless state presence. Their set had it all, it was a loud, proud way to finish up the UNIFY experience for 2019. To fully round out UNIFY came Taking Back Sunday, with singalongs that captured the closeness of the entire crowd. Everyone was screaming their lungs out as the lights went off on the final day of UNIFY for 2019.
UNIFY is more than just a music festival. It’s an adventure. An experience. A way to meet lifelong friends. And so much more. We’re stoked you loved 2019, and can’t wait for 2020. We’re already counting down until January.
Cheers,
UNIFY HQ
