Lower Than Atlantis - Oxford O2 Academy 2, 24/08/16

Strange Bones were a late addition to this show, being announced after it had already sold out, so not many members of the crowd had heard of them before. That didn't stop them from trying their hardest to engage the audience, and while it didn't exactly pay off they certainly put on a good show.
With their vocalist pacing across the stage, throwing himself into every second of their stage time and even performing an entire song out in the middle of the crowd, you couldn't accuse him of being complacent. Encouraging the crowd to chant along at multiple "woah-oh" moments, including that explosive opening to closer 'God Save The Teen', they had minimal response but that didn't dampen their enthusiasm. There was moshing and dancing towards the end of the set, but it felt as though Strange Bones hit their stride as the set was coming to a close. They need to concentrate on finding a way to engage the crowd earlier, especially with them only performing 20 minutes out of their 30 minute stage time.
I'd listened to Strange Bones in preparation for Reading festival (they're performing on the Lock Up stage on the Sunday) and I enjoyed their recorded music more than their live performance, but that's something that will improve with experience and a few more shows under their belts. They're stronger musically than vocally, but with this punk-infused sound making a comeback through bands like Slaves, Strange Bones couldn't have picked a better time to start making an impact on the scene. 

Setlist:
Intro
Pussy Galore's Flying Circus
S O I A (Sick of it All)
-
We The Rats
Give Me The Sun (Death To Fascists)
God Save The Teen

This is the third time I've seen Milk Teeth this year, following their Tonight Alive support slot and my brief visit to their set at Download. 2016 has been Milk Teeth's year, and the fact that they're playing halfway up the Pit on Saturday - at their debut Reading festival appearance, no less - is astounding.
Despite the fact that six months have passed, Milk Teeth are still playing the same set (with the exception of 'Burger Drop', which has been cut) and I'm assuming it'll be the same again at their Reading performance.
I don't really have anything different to say: I still admire the fact that they're bringing back the old-school female-fronted punk vibe, but playing the same set means there's nothing new to add.
'Kabuki' didn't work as well in front of this crowd. It was a jarring moment that contrasted oddly to the rest of the set, and a lot of people just talked through it: rude, but it shows that Milk Teeth need to think a bit more about the audience they're performing to instead of bashing out the same songs every time. This is something that'll get easier when they release more music and have more to choose between, because they only have an EP and an album at the moment which doesn't offer much variety.

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

Lower Than Atlantis disappointed me at this show.
That's not something I ever thought I'd say - I've seen headline shows and festival appearances and I've never left less than satisfied - but I think it's something a lot of fans were feeling after they walked offstage after 40 minutes, without saying thank you or even goodnight.
Don't get me wrong, I can understand why they did it: tickets were cheap, they needed an opportunity to practice before Reading, but I still felt a little cheated. Never before have I seen a band leave the stage, confusing their crowd so completely that they couldn't even chant for an encore. The entire room stood eagerly anticipating the band returning until the house lights snapped on and security began ushering people out of the building, no explanation as to why the end of the show was so abrupt.
The band tweeted afterwards explaining that the show was short because they needed to practice the exact set they'd be performing at Reading, but that feels like a cheap excuse to me. Did any of the band make the effort to shout "this is our last song!" after 'English Kids in America', before the riff to 'Here We Go' kicked in? Nope. If they had, at least the crowd would have been anticipating and accepting of the end of the show.
It was just weird. I've been to a lot of shows, and I've never seen anything like it happen before. It was disconcerting.
Until that moment, the night had been going fabulously. Running through all the biggest hits from the self-titled album reminded everyone exactly why it's their best-selling album to date: it's stuffed to the brim with bangers and all of them sound even better live. The "scream and shout" chant at the end of 'Words Don't Come So Easily', the viciously spitting 'Criminal' and the summer anthem 'English Kids in America' - hit after hit, filling up the set. It's going to work beautifully at Reading.
I just feel as though the older material still deserves a chance. Yes, 'Another Sad Song' - Mike Duce's depressing yet relatable anthem - still managed to squeeze in there, but the other fan favourites that they've released over the years were completely disregarded. It makes no sense to me. If the self-titled album had only just been released, it would be reasonable, but it's been out for a few years now and the band should have a better idea of how to craft a setlist that spans the entirety of their career.
The best moment of the night was definitely 'Work For It'. Considering that it was released less than a week ago, the amount of people in the room who already knew all the words was impressive: this small show was definitely for the most hardcore of Lower Than Atlantis fans. If they can get that kind of response to the song at the festivals then I'll be very impressed.
It's just a shame that the end of the night put such a dampener on what had been a note-perfect, almost flawless set. Next time lads, at least say goodbye so your fans understand that it's the end of the show.

