Hellions Hell of a Tour
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Hellions Hell of a Tour

Hellions have had one hell of a ride. Now four albums in, sold-out shows across Australia and the UK for their ‘Opera Oblivia’ World Tour last year, stand-out sets at Unify Gathering two years in a row and ARIA nods, it’s crazy to think Hellions emerged at a time where the heavier music scene in Australia was on the out.

“It didn’t really feel like anyone was taking too many chances stylistically and I think that the scene came sort of, for lack of a better term, stale,” says drummer, Anthony Caruso. “So we took that as a bit of a challenge to change things up a little bit.”
And they’ve done just that! With their genre-bending sound and infused theatrics, the four-piece from Sydney have been able to redefine metal, with a uniqueness that is apparent on their 2018 release, ‘Rue’, which they will be taking around the country in May. The boys will be stopping off in Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, with their sights set on returning to the UK, Eastern Europe and both North and South America down the track.

For the Australian leg they’ve hand-picked fellow Sydney rockers, Yours Truly, and Melbourne hardcore kids, Dreggs, to join them along with opening slots from Sleep Talk, The Beautiful Monument, Nautical Mile, Young Lions and Between You & Me.

“We’ve always taken a lot of pride in curating our shows and tours because we feel we were lucky enough in the early stages of playing music to be taken under the wing of some bands – like Northlane took us to Europe for the first time, bands like Thy Art is Murder – they all gave us the opportunities coming up to play with audiences that we wouldn’t be able to otherwise, so we feel it is our duty to pay that forward,” Caruso says.

The good guys are not only supporting local and emerging artists, they are also promoting inclusivity at their shows to ensure the safety of patrons, working with artists that share those shared core values.

“It’s important to us because it feels like Hellions listeners have become somewhat of a community…and we would hate to think that anyone was made to feel uncomfortable or unsafe at any of our shows because at the end of the day we feel like we’re ultimately responsible for the safety of those people.”

Paying it forward doesn’t stop there. Hellions have further teamed up with mental health organisation Beyond Blue for the tour to donate a portion of ticket and merchandise bundle proceeds sold via 24hundred.

“Beyond Blue have helped me personally and they’ve helped the other members of the band personally. In particular, what I liked about Beyond Blue is that they have created a platform where information surrounding depression, anxiety and mental health in general is easily accessible and they provide support.” Caruso explains, “I went through a pretty crap time a few years ago which directly affected every member of the band and since then every member of the band has had some sort of struggle with mental health one way or another and that’s where Beyond Blue helped us to understand what it was we were going through. It just felt important to give back even if it’s a little to help them keep doing what they’re doing.”

For Melbourne fans, the Melbourne show has sold out but need not worry – they aim to return before Christmas.

“We won’t be adding another show for this tour but we’re working on some stuff for later in the year,” teases Caruso. “I dare say we will be back in Melbourne for a show or two before the year is out.”

Watch this space for announcements. Tickets to other shows are still available at hellionsmusic.com

Written by Tammy Walters