You Me At Six - Alexandra Palace, 15/04/17

Bands like black foxxes don't often get to play Alexandra Palace. 

Having released their debut album, 'I'm Not Well', back in August, their star has risen to stratospheric heights in just three years as a band. Supported by Radio 1 Rock Show host Daniel P Carter (who designed the album), and with appearances at Radio 1's Big Weekend and Reading and Leeds festivals and opening slots for Taking Back Sunday under their belts, it's no surprise that they're already gracing the stages of legendary venues.

Vocalist Mark Holley was humbled by the amount of people who were watching their set, saying "thank you for coming down this early, it honestly means the world to us" before offering a "huge fucking thank you to You Me At Six. They didn't have to take a band like ours out and that means a lot to us, so when we come back and we headline we'll do the same thing."
It wouldn't be too surprising if black foxxes find themselves at this level after a couple of albums. At this early stage in their career a few of their songs sounded the same, but when they have a few releases under their belt that will cease to be a problem.
That being said, they still had a nice range of styles weaved throughout their set, from 'Waking Up' with its Royal Blood-esque vibe and strong vocal performance, to 'Whatever Lets You Cope' which started off stripped back but quickly kicked itself up to high gear.
New song 'Saela' was the highlight of the set, and points towards impressive things in their future. It's atmospheric, well-suited to the grand halls of Alexandra Palace, and will work perfectly on the festival circuit (making them ones to watch at Slam Dunk festival next month).
The only song that didn't seem to fit in their set was 'River', the first song that the band wrote together "in a scout hut in Plymouth, which is a shithole". With an echoing vocal reminiscent of Deftones is should have been hauntingly beautiful, but instead just sounded bland.
Closing with the title track of the album, they made the most of their last few minutes on stage by playing around with feedback, Mark swaggering across stage oozing the confidence that will one day make them the perfect headline band. Despite the disinterest in the start of their set, the crowd were screaming for them by the end: black foxxes definitely made their mark at this show.

Setlist:

Husk

Waking Up

Whatever Lets You Cope

Saela

River

I'm Not Well

Tonight Alive haven't been back to the UK since their appearance at Reading and Leeds festival last year, but they've been busy. Having recently been signed to Hopeless Records, the Australian five-piece are writing the songs that will make their fourth full-length album, the first of which - 'World Away' - received its live debut on this tour.
Introducing the song with a piece of powerful spoken word poetry ("We are easier to manipulate if we believe that we are weak. It's easier to sell us things if our lives are incomplete") which changed the vibe of the proceedings, it's obvious that Tonight Alive are not toning down the outspoken and inspirational attitude they honed while touring third album 'Limitless'. As for the song itself, 'World Away' isn't just catchy as heck - it's a battle cry. If this had been a headline show it would have received a better reaction, but a surprisingly large chunk of the crowd already knew every word despite the fact that it was released just over a week before this show.
Vocalist Jenna McDougall isn't afraid to make a statement, whether by wearing wings on stage (at earlier shows on the tour) or announcing that Tonight Alive "stand for personal power and emotional freedom". She made the most of every moment, making people throw their horns in the air if they'd seen Tonight Alive before, then closing the set by encouraging everyone in the room to put their middle fingers up. With a cheeky grin on her face, she paraded up and down the stage looking over the crowd with pride: a moment I'm sure she's never going to forget.
Tonight Alive always put on a hell of a show. Their choice of setlist was unconvincing (some of the songs are similar, so wouldn't appeal to someone brand new to the band) but their passion for performing is a delight to watch, and it's impossible not to have fun with them. The band return to the UK at the end of May to headline a stage at Slam Dunk festival: I think they're going to be a highlight of the day.  

Setlist:

How Does It Feel?