Setlist:
Get Over It
Criminal
Emily
Work For It
Words Don't Come So Easily
Another Sad Song
English Kids in America
Here We Go

Slam Dunk South 2015 - 24/05/15

(Live A Loss For Words photo credit to Liana Hunt)

My favourite thing about festivals is the fact that you can wander around all day and see bands that you definitely wouldn't have experienced otherwise. This review is going to be a selection of the sets that I had something to say about, but this won't be all the bands that I saw - there were way too many of them for me to talk about all of them! Some of the notable sets that I won't be talking too much about were Cartel, Only Rivals, Neck Deep, Crossfaith and Fireworks - all brilliant sets, but I just didn't see enough of them to be able to review them properly. But now, onto the rest:

I've only been listening to PVRIS avidly for a few months, but they've quickly established themselves as one of my favourite bands, especially after their brilliant opening slot for Lower Than Atlantis last month. I missed the very beginning of their set (one song, 'Smoke') but I was still blown away by the rest of it; running through songs such as 'St. Patrick' and 'White Noise', vocalist Lynn Gunn was completely on point, sounding even better than she did the first time I saw them. I've never seen Alex or Brian look happier, both of them beaming out at the crowd that were eating up every single moment. For this early in the day the reaction was much better than I'd been expecting, and it still surprises me to see how far this band have come with just one album under their belts.  

As if their set wasn't going amazingly enough, a surprise appearance from Josh Franceschi on 'My House' was the icing on the cake, even if his microphone wasn't working for the majority of his time on stage. These guys are definitely ones to watch, and if you haven't listened to them yet it's imperative that you do so as soon as you can. Their popularity is going through the roof and the trajectory is nowhere near tapering off, and I can't wait to catch them for the third time this year at Reading festival - I guarantee they will just keep getting better. If they headline Slam Dunk in a few years time, I won't be shocked at all. 

Setlist:

Smoke

St. Patrick

Mirrors
Fire

White Noise

My House

Next up was the third ever UK show from the acoustic side project of The Wonder Years frontman Dan "Soupy" Campbell. Because The Wonder Years had already been announced as performing at Slam Dunk, it wasn't too surprising when Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties were added afterwards, so it also wasn't too surprising when the Roaring Twenties weren't actually there, and it was just Dan (or should I say Aaron?) on stage by himself. 

If you haven't heard of Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties, the concept behind the act is that the songs tell the story of the worst year of Aaron West's life, and it was really interesting to see Dan embodying the character of Aaron and speaking as him. The Wonder Years have always been super popular because of their lyrical content and how easy it is to relate to them, but this acoustic emo act was obviously the drawing point of many people at this weekend, as the room was full to bursting before he even came out on stage. To have people queuing out on the landing for the third act on the stage is a huge achievement, but considering the fact that before Slam Dunk he'd only ever played one UK show, it just proves that the demand is definitely outweighing the supply. 

Starting off with 'Our Apartment', most of the crowd were shouting along to every word, which didn't let up through 'Grapefruit' or 'Runnin' Scared'. My personal favourite song is 'Divorce and the American South', which had the loudest singalong in the first half of the set. This boosted even higher during the trumpet solo, as the crowd decided to cover for the absent backing band and perform a vocal trumpet solo - which Soupy congratulated us on afterwards, calling for a round of applause for the great trumpet solo - something that definitely lightened up what was an otherwise completely depressing set. But depressing does not mean bad, and Aaron West was one of the best performers I saw in the entire day at Slam Dunk, so I seriously hope that he comes back and announces some full length UK shows at some point in the near future. I couldn't stick around for the rest of Aaron West's set, as I wanted to see some of Beartooth, but the half that I did see was superb.

