Metal lords Parkway Drive deliver triumphant symphony gig at unlikely venue

Metalheads in black tie took over the Sydney Opera House for an ambitious gig by global heroes Parkway Drive and a symphony orchestra.

Ladies in evening gowns and gentlemen in black suits is a regular occurrence at the Sydney Opera House.

But it is rare to see headbanging in sync and the “horns” being thrown by a black tie-clad audience in the hallowed concert hall.

Australian metalcore heroes Parkway Drive staged their once-in-a-lifetime Home concert with a full symphony orchestra and choir on Monday to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

The “screamo meets strings” concept sounded ambitious on paper, with the band following in the footsteps of heavy metal legends Metallica who joined forces with the San Francisco Symphony for their S & M live album in 1999.

Parkway Drive brought screamo to the symphony at the Opera House. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

How would a sold-out crowd more accustomed to moshpits and death circles cope with a seated concert where the heavy hits they had screamed along to for two decades were reimagined with swelling strings, blasts of horns and the percussive force of three drummers?

The band and the audience declared it a triumph by the end of a two act concert which redefined the powerful musicality of the Byron Bay mosh masters.

Expectations were high when the five Parkway members – Winston McCall, Jeff Ling, Luke Kilpatrick, Ben Gordon, and Jai O’Connor – took the stage.

Parkway guitarist Jeff Ling rocks out with the orchestra. Picture: Third Eye Visuals.

Many in the audience had entered the “Best Dressed” competition in the lobby before taking their seats where the stage was set with a stunning native floral arrangement.

After an orchestral Welcome to Country, the Parkway members – also suited, with McCall sporting Gucci loafers – strode onto the stage and cranked into gear with their new “bandmates”.

McCall’s vocal shredding was at first lost in the wash of a “band” even louder than his metal-riffing mates, but he soon found his voice in the mix.

Jenna McDougall joined Parkway Drive as a special guest at the Home show. Picture: Third Eye Visuals

With the assistance of music director and arranger Joel Farland, they wisely chose songs from their extensive catalogue to present in this new form from festival setlist faves including Glitch and Carrion to darkly melodic offerings The Colour of Leaving and Darker Still.

The concert sounded like the soundtrack to a horror thriller yet to be made, although it was filmed for a forthcoming documentary film Home to be released later this year.

The orchestra members looked to be having as much fun as the band, with several players headbanging as vigorously as the audience during the performance.

For a beaming McCall, who on occasion appeared moved to tears by the experience, the concert was a dream come true.

The gig was this big. Picture: Third Eye Visuals

He told the adoring crowd, some of whom had travelled from America and Europe for the concert, it was a lofty ambition the metal frontman didn’t dare to hope a band like Parkway Drive could realise.

“This is a dream come true, (even though) you don’t openly dream of things like this,” he told the fans to huge cheers.

“Anyone who has wanted to sing at the Opera House, this is your shot. And I’ve just got to say, you guys look f***ing incredible tonight, thank you!”

Special guests included First Nations artists Matthew Doyle, Brock Tutt, Josh Sly and rapper Nooky and punk vocalist Hevenshe (Jenna McDougall of Tonight Alive).

Originally published as Metal lords Parkway Drive deliver triumphant symphony gig at unlikely venue