5 September 2025 – The Triffid, Brisbane – words by Lucas Bell – pictures by Vincent Shaw
In 2017, after a fifteen-year run, Los Angeles post hardcore icons letlive., announced they were splitting. With no plans for a farewell, or a goodbye, the band was done. Sometimes, that idea is hard to swallow or stomach. As a fan of the band, I was devastated. Just under eight years after that announcement though, in April 2025, the reunion of Jeff Sahyuon, Jean Francisco Nascimento, and Jason Aalon Butler was announced, with stops in Europe, the UK, the USA, and Australia. Dubbed the “sincerely yours,” tour, the shows would celebrate both the legacy of this fundamental act in post hardcore, and also the fans that never got to mourn, as we were lucky enough to be invited to the first show of the Australian tour, to celebrate this incredible band.
Out first were Brisbane hardcore act, Stepson. If I had to put a list together of some of the most complete and well rounded Brisbane bands going right now, Stepson are a band very high on that list. So being able to see them, open for letlive., is truly a cool moment as a fan. After the instrumental side of the band rolled out on stage, lead singer Brock Conry bounced out to scream “What the fuck is up Brisbane”, as they launched into a sweet 7 song set, opening on ‘Come with Me’. Conry mentioned how much they love the hometown shows, and they asked for claps for ‘Deeper Sleep’, which the hometown crowd happily obliged. Conry mentioned this show was the first Triffid show they’ve played in three years, and how awesome is was to be back on the Triffid stage. They talked about their 2021 record, Help Me, Help You, as they played the most self described pop punk track from that record, ‘Who Are We?’. Conry was darting around the stage like a maniac, throwing kicks and just being a bit of a menace. The energy was so fun.
Stepson – The Triffid – photos by Vincent Shaw
They then switched up to one of their heaviest songs, with ‘The Entire History of You’, and even called a Wall of Death. It was the only one of the night, and the crowd did one. But it was kinda weak. I am a little disappointed. Conry did a shout out to letlive., and mentioned how massive of fans they are, and being able to play alongside them on the farewell tour means to them as a band, which drew a massive applause from the crowd. After they played ‘Discover Lonely’, we got the new song, ‘Venom’. The red lights during this song that bathed the band gave the already heavy song, a bit more teeth, and felt more violent. It is amazing sometimes what stage lighting can do. Stepson told everyone to have fun supporting your favorite band, letlive, as ‘Eraser’ was called out as the final song for their set.
Arriving a couple of minutes late onto set, drummer Mike Cisterna, bassist Skyler Acord, and guitarists Jeff Sahyuon and Jean Francisco Nascimento walked out to massive reactions from the Brisbane crowd. Lead vocalist Jason Aalon Butler then walked out as the crowd exploded, as the band amped the crowd by kicking off the fourteen song setlist, with ‘Le Prologue’. “There are no martyrs in resolution. If you remain still, don’t expect restitution”. The words rang loud and clear throughout The Triffid, with the crowd singing along every single word. It’s pretty cool to see where the energy of a set is going to lead the show, off the back of three lines. Butler let out a massive “We’re still letlive., bitch” during the opening song too, which exploded the energy in the room. The intro of ‘The Sick, Sick, 6.8 Billion’ only grew the loudness in the room, as Butler danced and blew kisses to people in the crowd. Sahyuon did one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen, in running his vocals microphone over the guitar strings at one point, which reverbed this insane tone from the guitars.
letlive. – The Triffid – photos by Vincent Shaw
After ‘The Sick, Sick, 6.8 Billion’ finished, the crowd were loud. Showering the five piece with monstrous applause, cheers, and whistling. Butler seemed a little overwhelmed for a brief moment, as whenever he pulled the microphone close to talk, the crowd got louder. Almost not letting him speak at times, to show the love. “Shit. Well, have a good night. We’ve been letlive.” Butler said, as they faked the start of a walk off, as the crowd laughed. Butler then spoke on the importance of the band, and let off one of the most beautiful and impassioned speeches I’ve ever heard live at a show. “The whole idea of letlive., was to find the other misfit kids and adults, to exist in a way, and exist in a place where we can feel comfortable. We do this shit for an hour a night. But what we realise, and Brisbane is amazing, obviously. But what we have right now, is something more than just a band. And that’s why we got to come back. It’s not because of this music. It’s because of the people. And I really do want to say, there is this whole time where we were saying ‘you are letlive.’, and I want to make it very clear that this is proof that y’all ARE letlive..You are the reason.”. Two songs in, and I’m already crying in the club.