I didn't think that the Fresh Blood stage could get any busier, but when I returned to see Fort Hope I sadly couldn't even get into the room. I stood outside and listened to a section of their set - most notably 'Sick', which sounded pretty sick ('scuse the pun) even from outside on the landing. With the band having signed their first record deal in the last few days, this crowd is just going to keep growing, and I'm so proud of how far these boys have come from back in the My Passion days. The UK rock scene is on the rise, and Fort Hope are leading the pack. 

I saw a bit of A Loss For Words at Slam Dunk last year and I thought they were pretty awesome, so I was bummed out when I discovered that they'd announced their break up before I'd even gotten around to listening to any of their full length albums. When it was announced that they'd be performing at Slam Dunk on their farewell tour, there was no chance that I was missing it. 

Joining the set to hear 'Pirouette', I was amazed when there was a surprise guest appearance from the vocalist of Save Your Breath, Kris Richards, whose band broke up back in January. I was a big Save Your Breath fan, so the moment was rather bittersweet, but it really embodied the entire ethos of Slam Dunk festival - having fun with your friends - and with a singalong of epic proportions it was perfect for this summery festival crowd. With singer Matty thanking his "brother" for appearing on stage with him, it really spread the love - something that A Loss For Words seem to be really fond of, as Matty was also wearing a t-shirt proclaiming 'I support same-sex marriage'. 

One of the most notable things about their set was the amount of bands they were shouting out to, thanking Decade, Light You Up, Transit, PVRIS and Neck Deep, to name but a few. Dedicating 'Distance' to Fireworks was also a poignant moment, with A Loss For Words splitting and Fireworks going onto hiatus, but there wasn't time to dwell on the emotions because the set was just too much fun. Nowadays, pop punk bands seem to take themselves much too seriously, but A Loss For Words were having so much fun and it was definitely encouraging the crowd. 

My sixth time seeing Lower Than Atlantis was also my shortest time, as I only managed to see three of their songs in the fifteen minute gap I squeezed in at main stage. It was impressive that they seemed to on top of their game, as this was their second festival set today (the first being at the BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Norwich) but if anything that made them sound tighter, because they'd had the perfect warm-up this morning.

After catching them on their UK tour last month, I didn't think Lower Than Atlantis could get any better, but vocalist Mike Duce seemed to be so much more confident in front of this crowd, belting out every word and getting it shouted back in his face twice as loud. 'Ain't No Friend' had everyone dancing, while 'English Kids In America' is still a festival classic - perhaps even more memorable today than it was at Reading festival last year. I stuck around long enough to hear 'Deadliest Catch', my all time favourite of their songs, and I sincerely wish I'd been able to hang around longer, because they were sounding even tighter than normal. With a large tour announced in December, I'm sincerely hoping I'll be able to go along to one of their shows, because it would be brilliant to see them wrap up their biggest ever year as a band on such a high note.

Back at the Fresh Blood stage, the crowd outside the room had gotten even larger than it was for Fort Hope, meaning that I had to strain to hear This Wild Life over the voices of fans waiting outside. After such an extensive co-headline tour with As It Is over the last few weeks, I assumed that most of the people who wanted to see This Wild Life would have already seen them - this belief was naive, as disappointed fans were turning away in droves when they realised that there was no way for them to push into the room to see the band. This Wild Life were actually one of my most anticipated bands of Slam Dunk, so I stuck it out and managed to hear a good few songs, especially once the crowd dispersed a little bit and you could hear the music outside. 

'History' is one of their most well-known songs, and this was confirmed when they played it first, with the singalong from the crowd sounding much louder than the band themselves, the same of which can be said for 'Over It'. 'Ripped Away' sounded absolutely flawless, but the highlight of the part of the set that I saw was definitely their cover of Blink-182's 'First Date', which was a surprising but perfectly performed cover. 

I left after hearing 'Better With You', one of my favourite songs, but that wasn't before I noticed that even their co-headline tour mate Patty Walters, lead vocalist of As It Is, was unable to get into the room. This band are such a massive deal, something that I hadn't realised until this show, but I think it's a brilliant sign - they deserve to have all of this attention, because Anthony and Kevin are both such talented songwriters and performers. I haven't had the opportunity to see a This Wild Life headline show yet, but it's definitely something I'm going to ensure that I do next time that they come to the UK - I need to experience this show on a bigger scale, and I need to actually get into the room next time!

