Saturday night marked a monumental moment for SiM (Silence iz Mine) fans in Eora/Sydney, as the Japanese genre-benders graced the stage at Crowbar for their first-ever show in the city. The Sydney stop was part of their PLAYDEAD tour, a celebration of their 6th album, which dropped late last year. SiM, known for their insane mix of metal, reggae, and punk, brought with them their loyal, cult-like following and did not disappoint.
Opening the night was Naarm/Melbourne’s own Banks Arcade, a hard-hitting metalcore act with heavy riffs and powerful vocals.
SiM hit the stage with the intensity their fans know and love, led by the enigmatic MAH, whose stage presence is both commanding and chaotic, from lighting up a joint mid-set to firing off rapid verses and guttural screams. Joining him, the immensely talented SHOW-HATE, SIN and GODRi (sporting his signature liberty spikes).
The crowd got a taste of everything SiM is loved for – heavy metal, reggae-infused, punk energy. Their fans, blistering with excitement, threw any inhibitions to the floor as they launched hit single ‘RED’ in one of the night’s many many highlights.
The energy was relentless as SiM powered through their setlist, which included ‘BBT’, ‘TxHxC’, ‘EXiSTENCE’, and fan-favourite ‘The Rumbling’, famously known from Attack on Titan. SiM’s seamless fusion of genres had the crowd packed shoulder-to-shoulder, feeding off every chord, scream, and groove. A truly special moment came when SiM invited a fan on stage to shred guitar alongside them during ‘KiLLiNG ME’.
As the night closed out with ‘f.a.i.t.h’, it was clear that SiM had made their mark. Now celebrating their 20th anniversary, the band is excitedly gearing up for their first UK/European tour next month.
Photo credit: @juiceboxjpg
