Decade - The Vic Swindon, 27/04/15

A mere six months have passed since the last time Decade played Swindon, so I was ecstatic when they announced that they were coming back, and though last night was an eclectic mix (to say the least) it also ended up being one of the most fun shows I'd been to in a very long while.

The opening act, Heartwork, was definitely my highlight out of the three support bands. Playing acoustic music straight from the heart, Dan O'Dell poured everything he had into his half an hour set, and I was impressed by every moment. I'm a real sucker for emo acoustic music (Front Porch Step, Rob Lynch, This Wild Life) but it's not something we've ever had much experience of here in the UK, so it was brilliant to encounter such a fabulous lyricist performing on my home turf. 'I Went To Parts' is one of the most revealingly honest songs I've heard in a very long time, and I think this is going to be a song that I'm listening to for a long time to come. 

None of the songs were disappointing and every single one brought something different to the show - even though Dan was fighting with sound problems for a good chunk of his stage time. And as well as being a brilliant performer, Dan is a hilarious guy, and some of the comments he was coming out with between songs were the funniest things I'd heard in a very long time ("If you're here with a loved one... It's not gonna last!") making him seem like a blend of Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties with comedic American singer Bo Burnham. If you have a couple of quid, I'd sincerely recommend you download one of the Heartwork EPs - I'm sure you won't be disappointed. 

Second up were All Ears Avow, a local band who've gained a pretty big hometown following since the release of their EP, 'Home'. I'd seen them before, a couple of years ago, but I couldn't really remember what they were like, so I was absolutely blown away by their set. Recently all female-fronted bands seem to make pop-punk or pop-rock music, so it was refreshing to hear an alternative rock band with frontwoman Claire Sutton's vocals making them seem more similar to Halestorm than to We Are The In Crowd - it definitely gives them something different to push them ahead in this game.

Starting off with 'Better Now', a track reminiscent of a heavier version of Don Broco's 'You Wanna Know', they grabbed the crowd's attention immediately and did not let go of it for the entirety of their set. New song 'I Can Help You To Bend' was probably the catchiest song of the evening (not only because it employed my favourite instrument, the percussive egg, but because the hook was just so well written), followed closely by 'Waiting Games' and 'Tongue Tied', showing that their new songs are definitely their best songs. 

This band are definitely one who know who they are and where they want to go; the songs from their upcoming debut album 'Get In The Game' definitely demonstrated that their music is developing in a natural way that's likely to expand their fanbase dramatically following its release. I've already pre-ordered my copy, so I'd suggest you do so as well, because this band are definitely going to be one to watch - even more so if newest single 'Waiting Games' is an idea of things to come from the rest of the album. 

Setlist:

Better Now

Wings On Butterflies

Waiting Games

I Can Help You To Bend

Home

Tongue Tied

The heaviest band of the bill tonight were, by far, Big Nothing, a new band from Liverpool (well... new in this incarnation, they used to be known as Scouts). Seeming like a mixture between Bullet For My Valentine and Nirvana (so much like Nirvana, in fact, that they were verging on a tribute band), it all got a bit too heavy for me, and I didn't really enjoy their set. Musically, they were rather good, but most of their songs just seemed to blend in to each other, meaning that for the entire half an hour it just felt as though I was surrounded by discordant noise. Their banter was also lacking, with some of their jokes falling completely flat on the crowd, which was a shame - I hope they settle down and become more comfortable throughout the rest of the tour with Decade, because they just seemed much too nervous to make a real impact on anyone.

Decade's stage time was a bit later than anticipated, following a couple of microphone lead changes and some sound issues, meaning that they interacted with the crowd a lot more at the beginning of their set than they'd ever had a need to before, and I think it definitely made them more comfortable. Sometimes, especially when playing bigger venues, Decade seem as though they've gone a bit deer in the headlights and are incapable of talking to people, meaning that they music is brilliant but the atmosphere is a bit lacking, but that was not a problem tonight. With guitarist and backing vocalist Connor Fathers taking to the mic, he had the crowd laughing almost instantly, and you could tell that no one was too irritated with the delay taking place, because it just made the show that much more individual. Talking of the crowd, I was impressed with the turn out that this show saw - for a Monday night the venue was absolutely buzzing, and everyone got so involved with the show which was highly commendable.