I've had a love-hate relationship with Don Broco recently, as I haven't really enjoyed any of the singles that they've been releasing from forthcoming album 'Automatic', but that completely changed throughout their set yesterday. Starting off with 'Money Power Fame' was a brilliant way to drag the crowds attention to this band, who threw every ounce of their energy into their performance. A Don Broco show is a high velocity show, and that didn't change at Slam Dunk; if anything it ramped up even higher, with frontman Rob Damiani going absolutely crazy up there.

Newest single 'Automatic' didn't get that much of a reaction from the crowd: possibly because of the relatively young age of the song, or possibly because other people are agreeing with my opinion of the new material. However, something that you can't deny is the fact that they performed the song live amazingly, and it's impossible to move your eyes away from the stage from the second they start from the second they exit.

Older songs 'Whole Truth' and 'Priorities' both got amazing responses, with the crowd kicking it up a gear and dancing more than I'd seen them all day. I had to leave half way through their set, to run across to Seaway, but I'm definitely feeling more love towards Don Broco after seeing the new songs in a live environment, and remembering how encapsulating their live shows are.

I only managed to catch one song from Seaway, due to some terrible set clashes, but the one that I saw definitely deserves a special comment, and that was 'Your Best Friend'. I'd been having a pretty terrible morning - missing Set It Off and We Are The Ocean, and suffering with a terrible migraine - but after hearing such a fun song live I just couldn't stop myself from dancing and beaming from ear to ear. I don't know what it is about these Canadian fellows, but they're so full of fun that I can't help but fall in love with them a little more every time I listen to them. I haven't been disappointed by a single one of their songs that I've heard so far, and after purchasing their full length album 'Hoser' at the festival, I'll definitely be listening to them more. 

However, I had to leave Seaway quite early to get along to Finch, who were another of my most anticipated bands of the day. Since Finch's reunion tour a couple of years ago, I've been getting quite excited about the day when I would finally see them live, and I couldn't believe it was finally here. 

I will admit that I didn't know many of the newer songs that they played, as I only managed to purchase their newest album 'Back To Oblivion' at the festival, but the ones that I did hear sounded brilliant. I joined their set on 'Anywhere But Here', and was amazed by how much the band were putting in to the set - some of the older hardcore bands that I've seen have been quite complacent in their live shows, but Finch were excelling the performance I'd experienced at the Hidden In Plain View show last month, which was insanely high. The new music definitely padded out their set, putting a brilliant amount of life into it, and instead of being disinterested by the songs I didn't know I found myself falling in love much further with this band. 

'Letters To You' is obviously one of Finch's more well-known songs, so a lot of the crowd did seem to only be in attendance for this one, demonstrated when the moshing went through the roof for the duration of the song. A hardcore anthem, it's difficult to find someone who doesn't know this song, and I was amazed by how brilliantly the band played it over ten years since they wrote and released it. After going through two break-ups, it's impressive that the members still perform so well together, and their chemistry is palpable throughout the crowd.

Finishing with 'What It Is To Burn', another of their most popular songs, it was surprising to see another guest appearance from Josh Franceschi, who mentioned the fact the he wanted to perform the song with them in an issue of Kerrang! a few weeks ago. Seeing a dream come true like that live on stage should have been corny, but after seeing Josh moshing side stage throughout the previous couple of songs in their set, you could really see how much it meant to him, and he threw everything he had into his vocal (which, thankfully, was on a working microphone that time!). I can't believe that I waited this long to see Finch, and I will not be waiting this long until the next time. 

I don't really have that much to say about Taking Back Sunday that I didn't already say in my review of their show in Oxford in December, but that isn't a bad thing because it proves that they are consistent. Their banter was still lacking, which was much more noticeable (and cringe-inducing) in this environment, but the rest of their performance was one of my highlights of the entire day. I said before that Taking Back Sunday really know how to craft a brilliant setlist, and while they played most of the songs that I'd seen them play only a few months ago, they played them all fantastically so I had nothing to complain about. 