After more gratitude and love, Butler dedicated the ‘Renegade 86’ to letlive., pointing at the crowd saying to all of us, that’s you. The guitar intro for ‘Homeless Jazz’ kicked in, as the crowd amped up again. ‘Homeless Jazz’ has been a favorite of mine since I heard it years ago. Something I didn’t expect as part of the setlist, but I’m so happy I got to see it. Butler also did this sweet microphone catch thing I’ve never seen before. I’d try and explain it, but I don’t know if I can muster the words to do justice as to how cool it was. Butler shouted up Stepson for opening the show. Butler then spoke about how he didn’t know much about Brisbane until they made it to Australia for the first time. He spoke about how beautiful the city is, and how beautiful the love is every time they visit, as the intro to ‘Banshee (Chost Fame)’ kicked off.
letlive. – The Triffid – photos by Vincent Shaw
After the song finished, Sahyuon and Nascimento played a low volume riff as Butler apologized for letlive. leaving without saying goodbye back in 2017. He had some shit that needed to be taken care of, and knew he wasn’t ready to leave, so saying goodbye was hard. He talked about existing in space in unhealthy and unsafe ways, and how hurting himself gave himself a sense of control over his life, which he felt he didn’t have. Through all this though, he found a way to love himself, and spoke to those that feel the same way, that when they’re ready to love themselves, then he, the band, and everyone in Brisbane will be there to love them too. Butler expressed how being on stage, doing what he’s doing, allows him to feel like he’s in love. And told Brisbane he hopes for this hour plus, that we can all feel like we’re in love too. I swear, Butler should be a poet. His way with words is so moving.
letlive. – The Triffid – photos by Vincent Shaw
Butler took off his black unbuttoned shirt, as he introduced the track ‘Muther’, which pulled one of the biggest cheers of the night. The repeated outro lyric of “Don’t you cry mama, we’ll be okay” was sung just as loud by the crowd as it was by Butler in some beautiful scenes. Butler spoke about how with the emotions this project endures, there is notes of revolution. The idea that everyone’s lives are politicized. How every decision we make as humans, becomes political in some way. How sometimes, rest is resistance. How compassion, is revolutionary. How the power, lies with the people, as ‘Good Mourning, America’ kicked off. The crowd during the song was electric, and even Butler seemed surprised. “Honestly, I didn’t know people in Brisbane fucked with us like that.” he said as he laughed. He mentioned the last show they played as letlive., in 2017, was in Australia. Then, Butler remembered, is was at The Triffid, with Every Time I Die (a show I cannot believe I missed). He then jokingly teased Australia as being the reason they broke up, as Sahyuon cracked up laughing on stage. Butler then said, “Australia isn’t the reason we broke up. It’s the reason we came back” as the crowd exploded once again.
letlive. – The Triffid – photos by Vincent Shaw
‘Dreamer’s Disease’ was introduced as a song about love, and after it finished, Butler talked again about loving Australia. He thanked everyone for coming to his therapy sessions. As ‘Pheromone Cvlt’ started with an extended intro, with a very wholesome moment between Butler and Sahyuon on stage, looking at each other and getting close right before the chorus. Butler asked for circle pits as the set closer ’27 Club’ was dedicated to the punk rockers in Brisbane. Sahyuon, Nascimento, and Acord sat their guitars in front of their amps as they walked off to provided a pretty gnarly feedback loop, as Webber and Butler also walked off, as the crowd begged for more. Sahyuon and Nascimento walked back on as they started up an extended intro to I’ve Learned to Love Myself, as Cisterna, Acord, and Butler walked back on. After ‘Empty Elvis’, Butler spoke for the last time, this time to the friends he’s loved as lost. Through suicide, drugs, or whatever they did to make themselves feel alive. He loved them. He still loved them. And he will always love them, as ‘Day 54’ closed out one of the most emotional sets of 2025 I have seen so far.
