EMOTIONAL is a term often associated with music.
Music has that intangible quality to capture and crystallise those celebratory moments in life. And at other times, it provides a source of healing in our darkest moments.
Right now Sydney metalcore powerhouse Polaris are healing. In numerous moments during their Bar On The Hill show at the University of Newcastle on Wednesday night, it felt like the grief might consume frontman Jamie Hails.
But each time the music, and the passion of Polaris' Novocastrian fans, directed Hails and is bandmates back to the task at hand.
In June Polaris' lead guitarist Ryan Siew died suddenly while the band were touring Europe. He was 26.
However, Hails, Daniel Furnari (drums), Rick Schneider (guitar) and Jake Steinhauser (clean vocals, bass) made the decision to push ahead with the release of their third album and ARIA chart-topper, Fatalism, and it's subsequent Australian tour.
It's clear from Wednesday night's performance and the energy Polaris received from 1500-strong crowd, that they made the correct decision.
There were various chants of "Ryan, Ryan" from the crowd throughout the evening, before Hails directly addressed Siew's death. Rarely is a rock crowd silent, but the entire audience respectfully listened.
"For the last 10 years we've spent so much of our lives together," a clearly emotional Hails said. "We're here tonight to celebrate our new record, celebrating our band.
"He's not here. He's not here. I wanna thank you so much for being a part of his life. For making his dream come true.
"He loved nothing more than being on this stage and playing his guitar, playing his music for you all. He loved meeting you all, sharing your stories. He loved it more than anything in the world. So thank you for being a part of his life."
Hails then called on the audience to light up their phones and point them to the sky, "so he sees it wherever the bloody hell he is", before launching into Martyr (Waves) from Polaris' 2020 record The Death Of Me.
Despite the sense of melancholy in certain moments, this was still a metalcore show from one of Australia's leading bands.
There were several huge circle pits, crowd-surfing and even a row pit - where a group of 20 to 30 people sat on the ground and simulated rowing a boat.
New songs from Fatalism, such the atmospheric and synth-heavy Harbinger and With Regards, struck a balance between melodic and brutal. The highlight was the crunching Inhumane, which showcased Siew's brilliance as a lead guitarist.
Fill-in guitarist Jesse Crofts, of Melbourne metalcore band Windwaker, performed an admirable job covering Siew's colourful flourishes.
The was Polaris' largest gig in Newcastle and strong ticket sales - in contrast to most shows at present - forced the move from inside the Bar On The Hill to the larger outside stage.
However, it did mean the sound didn't carry the same punch you'd expect at a metalcore show.
There was a lot of love for Polaris from the Newcastle crowd and you suspect it's playing an important role in mending the band's broken heart.