All of their biggest hits: 'MakeDamnSure', 'Cute Without The 'E' (Cut From The Team)' and 'You're So Last Summer' were all present, as well as a good chunk of their more recent releases, meaning that there was something there for every era of Taking Back Sunday fan. The majority of the crowd did seem to be turned off from Taking Back Sunday, but that was kind of understandable with them sandwiched between Don Broco and You Me At Six, both who are relatively new on the scene, meaning that their fan base might have been too young to fully appreciate Taking Back Sunday when they were at the height of their career. I was kind of disappointed with the crowd, who didn't seem to be making any effort at all - the whole point of a festival is to enjoy bands you wouldn't normally see - but the fans that were getting involved were going crazy. It would have been nice to have a few surprises in their setlist, other than just the inclusion of 'Happiness Is...' bonus track 'How I Met Your Mother', but it was still a lot of fun, and I was glad that I could stay for their entire set. 

Setlist: 

Flicker, Fade

What's It Feel Like To Be A Ghost?

Number 5 With A Bullet

How I Met Your Mother

Liar (It Takes One To Know One)

Stood A Chance

Timberwolves At New Jersey

A Decade Under The Influence

Faith (When I Let You Down)

You're So Last Summer

Better Homes and Gardens 

Error:Operator

You Know How I Do

Cute Without The 'E' (Cut From The Team)

MakeDamnSure

You Me At Six were definitely the highlight of most people's day, and with their promise of playing older material there was no question in my mind that I was going to see every single second of their set. I've always been a huge advocate for them playing earlier songs, so my wish was finally coming true. I wasn't disappointed when the started the set off with the double header of 'The Truth Is A Terrible Thing' and 'Save It For The Bedroom', and going by the reaction from the crowd this set had been a long time coming. People were flooding in from every direction, screaming the lyrics from the top of their lungs, and it really felt like something special was happening - the excitement in the air was palpable. It didn't let up through the first five songs, concluding with 'Jealous Minds Think Alike', which is one of the best songs You Me At Six have ever written - there's a reason that they catapulted into such heights of fame, and it's mostly due to the skill and potential they displayed in their formative years. 

However, after the fifth song in the set things quickly went downhill. Due to a medical emergency with a fan, the band had to stop the set, so Josh attempted to banter with the crowd - talking a bit about their time away in Australia last week, and referencing some football rivalries - but after the banter sunk like a rock he went off-stage while the medics worked. A little over half an hour later, the band came back on stage, and it's testament to You Me At Six fans that they all stayed calm and civilised despite the lengthy gap, allowing the medics to work and for the band to give them the space that was necessary. Oftentimes things like this can go very badly very quickly, with fans throwing things and complaining about the lack of music, but that wasn't demonstrated at all during this set - everyone was extremely civilised, even if some people did get bored and wander away to The Wonder Years.

A brief intermission here, to give a shout out to The Wonder Years, who seemed to be playing a blinder of a set. I was disappointed that I was going to miss them to see You Me At Six, so the gap in the set was a blessing in disguise - due to the silence at the main stage you could hear every word of The Wonder Years set going on at the other end of the road. Dan's vocal sounded so stronger and powerful over the pop punk backtrack, which was surprising after he admitted during the Aaron West set that his voice was rather shot, and it was a real hint towards how expert he is as a frontman - he really knows what he's doing. It was my second time seeing The Wonder Years, and while I wish I could have seen and heard more of them, I was happy enough with what I got. 

After You Me At Six walked back out on stage, Josh Franceschi announced "someone's life is way more fucking important than our little band playing songs at a festival", a sentiment that he reiterated on his Twitter following the incident, and it really was heart-warming to see the frontman of such a massive band caring so much about his fans. You Me At Six might have exploded, but they're still just five boys from Surrey at heart.

I'd been anticipating quite a large cut from the set following the time that they'd been off stage, but they still completed their entire set - bigger hits like 'Room To Breathe' and 'Lived A Lie' running parallel to older songs 'The Rumour' and 'Take Off Your Colours' - and it was a breath of fresh air to get a mixture of both eras in a You Me At Six show. Often when I see the band live I find myself getting restless, but this was the perfect mix of fun and serious, meaning that there wasn't a single moment of the set that fell flat for me. This was the best show I've ever seen You Me At Six play, and I think it's going to stay that way forever, as the band have said that they will be cutting the older songs from their set completely following these three festival performances. I sincerely hope that they'll consider the crowds reaction during 'Always Attract' and rethink that decision, because that kind of colossal reaction only happens in older songs that mean a lot to all of the fans, but I'm sure they know what they're doing. 