The Edge

To Be Free

The Fire

The Ocean

Hell and Back

Waves

The Other Side

World Away

Lonely Girl

The last time You Me At Six played Alexandra Palace, the show was underwhelming. They couldn't compete with the boisterous boys in Don Broco, the songs from 'Cavalier Youth' were too safe to make an impact, and it felt like they just weren't ready to move into a venue of this size.
Everything has changed with the arrival of new album 'Night People'.
The power that they lost during their adventure into indie territory has been rediscovered. Impressive tracks 'Spell It Out' and 'Swear' are both filled with vitriolic lyrics only rivaled in their back catalogue by the ferocity of 'Bite My Tongue', embodying the passion that the new album has imbued them with.
The follow-up to a number one album is always going to be a make-or-break one, and it's obvious just by watching the boys up on stage that they've been reinvigorated in the last three years. They no longer seem bored and complacent: they're fighting to impress.
With vocalist Josh Franceschi roaring the repetitive bridge of 'Spell It Out' in the lead up to the crashing crescendo - the closest thing to a breakdown the band have released so far - it perfectly demonstrates how far they've come. It's more developed than any of their other songs: instead of relying on Josh's vocal and a catchy singalong, it's all about the music. If there were ever any doubts about their credibility as an arena rock band, they're all quashed in just four minutes.
Despite this being the Night People tour, they didn't neglect their old albums. They took risks with the setlist, including old favourites 'The Swarm' and 'Save It For The Bedroom' and making this tour one of the first times they've represented all of their previous releases. With Josh introducing 'Save It For The Bedroom' by screaming "if you want a high five, let's go back to 2005 right now!", it was no surprise that they had a surge of crowdsurfers fighting to get closer to him and showing that there's still so much love for their debut album despite it being almost ten years old.
With this tour the five lads from Surrey have torn up the rulebook, choosing instead to do what they want to do. Yes, all of their set staples still appeared: it wouldn't be a You Me At Six show without 'Underdog', 'Loverboy' and 'Reckless', but this was the least predictable the band have ever been. With multi-coloured fire sparking up throughout the night and Easter jokes galore, this night was utterly unforgettable. Main set closer 'Take On the World' was a particular highlight: Josh took a moment to express his disgust for current US President Donald Trump, encouraging the crowd, "Don't ever judge somebody you don't know. Period." before imploring, "Love who you want, endlessly. Enjoy it. Breathe it in. Think every day, 'Fuck me, I'm lucky', like I do when I look at my fianceé." It was a tender moment and a beautiful tribute, and with the echoing "oh, oh, oh" chant being sang back by every person in the room as confetti rained down upon them, it was concrete proof that You Me At Six are exactly where they should be.
By the end of the set Josh was hardly able to speak to the crowd - a thirty-date tour around the UK and Europe will put a strain on even the most experienced of singers - but he shared that "this was like an injection of adrenaline". Even though he was quite obviously struggling, he pushed himself to finish the show with a bang: 'Room To Breathe' has never sounded so good.
Just before headlining Wembley Arena for 'The Final Night of Sin' back in 2012, bassist Matt Barnes said

"Are we a pop-punk band, a pop-rock band, emo-pop-rockers? We want to be a rock band." 

It might have taken them five years, but they've finally nailed it.
You Me At Six are headlining the NME stage at Reading and Leeds festival this year, but it won't be long until their name sits at the very top of the bill.

Setlist:

Night People

Underdog

Loverboy

Stay With Me

The Swarm

Spell It Out

Bite My Tongue

Swear

Fresh Start Fever 

Heavy Soul

Reckless

Save It For The Bedroom

No One Does It Better

Cold Night

Brand New

Take On The World

-

Lived A Lie

Give

Room To Breathe

Reading Festival 2016

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Tonight Alive - Bristol O2 Academy, 24/02/16

February has been a majorly busy gigging month for me and with this, my penultimate live review for the month, I went to Bristol O2 Academy for the first time in four years to see Tonight Alive. As this was my Christmas present, I was given VIP tickets too, which meant I managed to see the band perform unreleased song 'Waves' in their soundcheck. Because it's one of the tracks from 'Limitless' that hasn't come out yet, it was awesome to be one of the first people in the world to hear it, and trust me - it's worth waiting for. The band have been going from strength to strength with their recent singles, and it's just going to get better from here. 

