
24 June 2023 – The Zoo, Brisbane – words by Kai Giovanni – pictures by Charlyn Cameron
I think it really says a lot for the album in question when a start-to-finish live playthrough is all that’s needed to sell out a venue. Hungry Ghost (Violent Soho) live from Tym Guitars. Nevermind (Nirvana) live from Beehive Music. And, now, Watering Dead Flowers (VOIID) live from The Zoo has made its historic entry to the club.
Capitalising on the April release of their debut LP, VOIID spent last Saturday, on Meanjin home-soil, capping off their five-stop national Watering Dead Flowers tour. With their 2020 Socioanomoly EP seeing a limited SEQ tour due to COVID – as well as having a fanbase infamous for unmatched singalong and energy – VOIID knew they had a lot to deliver on.
Advocates for non-genre-restricted lineups, VOIID enlisted the talent of new wave shoegaze duo, Sacred Hearts, and Blind Girls‘ extreme-o screamo. Co-Meanjin-locals, Sacred Hearts opened the night, combining their backing track and live instrumental dichotomy with an unmissable gothic spectacle. Then, in literal seconds from their entrance, Blind Girls turned The Zoo into… well, just that. From start to finish, they shook the venue with a suite of screams, chugs, and blasts, celebrated with a suite of shoves, windmills, and air kicks.




L-R Blind Girls – Sacred Heart – The Zoo – photos by Charlyn Cameron
I’ve seen probably too many VOIID shows to count, so, naturally for this show, I expected their trademarked stage entrance: an energetic arrival, soundtracked by a nostalgic early-2000’s billboard banger. But, remember what I said earlier about an album speaking for itself? So, imagine: Lights; Mina enters, and drums the intro to ‘And So Two‘; Kate and Toni hop up, playing just in time for the intro’s drop; Anji hops up, and the stage explodes with the full might of Watering Dead Flowers.
From relisten after relisten, so many moments of that LP live rent-free in my brain every day. ‘Invalidate Me‘s brain-melting breakdown, ‘(Delete)‘s infectiously-energetic chorus drop, all the times in ‘And So Two‘ where Kate‘s guitar goes ‘wah-ah’. Getting to see each of these moments now played live; it felt like listening to the album for the first time for a second time.



VOIID – The Zoo – photos by Charlyn Cameron
And those moments didn’t stop there. Sprinkled throughout the album are some of the most creative and seamless track transitions, even rivalling Nonagon Infinity. ‘Ctrl Alt‘ into ‘(Delete)‘, ‘Feminine When?‘ into ‘Her Hair Floats‘, ‘Daisy‘ into ‘L’amour Fou‘ – every transition performed to perfection. Then, the LP’s Neon Ballroom-esque string ensemble embellishments were brought to life in the form of backing tracks and transposed guitar parts.
But, amongst all their headbanging, vocal belts, and tight interplay, I feel what really sets the live VOIID experience apart from any other is their chemistry. Tracks like ‘The Bedroom‘ remind us and look back on humble high school beginnings, not as a VOIID history lesson but to cherish each members’ friendship. And, given the rawness and ache of every track on that LP, we could feel every trace of their love and appreciation for each other that night.



VOIID – The Zoo – photos by Charlyn Cameron
With this show being the final start to finish LP playthrough, VOIID capped off the night with a ‘Sour‘ encore and bid farewell, until next time.