The band are going off to record their fifth album this summer, and while I'm nervous about what the result will be, I'm excited as heck as well. As Josh sang, "the problems that have come haven't yet torn You Me down" and I'm sure they aren't going to any time soon.

Setlist: 

The Truth Is A Terrible Thing

Save It For The Bedroom

Loverboy 

Stay With Me

Jealous Minds Think Alike

-

Reckless

Lived A Lie

No One Does It Better

Take Off Your Colours

Kiss And Tell

The Rumour 

The Consequence

Fresh Start Fever

Always Attract

Room To Breathe

Bite My Tongue 

Underdog

Lower Than Atlantis - Oxford O2 Academy, 10/04/15

First things first, I'm gonna admit that the main reason I was attending this show was to see the opening band, PVRIS. This was my sixth time seeing We Are The Ocean, and my fifth time seeing Lower Than Atlantis, but because this was only PVRIS's second show EVER in the UK, I hadn't seen them before. I was beyond excited to see them in a live environment, because I was sure they were going to kill it, and judging by the reaction of the crowd it seemed like there were a lot of other people who were rooting for them too. 

I don't think anyone would have gone away feeling disappointed. Vocalist Lynn Gunnulfsen has a brilliant voice on their recorded songs, but her live vocal is much more raw, showing the emotion that she was putting into the performance and impressing the majority of the crowd. After a huge support slot on the Sleeping With Sirens and Pierce The Veil co-headline tour, and a lauded appearance at Self Help Festival in America, you can tell that PVRIS know what they're doing live, and they did it well. There did seem to be a kind of disconnect - I'm not sure whether it was the acoustics in the venue, but something was off with the sound, meaning that it didn't blow me away as much as I'd been expecting - but overall it was an impressive performance that definitely got the crowd moving.

They definitely picked a great setlist to draw the crowd in; starting off with 'Smoke' really gave them a chance to get people interested, which just grew throughout 'Mirrors' - in which Lynn really made the most out of her vocal range - peaking at 'St Patrick', which has been receiving a lot of mainstream radio play in the UK over the last few weeks. As Mike Duce stated during Lower Than Atlantis's set, we're "expecting very big things from those guys, so they better not fuck it!", and if they keep going the way that they are, that definitely won't be an issue. 

If you haven't had the chance to see PVRIS while they're in the UK on this tour, they're also playing Slam Dunk festival at the end of May, so I'd seriously recommend you get tickets to that - you won't regret it.

Setlist: 

Smoke

Mirrors

Fire 

White Noise

St Patrick

My House

Main support We Are The Ocean are currently gearing up for the release of their fourth album, 'Ark', so I was pretty excited to hear the new songs in a live environment. After seeing We Are The Ocean four times during the touring cycle for 'Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow', I was highly anticipating a new, fresh setlist, and I was pleased when they burst out on to stage with new song 'Do It Together', followed it up with 'Shere Khan' and played 'Good For You' half way through the set, meaning that the new album was highly represented. If you don't know anything about We Are The Ocean's past, just prior to the release of their third album they announced that unclean vocalist, Dan Brown, would be leaving the band, so 'Ark' is going to be the first album that they've written and recorded without him being an influence in the process. I was struck by how obvious this was - instead of pop-rock, the new We Are The Ocean sound is a throwback to classic rock, with a heavier sound that definitely suits them, demonstrating Liam Cromby's vocal prowess brilliantly. You can feel that this is a new era for We Are The Ocean, and I'm looking forward to hearing what they've done with the rest of the album, because Liam definitely seems to be putting his stamp on the band as the frontman now. 

Other than the new songs, they still performed their older songs brilliantly, with 'The Road', 'Young Heart' and 'The Waiting Room' all getting great reactions. Towards the end of 'The Waiting Room', Liam encouraged the crowd to sing "Let go and then I lose control" back to them, and the singalong got going after a few repetitions, with Liam shouting "We're at a rock gig, we don't wanna be nice, we wanna be rowdy!". But for the majority of the set it felt as though the band were fighting a losing battle to make an impact on the crowd, which was a massive shame. 