When I saw opening act Milk Teeth at Takedown Festival last year, I was highly unimpressed. So unimpressed that I ended up leaving their set fairly quickly and I didn't mention them in my review! It meant I wasn't too pumped when I realised that they were one of the supports at this show, but hearing their new songs definitely changed my opinion.
The last year has been a huge one for Milk Teeth. They signed to Hopeless Records, released an EP and followed it up with their debut album, 'Vile Child', which came out a few weeks ago. Because the album hasn't been out long it seemed like the majority of the crowd didn't know the songs; this meant the reaction to the band wasn't very enthusiastic, but the band performed brilliantly.
Vocalist Becky Blomfield has an old school tone to her voice, similar to Courtney Love in her Hole days, and it's nice to hear something different to the vast majority of bands around at the moment. Whereas before I'd thought the band were thrashy and unpolished (in a bad way) the new songs seem to have honed their songwriting and they've definitely reigned themselves in - the control means that you can appreciate the music rather than just being assaulted with a wall of noise. Becky took a moment to call out to any girls in bands in the crowd, stating "we need more bands like The Distillers, The Pixies, so keep doing that!" and if Milk Teeth can inspire a new wave of female fronted bands it will not be a bad thing.
The most surprising moment of their set was 'Kabuki', which Becky introduced by saying that she wrote it when she was in a really bad place, and that she hoped by "putting this out here and me being stood here today [it proves] you can go through really shit times in your life and get through to a better place". It was a haunting song, with raw emotion and a vulnerability that makes it impossible not to respect Becky for being able to open herself up so thoroughly. She definitely has a talent for songwriting and if this is the kind of song they're releasing after being a band for nearly three years, I'm excited to see where they go in the future.
The band recently lost guitarist Josh Bannister, one of their founding members, but touring guitarist and backing vocalist Billy Hutton fits into the band so perfectly that you'd think he'd been there the whole time. His roaring vocal at the end of 'No Fun' certainly showed a different side to the band, but instead of thinking their older music was over the top and unappealing, I found myself really enjoying it.
I'm surprised that Milk Teeth managed to change my opinion so completely, but I'm very grateful for it: I can't wait to get hold of 'Vile Child' and hear what their songs sound like on a recording rather than in a live environment.

Setlist:
Brain Food
Burger Drop
Brickwork
Crows Feet
Melon Blade
Kabuki
Swear Jar
No Fun
Vitamins

I've liked Our Last Night for a very long time, but things have always gone wrong when I've tried to see them live: illness, or cancellations, or transport issues. Finally seeing them was something I'd been waiting for for over four years. Thankfully, I was not disappointed.
The chemistry between co-vocalists Trevor and Matthew Wentworth is captivating - not too surprising, with them being brothers -   but it meant that the set was absorbing and the energy just didn't let up. The crowd responded to them better than they did to Milk Teeth, which is probably due to how long they've been a band: whereas Milk Teeth only formed in 2013, Our Last Night released their debut album over ten years ago. It means they already have their own fanbase solidly established, and I wouldn't be surprised if some people only came to this show to see them.
Their half an hour set time felt like it was a lot longer because of the variety of songs that they played. Ranging from the heavier, almost post-hardcore sound, through to the acoustic 'White Tiger' and the uplifting and inspirational 'Sunrise', there was definitely a mix of styles in this set, and it kept it interesting - you never knew what was going to be played next, you just knew it was going to be enjoyable.
'Home' was one of the more successful moments, with the beautiful split vocal at the end of the track (emphasized with the use of a backing track to add more layers to the sound) showing exactly how complementary the brother's voices are.
If you're looking for a band that put on an energetic show, look no further than Our Last Night. Trevor only stayed still during 'White Tiger' because he needed to be able to play his acoustic guitar, but for the rest of the set he didn't stop moving. Just during the last half of 'Sunrise' he jumped off of the drum platform that was set up ready for Tonight Alive, then threw himself into the crowd, running up and down in front of the barrier. Seeing this band live you can't help but be entertained - I just hope it's not too long until I can see them again.

