Review: Filter at Magnet House
Filter at Magnet House
w/ Black Smoke Trigger
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
US rockers Filter hit Magnet House on Wednesday night as they toured the country in support of their new record, The Algorithm. It was the first time Filter had visited our shores since playing on the now-defunct Soundwave tour back in 2014, and Perth fans eagerly awaited their first chance to see them perform live in a decade.
New Zealand act Black Smoke Trigger have joined Filter for their whole tour and opened proceedings on the night. The band blended elements from the '80s and '90s, with vocalist Josh “Baldrick” Rasmussen sitting in the middle ground of these two eras. Guitarist Charlie Wallace, who some may recognise him from his successful YouTube channel, faced some technical difficulties early on, and the sound out front didn’t seem to come right until there were a few songs left. This was a shame as it meant the audience didn't truly get to hear their set properly, but the band did well to roll with the punches and got the crowd warmed up for the eventual arrival of Filter.
While Black Smoke Trigger would have made some new fans in Perth, it would have been great to see a local support as well, given Perth has some great hard rock bands.
Filter
After a short break, Richard Patrick and Filter came out swinging with You Walk Away from the Amalgamut album, with Patrick donning a black hoodie and dark glasses as he emerged from backstage.
The current line-up of Filter really nailed it. Drummer Tosh Peterson is an absolute beast, pounding the tar out of his kit all night, while guitarist Johnny Radtke and bassist Bobby Miller added great vocal harmonies to classic Filter songs which made them even more awesome. The man himself, Richard Patrick, was in top form too, with his vocal mix cutting like a knife through butter.
Filter showcased a lot of new material from The Algorithm early on, and while they might not be the most well-known songs, they are still quite strong and went down well with the crowd.
Obviously, a lot of those in attendance wanted to hear the classic Filter material, and that’s what they got with Trip Like I Do, which was accompanied by some great visuals on the screen. Those that were politely listening to the new material became a bit more animated down the front for the old-school material.
Filter
Title of Record was well represented, with Jurassitol, Captain Bligh, and Filter's biggest hit, Take a Picture, getting Magnet House in full voice with camera phones all over the place.
Patrick announced that they don’t do encores and were going to give it all they had. He wasn’t lying, as the crowd was assaulted by riffs that melted faces, finishing strong with It’s Gonna Kill Me, American Cliche, Drug Boy, and Welcome to the Fold before closing the set with the song that put Filter on the map in Hey Man Nice Shot.
Even with a lengthy, career-spanning set, there were still a few bangers missing in Where Do We Go From Here and The Best Things, but the crowd certainly still got their money’s worth. Patrick said that Filter would be back soon as he bid farewell to the audience, capping off a top-notch hard rock show played at the highest level.
KEVIN CURRAN
Photos by Stu McKay