When the music eventually did get started, it was a brilliantly constructed set featuring all of Decade's best songs, and two new ones. Playing the entirety of the 'Good Luck' album, as well as two older songs and the two new releases, it struck me how flawless their performance was (even with some technical issues making Alex's vocal seem a bit too quiet a points) and I was not disappointed to be seeing them again so soon after Takedown Festival. If you haven't seen Decade live yet, you're definitely missing something great, and I highly recommend you change that now. 

'Daisy May' was definitely my favourite song that they performed - the first of the two new ones - which sounded like a perfect blend between Kids In Glass Houses and Lower Than Atlantis. With so many great UK pop-rock bands calling it a day in the last year (Save Your Breath, Canterbury and Me Vs Hero to name but a few) there's definitely a big gap to be filled, and I'm certain that Decade are going to step up and fill it. 'Brand New Again' also sounded great, and the two new songs stood out from the set in such a way that it displayed how much Decade have grown since their first album release - they're a more mature band now, they know more about what they're doing and they're not afraid to take some risks and shake things up a bit.

The rest of the set was a standard Decade show, and while that is not a negative thing it also didn't surpass either of the new songs. I can't wait for album two to be released, because it's going to kick down some doors and really open up some new possibilities for Decade, and they definitely deserve it. A self-confessed support band who rarely play headline shows, it's time for them to start selling out some rooms of their own, and that day can't come soon enough. 

Setlist: 

Good Luck

Callous

Fool's Gold

Daisy May

Brand New Again

Brainfreeze

I Don't Care

Never Enough

Coffin 

Homebound

Low 

Fake Teeth

Woke

British Weather

The Used - Oxford O2 Academy, 17/02/15

If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know that I saw and reviewed opening band Decade back in October, when they played my hometown of Swindon. Back then, I said that I'd never seen Decade looking so confident and sounding so assured in their music, and while that might have changed slightly over the last couple of months they still put on an amazing show. Vocalist Alex Sears seemed kind of uncomfortable up on stage - it might have been the atmosphere of the crowd, who seemed pretty unresponsive - but musically they still sounded as good as they ever have. Whereas, in the past, I've stated that their sets can blur together a bit, with all of their songs sounding a little bit same-y, a setlist rejig has fixed that issue, and their half an hour set rose and fell in a way that got the crowd moving enough to show their appreciation. Some aspects of the songs were changed, such as the group shout of the song title "I don't care" at the end of the track, but it's hard to distinguish whether that was from a sense of complacency or from a marked effort to shake things up a little bit.  Finishing off with a new song, without announcing it, was a bit of a surprise, but it sounds to me as though Decade are going in a heavier direction with their music, and whatever happens on their second album, it's not going to be a repeat of 'Good Luck'. Today, I've found out that I'm going to be attending Takedown Festival in the first week of March, and I'm definitely going to be dropping in on Decade's set to see if they slip in any more new material, because it's something I'm highly anticipating.   

Setlist: 

Brainfreeze

I Don't Care

British Weather

Callous

Woke 

Coffin

Fake Teeth

Fools Gold

New song

However, second band Landscapes just did not do it for me. When bands are shouting and hardcore, I like to still be able to understand the lyrics, but that just didn't happen here. In a set that mostly blurred all in together, I could only distinguish a lyric here or there, so I got bored rather quickly. The fourth song in their set stood out, which was remarkable when all of the other songs seemed to be so tightly interlinked, but other than that I found myself bored multiple times throughout. Musically, the band seemed rather talented, but they just were not my cup of tea, and I was too excited for The Used to really give them too much of a chance.