Setlist:
Prisoners
Road To The Throne
Same Old War
White Tiger
A World Divided
Home
Sunrise

This is the second Tonight Alive headline show that I've seen, after going to their Reading Festival warm-up show at Oxford back in 2014, and because that was one of the best headline sets I'd ever seen I was a little bit nervous - I didn't know if they'd be able to live up to my expectations.
Hearing 'Waves' in soundcheck definitely took some of my worries away: I'd forgotten how spectacular Jenna McDougall's vocal was. But it was the start of their headline set and the performance of new song 'To Be Free' that really reminded me of how spectacular this band. Instead of building up the tension and coming out on stage under the cover of darkness, Jenna had her microphone back stage with her and started singing before the band had set foot on the stage. It was a unique entrance, and it started the show off with a bang that didn't fizzle out.
The thing about Tonight Alive is that I really like them, but I keep forgetting to listen to them. It sounds weird, but it's true: sometimes I won't listen to them for three or four months, but then I'll remember just how much I enjoy their sound. I looked up their setlist before we came to this show and I thought I knew one or two songs, so I was very surprised when I ended up knowing almost every song that went into their set. From 'The Ocean' to 'Hell and Back' (which Jenna finished by singing "I went to hell and back just to be where I am today, with you, on the Limitless world tour!") they write songs that are easy to relate to and are emotionally evocative, but they're so easy to sing along to as well, despite the sometimes hard-hitting subject matter. With Jenna announcing "if you don't know what we stand for, we're all about personal power and emotional freedom" they certainly proved it with their music.
I was surprised by the crowd's reaction to Tonight Alive. I'd always kind of thought of them as a bit mellow, so with their fans instantly throwing themselves into the set it wasn't what I'd expected. When Jenna was talking to the crowd someone shouted "Mosh pit!" at her, to which she replied "What did you say? Oh, you want a mosh pit? I appreciate that, I thought you said something rude for a second there" before announcing that there would be moshing later and that they just needed to work their way into the set. I don't know if the pits did arrive, but the audience seemed very up for it: after the tame reaction to the heavier Milk Teeth I hadn't thought it was a hardcore crowd, but apparently Tonight Alive changed that!
During a brief gap while Jenna spoke, one of the guys started playing the intro 'Stay Together For The Kids' by Blink-182, leading to a very small and impromptu cover session featuring the intros of 'All The Small Things' and 'Feeling This'. Jenna joked "Can we be a Blink cover band for the night?", but while the prospect was exciting they have far too many of their own successful songs to perform.
The most emotional song of the evening was unquestionably 'Amelia', written about the death of a close friend. Introducing the song Jenna mentioned the fact that they'd met fans before the show and a lot of people had brought along their copies of debut album 'What Are You So Scared Of?', saying "it's really cool that an album that came out in 2012... 2011! Is still being brought to shows", crediting 'Amelia' with helping the band appeal to fans with their lyrical content and helping them get where they are today. Based on the reaction of the crowd the majority of people really love their older material - this band have built themselves a very solid and dedicated group of fans.
With the majority of the band leaving the stage after 'What Are You So Scared Of?' it was time for the acoustic part of the evening. The stripped back session was intimate and made the show very special. With Jenna and Whakaio sitting together on the platform at the front of the stage, they played 'Safe and Sound' and 'The Other Side'. Before 'Safe and Sound', Jenna explained that they'd decided to play it because "there's a beautiful couple in the front row and it's their anniversary and they both have lyrics from 'Safe and Sound' tattooed on their bodies!" before getting the crowd to shout out Happy Anniversary to the two of them. I hadn't heard the song before, but I've absolutely fallen in love with it - it's beautiful, and the acoustic sound worked brilliantly on it, making for a very memorable moment. Because 'Safe and Sound' was a fan request, people were shouting out for other songs that they wanted to hear acoustic, with Jenna joking "We're not going to play 'The Edge' acoustic!" before introducing the second acoustic song that they'd play, my personal highlight of the set: an extended version of 'The Other Side'.
I first heard 'The Other Side' during Tonight Alive's Oxford show, and I've listened to it constantly since - it's just a brilliant song, and it's definitely my favourite from Tonight Alive. I was a bit worried about hearing the extended version, because I didn't want them to ruin the song by doing too much to it, but the extended version is actually better than the original: it only has two extra verses, but with Jenna passionately singing "we were always more than friends, just friends" it had a little extra kick that made me enjoy it that much more. As Jenna said, "it's about reflecting on your past without bitterness and without resent", and I think that meaning comes across that much more solidly in the extended version.
Unfortunately I did have to leave before the end of their set due to an early train home, so I'm only using educated guesses at how their setlist went after 'Human Interaction', which started as I was walking out of the venue. It was a shame that I didn't get to hear more of the new songs from 'Limitless' live because it would have been nice to see how they sounded in a live environment - it's only a couple of weeks until the album comes out, but it's nice to see the reaction and feel the atmosphere surrounding new material. I'm sure it won't be too long until I see Tonight Alive again, so I'll just have to hear the new songs next time.