Perhaps it was the inclusion of so many new songs, songs which people would not be familiar with and might not enjoy too much, but for the bulk of their set it seemed as though everyone was talking and not really connecting with the band. We Are The Ocean are an avid touring band - I can't remember a time when they haven't been lined up for a festival or a support slot somewhere - so they really are the best in their live set, but it seemed that the crowd weren't really feeling this tonight. It could have been that people were there for PVRIS, and were politely staying through the rest of the show, or that they were restlessly waiting for Lower Than Atlantis, but it didn't really seem as though We Are The Ocean were bringing too much to the party. Maybe, if the album had already been out, it would have been a different story, but I sincerely hope that the audience at the rest of the tour dates is more respectful, because the boys deserve much, much more than this. They're playing Reading festival in the summer, and I will be seeing and reviewing their entire set, so I hope that the response they get there is to the standard that it should be. 

Setlist: 

Do It Together

Shere Khan

The Road

Ark

Good For You

Young Heart

Nothing Good Has Happened Yet

The Waiting Room

After the triumphant release of their self-titled album last year, it wasn't surprising when Lower Than Atlantis managed to sell out this entire tour, and they proved exactly how it happened with the set that they played. The focus was most definitely on the new album, with half of the songs performed being off of the new release, but when an album is that good no one's going to complain about more being played - especially when the band still made sure to include a song each from both 'Far Q' and 'Changing Tune'. 

Starting with 'Criminal', the entire crowd was instantly absorbed proving that, even if they seemed apathetic at times throughout the supports, Lower Than Atlantis are not a band that you can ignore. Some of the older, lesser known songs did not get amazing responses, with 'Far Q' falling quite flat, but with the audience having a visceral reaction for all of the new songs it wasn't an issue. 'English Kids In America' had every person singing along, as did 'Emily' and older, well-loved track '(Motor)way of Life'. One of the most surprising inclusions in the set was 'Sewer Side', one of the bonus tracks included on the deluxe version of 'Lower Than Atlantis'. Most bands don't choose to play bonus tracks in a live environment, because not many people know them, but Lower Than Atlantis are a ballsy band, and the risk definitely paid off. I hadn't heard the song before, but it had a unique sound that meant it really stood out from the rest of the set, and I'm sure it's going to have convinced quite a few people to re-purchase the album with the extra songs.
But the highlight of the night by far was 'Words Don't Come So Easily'. If the rest of the set was great, that song was absolutely flawless, with the band letting the crowd sing alone for the repetition of "open mouth, scream and shout, nothing out", a moment which was both impressive and goose-bump inducing. Following up with a short intermission, during which Mike cut a path through the crowd, got on top of the merch stand and led a rousing rendition of 'Happy Birthday' for their merch man, Joe, just added to the special moments that were happening during this show, one that means it will stick in my mind for a while. As well as multiple chants of "oggy, oggy, oggy, oi, oi, oi", it seemed to be one of the most memorable shows I'd been to in a very long time.
Another risky choice was to play 'Another Sad Song', Mike's slower ballad, as the song before the encore. Generally bands choose their most well-known, upbeat songs to wrap up the main set, but this was yet another risk that played off, with the whole crowd singing along. At Reading festival, I thought that 'Another Sad Song' might have been the most emotional song in their set, but it was also the most well received, and the same could be said from this night.
Closing up with 'Here We Go' was a predictable but brilliant choice, meaning that the set ended on a massive high, and I'm sure no one left feeling disappointed. I'm excited to see where Lower Than Atlantis go over the next year - with a high profile slot at Slam Dunk festival next month, I'm sure that their trajectory is not leveling out just yet, and I see big venues in this bands future, so you should get on board with this journey now, before it's too late.

Setlist: 

Criminal 

Love Someone Else

Far Q

Stays The Same

Emily

Ain't No Friend

English Kids In America

High At Five

Marilyn's Mansion

Sewer Side

(Motor)way of Life

Words Don't Come So Easily

Deadliest Catch

Another Sad Song

-

Beech Like The Tree

Here We Go

'Lower Than Atlantis' by Lower Than Atlantis

When Lower Than Atlantis signed to Island Records back in early 2012, everyone thought that the album that followed would be the one that changed their lives, so when 'Changing Tune' didn't go as well as expected, I don't think anyone had any ideas about where they would end up heading with their fourth album. With a tumultuous couple of years and an awful lot of uncertainty, the first single from their eponymous album, 'Here We Go', was released in June with vocalist Mike Duce ominously announcing that if things didn't go to plan with this album, it could be the end of them.

