The final leg of the Soundwave Festival hit Perth at Claremont Showgrounds. Metallica were the headline act. The final leg of the Soundwave Festival hit Perth yesterday at Claremont Showgrounds. Slayer perform. WITH the likes of Metallica, Blink 182, The Offspring and Cyprus Hill set to take the stage, the lineup at this years Soundwave read like a who's who of nineties rock. The thermostat in Perth was turned down for the first time in weeks, and the gym junkies in singlets with tribal tatts who usually come out in droves at summer festivals were replaced by metalheads in black. Faith No More frontman Mike Patton graced the main stage with his bizarre antics early on with his side project Tomahawk. His outfit was particularly quirky - a Tackle World shirt and an iFish hat. No doubt the locally managed fishing stores will be stoked with the plug. While the crowd didn't really get into Tomahawks' eclectic sound, it was still an interesting experience watching Patton do whatever it is he does. Slayer, one of several bands struck by the missing drummer curse, were next up and their presence was felt immediately with their double bass drum and distorted guitars reverberating around Claremont Showgrounds. They launched into the oh-so-uplifting Disciple (God Hates Us All) and the crowd seemed to triple in size. Whether you have an ear for thrash metal or not, there's no denying Slayer are mesmerising to watch. They ripped through a set list the most loyal of fans would've been happy with, including Seasons in the Abyss, Dead Skin Mask and Raining Blood. A Perfect Circle were next, and were outstanding from the moment they launched into their haunting rendition of John Lennon's Imagine. Lead singer Maynard Keenan took his standard position on top of crates towards the back of the stage, and had the crowd in the palm of his hand belting out numbers like 'Passive' and the set closer 'The Outsider. Theirs was always going to be a tough set to top, and Blink 182 did not get close. Mark, Tom and whoever the guy replacing Travis Barker was, came out and simply went through the motions: a lot of dick jokes and wailing into the microphone something that vaguely resembled a song they used to sing. Whilst their banter was funny, their music was out of time, clunky and at times even unrecognisable. The guys managed to pull it together for the ballad Stay Together for the Kids and a charming rendition of Josie but once the novelty of seeing them live had worn off, it was clear all they really had to offer was a few poo jokes. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I've always had a problem with Linkin Park, as I feel they rely too heavily on gimmicks, but they hit the stage like a freight train, getting the crowd more involved than I had seen the whole day. They played hits like Numb, In the End and Across This New Divide, but it was an unexpected sample of The Harlem Shake, which captured everyone's attention. It was during this set we saw the first sign of Soundwave Gone Wild, with two buffoons in the crowd urinating in empty bottles and then hurling them over their shoulders. Unfortunately security didn't see it happening, and the two clowns got away with it, much to the annoyance of fellow patrons. My heart still hurts for whoever those bottles hit. With Linkin Park finishing with the whole crowd roaring, it was time for the act that the majority of Soundwave fans had paid to see: Metallica. The lights dimmed and Ecstacy of Gold rang through the speakers getting the whole crowd on their toes. Then Lars appeared behind the drums, as he counted in Hit the Lights. The guys tore through some of their biggest hits including Master of Puppets, Ride the Lightning and Harvester of Sorrow. The Memory Remains was the only song the guys played which was written after the Black Album in 1991. One came with awesome pyrotechnics, and Nothing Else Matters had lighters and mobile phones held high. Although there was some sloppy drum fills, and some mistimings, the intensity, showmanship and professionalism was as strong as ever. That alone was worth the price of admission and not even a bottle full of urine could ruin it.