Brisbane metalcore band Diskust are bringing their live show North next weekend with shows planned at AJ Hackett on November 13 and the German Club in Portsmith on November 14.

It is a brave move for a Southern band to venture so far from home in the current climate, but bass player and founding member Lance ‘Bones’ Jones argues that now, more than ever, is the right time to be hitting the road.

“We can’t go down South with Covid,” he shrugged, “so let’s take the music to the people up North. Although we do understand there are risks to touring at the moment, if you think about it, it is actually the perfect time. We have been playing shows in Brisbane where people say what’s the point with capacity capped to 100 people but you tell me what original band gets to consistently play to a crowd that size? At the moment people are starved for live music and we have been selling out more shows than not. We are selling more tickets now because people wanna get out and wanna see a show. People are spending more on merch as well so why not get out and take it to the people? I’m not entirely sure I am accurate in saying this but I could imagine Cairns wouldn’t be getting many bands through at the moment so the question isn’t why, it’s more why not?”

This will be Diskust’s first time away from the sanctity of their home base, and although admitting uncertainty is always a factor when touring new cities, Bones also stresses that the best and only thing the band can do is bring their A-game to the table and hopefully people will gravitate towards the spectacle.

“We are expecting to come and destroy each town we play in,” he only half laughed. “We just want to have a bit of fun and create a lot of moshing. Hopefully, we can make some new fans and meet a lot of rad people in the process.”

While Diskust have been around since 2017, the band that exists as it is today is a relatively fresh incarnation. Earlier this year to celebrate a period of uncertainty and the subsequent rebirth of the band, Diskust released the single “Resurfaced”, a tough as nails song featuring everything from nu-metal to hardcore to metalcore in one neatly bound package.

“Resurfaced is basically about the band reforming after it looked for all intents and purposes that we would be no more,” Bones mused. “We have a new line-up now except for Bodine Antrobus (vocalist) and myself, plus Kiel Long has rejoined the band so we wanted to put out something that was not only reflective of the times we have been through up to now but also represents the future of Diskust.”

Diskust have earnt solid local reviews for their intense and chaotic live performances which often involve members of the band jumping from the stage and roaming around decked out in stage attire and donning masks to accentuate their musical characteristics. While this is almost a trademark of the band in Brisbane, it has also led to several warnings recently from security at gigs who have to abide by strict COVID regulations.

“I get told to sit down pretty much every show we play at,” Bones laughed, “and that’s even before we get on stage! We are the sort of band that not only gets lost in our own performances but also get swept up by the music of every other band playing. If you want to find any of us the best place to start is the pit. The amount of times that we almost take each other out on stage because we are going so hard is frightening.”

While not being an easy band to label into one genre, Diskust are certainly the sum of all their parts, drawing inspiration from some of the scenes heavyweights while still maintaining their own spin musically.

 “It’s difficult to pigeon-hole our sound but I guess it’s got a Slipknot influence with a nu-metal and Djenty type sound, especially the newer stuff. We loosely base our sound in the metalcore realm without being bound to it. When I first started the band there was a massive influence between Slipknot, Korn and Hatebreed and the other boy’s side with Architects and stuff like that.”

Fans of Diskust – in a similar vein to those of Slipknot – have been branded with an affectionate term of endearment that creates a sense of belonging and unity. While Slipknot have ‘Maggots’, Diskust have the slightly more user-friendly monicker of ‘Maniacs’. At local shows, it isn’t uncommon to see more than a quarter of the crowd on any given night proudly sporting their ‘I’m a fucken Maniac’ shirts, with Bones showing a sense of pride when asked about the band’s loyal fan base.

“That started from our first song ‘Maniac’,” he recalled. “We will definitely be bringing up a heap of those shirts – as well as our OG logo designs. We want to blood as many Maniacs as we can in Cairns so be warned!”

Also coming along for the road trip is Brisbane band Void Matter, another of the states rising outfits that is keen to bring their noise to the Far North.

“Void Matter are a band who is doing well here and drawing good crowds,” Bones offered. “They have that melodic/ screaming sound – kind of a Killswitch Engage type vibe. They do well here and we’re happy to bring them along. They will bring a lot of energy and get people up dancing.”

With the first show a Friday 13th special at AJ Hackett – dubbed Rage Against The Serene – the obvious question is are any of the band members keen to try a bit of FNQ hospitality and throw themselves off a tower with rope tied around their ankles?

“There could be a chance,” Bones measured, “depending on how loaded this guy is right here (laughs). I think we should try to organize Bo to do a bunjy jump while he is singing. That would make history! I’m just not sure how keen he will be so if the whole crowd wants to help out by yelling out ‘Jump, Bo, jump’ when he gets on stage he might not have a choice…”

Diskust and Void Matter play AJ Hackett on November 13 with local supports Meat Bikini, Bigfoot Mafia, Only Ghosts Remain and Snakeoyl, while November 14 sees them at the German Club on Winkworth Street with Forest, Bigfoot mafia and Wasabi Barbie.

Tickets for both shows can be bought on the door, with the AJ Hackett show selling pre-sale tickets through https://ajhackettcairns.wildapricot.org/event-4026662 . AJ Hackett are also offering cheap jumps and swings. Just use the promo code Rage49that can be entered for anyone wanting to pre-purchase a $49 bungy jump or $49 giant swing from their website ajhackett.com or call (07) 4057 7188.

Kris Peters

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