Bodies in Motion: Thornhill Nears the End of a Triumphant U.S. Headliner

The Australian powerhouse known as Thornhill has been having an incredible year. Following the release of their new album Bodies, the boys embarked on a nationwide tour across the entire USA. With them came friends from Australia in Banks Arcade and Ocean Grove, and finally, the only American band on the lineup, Avoid from Seattle, Washington. This tour has been running since mid April and I was luckily enough to catch it on its second to last night at Goldfield Midtown — a quaint venue, no barricade, 1 foot high stage, and wall to wall people.

Opening the night was Banks Arcade playing some well known hits like “Be Someone,” “Sentimental,” and their newest track “Vipers.” Keeping the energy moving — and literally bouncing off the walls of the venue — were fellow Australians Ocean Grove. With their nu-metal riffs and the surprise instrument swap with the bassists and vocalists, the crowd surfers made their US trip a warm one. Prepping everyone for our headliner brought us to Avoid, which created a war zone in the venue — bodies of crowd surfers, an impressive wall of death, and circle pit in a venue that felt the size of my apartment. Playing a massive setlist including their hits like “Flashbang!,” “Whatever,” and “Can’t Take This Away,” they made sure the crowd was ready for what was ahead.

After the last two years of opening for bands in the states, tonight belonged to Thornhill. Celebrating the release of their new album titled ‘Bodies’ — there was no shortage of them as the entire next hour was a celebration of coward surfers and the like. Opening the night with their album opener “DIESEL” and followed by “Revolver,” the energy in the room was all theirs. Even though the tour was a celebration of their latest album, Thornhill surprisingly treated its older fans with a tongue-in-cheek segment titled “The Dark Pool part.” This segment included the heart-wrenching ballad “Where We Go When We Die,” the gut puncher “Lily & The Moon,” and ending with “Coven.” Ending the night with “Obsession” and “nerv,” Thornhill proved that their album and sound is here to last. If you missed this tour, hopefully you can catch them at the next!