Setlist: 

To Be Free
The Fire
The Ocean
Hell and Back
Bathwater
Amelia
What Are You So Scared Of?
Safe and Sound (acoustic)
The Other Side (extended version acoustic)
Human Interaction
Don't Wish (*)
Wasting Away (*)
The Edge (*)
Listening (*)
Drive (*)
-
How Does It Feel? (*)
Lonely Girl (*)

(*) - setlist credit to setlist.fm, taken from the Manchester night of the tour. I can't confirm if these were the other songs played, but up to and including 'Human Interaction' is right for this show. 

Tonight Alive - Oxford O2 Academy, 19/08/14

I am very good at procrastinating, so in the weeks leading up to this concert I've often thought to myself 'I will Google EMP!RE and Zoax to hear what they sound like,' and I still turned up to last nights show with literally no idea what to expect from the support bands. 

First up, EMP!RE were, sadly, rather bland. I was extremely impressed with the first couple of songs, sounding like a mixture of Skindred and The Blackout, but after a few it seemed pretty obvious that they were just recycling the same pattern and it was extremely difficult to tell one song apart from another. However, sometimes this is just an issue that happens with new, upcoming bands, so I would still suggest listening to their mini album 'Where The World Begins' so you can formulate your own opinion on the matter. Check out 'Future, Past and Present' here and keep an eye out for releases in the future, as I'm sure they'll come into their own with a bit more practice. 

Contrastingly, Zoax were absolutely spectacular. With frontman Adam Carroll putting on a live show that put Jason Aalon Butler from letlive. to shame, it was an utterly mesmerizing half an hour that I was willing not to end. Spending more time in the crowd than on the stage, with some time spent lying on the floor with half of the fans in attendance, it was an unpredictable and unbeatable performance with the velocity and ferocity of a hurricane. And when a support band utters the words 'Wanna hear a new song?' they're normally dreaded, with limp crowd participation and a general disinterest and nonchalance, but the biggest crowd reaction of the night came with the song that followed and when that happens you know you're witnessing the start of something remarkable. Zoax have something very special and, while I can't quite put my finger on it, this band needs to explode soon because they most definitely deserve it. If they aren't selling out rooms that size soon off of their own merit I will be highly shocked. Check out their Youtube channel here and if you can attend Make A Scene festival you should definitely check them out, you won't be disappointed and you won't be forgetting it for a long time. 

However, after such an amazing support band, Tonight Alive fell a little flat for me. Don't get me wrong, Jenna McDougall was charismatic and charming as ever, apologising for talking so much between songs but justifying that she felt 'comfortable' with the crowd. It was obvious to see why; so many hardcore Tonight Alive fans were in attendance, screaming along to the words ranging from recent Spiderman soundtrack hit 'The Edge' to first EP material 'Wasting Away'. Slowing it down in the middle of the set to perform tear-jerker 'Amelia' acoustically, Jenna proved that she has both the range and depth of vocal and emotion to cement success for the Australians. The majority of the set was dedicated to second album, 'The Other Side', so it will be interesting to see what they choose for their setlist at Reading and Leeds festivals respectively, whether deciding to focus the appeal to old or new fans. I'm excited to see how they fare at Reading Festival this weekend, as it is their first appearance and the vocals went a little bit sharp at times throughout last night, but this was a warm-up performance so mistakes were easy to forgive and forget with the rush of adrenaline that sustained itself throughout the set. If you haven't caught Tonight Alive live before, it's definitely something I'd recommend doing when they come back to tour with The Summer Set and Chunk! No Captain Chunk throughout November. 

Setlist: 

The Edge

The Ocean

Don't Wish

Hell and Back

Bathwater

Wasting Away

What Are You So Scared Of?

Amelia

The Other Side

Listening 

Complexes

The Fire

Lonely Girl