I've been listening to The Used for a good seven years, and this is the first time I've ever managed to catch one of their live shows. I was filled with nerves, because I had my hopes set so utterly high, but I had nothing to be worried about. As soon as the opening riff to recent single 'Cry' echoed throughout the venue, I knew we were bound to be in for an amazing performance, and I was not wrong. Vocalist Bert McCracken burst out on the stage with an energy that was effervescent, spilling out of him and straight into the crowd who instantly exploded into action. Despite the fact that 'Cry' is rather a recent release, the crowd was singing along passionately, and that was just a taste of the things to come throughout the evening.
One of the most commendable things about The Used is that they sure as hell know how to craft a setlist. I looked it up before the concert and I was impressed by the fact that they managed to contain songs from nearly all of their six album discography, which is a pretty big feat when you've been a band for as long as The Used have. Diving from a recent release back into old fan favourite 'Take It Away' connected with the small section of the crowd who weren't involved in the moving and singing along, and from there on out the crowd was connected for the entire night. Running through all of their greatest hits: 'The Bird and The Worm', 'The Taste of Ink', 'All That I've Got' and 'Pretty Handsome Awkward', to name but a few, the reaction just kept getting better and better. 'The Taste of Ink' had the best crowd reaction to a song that I've ever experienced in a live show, the line "it's four o'clock in the fucking morning" being screamed entirely by the crowd, putting a massive smile on the faces of every member of the band. While guitarist Quinn Allman is on a hiatus for the entirety of 2014, Justin Shekoski of Saosin is filling in for him, but it wasn't obvious at all; Justin is such a talented musician that he managed to slot himself into the band effortlessly, and I'm glad that it was such a successful collaboration.
If you have been a fan of The Used for a while, or have heard about them in recent years, you will probably know that with their latest album 'Imaginary Enemy' they took a bit of a political twist. This was expressed consistently throughout the show, with Bert making many mini speeches in between their songs, but it was artfully done in the way that it did not sound preachy. Often, when band members decide to start talking about the government and society, it can come across as an attempt at brainwashing, trying to turn the crowd into living, breathing vessels to contain their message. However, this was not true at this show. Bert was so utterly impassioned by what he was saying, stating "I still believe that music, and people like us, can change this fucked up world". Instead of attacking the system, trying to turn disenfranchised teens even further against their rulers, Bert stated "that's a good point, the system is fucked. But the only way to change a fucked up system is to learn everything you can about it". With so many 'preachers' nowadays stating that the way to make a difference is to have completely and utter disinterest and non-action (I'm looking at you, Russell Brand) it's refreshing to hear a voice that is urging us to learn and not just sit back and wait for things to change. Instead of pressuring, Bert inspired, and instead of just coming away from the show feeling satisfied with their live performance and their musicality, I came away from the show feeling more thoughtful and that can never be a negative aspect.
If you haven't seen The Used live yet, please go and do it. I'm already regretting how many years I've waited, and as soon as they come back to the UK I will travel any distance to go and see them again. Despite the fact that it was their first ever show in Oxford, Bert announced that they were going to attempt to come back soon, and their reaction combined with the fact that it hadn't completely sold out makes me think that the next time they step in that room it will be filled to the brim with people waiting for them. You really do get everything from a show with The Used: amazing music, hilarious banter (including an Anne Robinson mask, thrown onto the stage from the crowd, proclaiming her to be "as big as Obama in our culture), mind-opening speeches, a Nirvana cover, a Rage Against The Machine cover and a drum solo from Bert... Wait, what?! Yeah, this show was that jam-packed. If you've skipped out on going to their UK tour, shame on you - you've missed a damn amazing show.

Setlist:
Cry
Take It Away
The Bird and The Worm
Listening
I Caught Fire
The Taste of Ink
All That I've Got
Buried Myself Alive
Revolution
Best Of Me
Blood On My Hands
Pretty Handsome Awkward
-
Bert drum solo
Box Full Of Sharp Objects (including Smells Like Teen Spirit intro and Killing In The Name outro, with Landscapes singer on stage)