But after hearing this album, I don't think that's going to be happening. 

Quite frankly, this album is a triumph. Mike has always been accused of being a miserable bastard, but this is the most upbeat and positive Lower Than Atlantis that I think I've ever heard. 'Here We Go' is a battle cry of epic proportions, proclaiming "Come and have a go if you think you are hard enough" and challenging all of their critics to hit out at them following one of, if not the, most successful singles of the year. This sentiment is further developed on later, with a lyric in 'Criminal' stating "Is it really selling out if we just used them for their funds?". Second track 'Ain't No Friend' features a dance influence grounded in their rockier roots perfectly demonstrates the fact that this is a new Lower Than Atlantis, and a better one, than ever before. They've got the balls to stand up for themselves against critics and label bosses and the balls to make risky decisions, both of which make for a brilliant band. 

Despite the fact that I think this is probably one of the best albums of the year, there is an off moment in the shape of penultimate track 'Just What You Need'. Coupling echoey vocals with dance undertones seems uncomfortable with the juxtaposition of the chorus, which is of a much more conventional and enjoyable sound. 

But other than that, everything is absolutely magnificent. 'English Kids In America' was one of the most well-received songs at Reading Festival back in August and when a song that's only been released for a few weeks gets a sing-along of those kinds of proportions it proves that something big is coming. People have been ranting and raving about 'Emily' since its release last month and, although I don't really think it lives up to that level of hype, it really demonstrates a softer side to Mike, who admitted penning the song about his dog Rosie. Similarly, in 'Words Don't Come So Easily' the emotions are also shoved to the forefront, displaying the lyrical prowess that has resulted in Mike writing for the likes of McBusted and 5 Seconds of Summer in recent months. 

However much I hate to disagree with a man that I deeply respect, the lyric of "I'm only gonna waste your time" from 'Time' is completely incorrect. 'Lower Than Atlantis' was anything but a waste of my time. One of my most anticipated albums of 2014, I am pleased to say that I am not disappointed at all. For a band that I greatly admire but wouldn't describe myself as being a huge fan of, that has changed with this album. I am completely converted. The lyrics that Mike writes are completely flawless and, in my opinion, I think that lyrics are the most important piece of any song. 'Damn Nation' really gets you thinking, while 'Live Slow, Die Old' is much more inspiring than the YOLO message that seems to be preached by most young people in recent times. The lyric "Everyone dies, I'm gonna have fun until then" perfectly sums up this album. With the music industry starting to struggling due to the rise of illegal downloads and piracy, so many bands are packing their bags and moving on with their lives (see: Canterbury, Kids In Glass Houses, Jody Has a Hitlist), so the fact that Lower Than Atlantis have managed to fill the majority of this album with fun and positivity is impressive. Even while changing labels and nearly not making this album it shows that music is their passion and they aren't giving in any time soon, as well they shouldn't. 

Tracklist:

Here We Go 

Ain't No Friend

English Kids In America

Criminal

Words Don't Come So Easily

Emily

Stays The Same

Live Slow, Die Old

Damn Nation

Time

Just What You Need

Number One

Reading Festival 22-23-24/08/2014

I'm not gonna write this like a normal review; examining and cross-examining all of the acts I saw in this, the best weekend of my life, because that would take the fun out of things. At festivals, I think one of the best things to do is to have fun, make friends and investigate new bands you've never thought to listen to before, all things of which I did a lot of. 

However, as I have this review blog, when it came to bands I loved and had seen before, or bands that I had (usually inaccurate) preconceptions about, I thought it would be much more beneficial for you for me to talk about things that I feel I am an expert in the field of. Am I an expert of dance music? No. 100% not. So am I reviewing any of the (snippets of) dance songs I discovered this weekend, while running from the NME/BBC Radio 1 stage to the main stage? No. Do I feel as though I'm an expert in rock music? Hell yes. So that's what you'll be getting from this review. Now you know this, it feels like time to jump in, so let's start with... 

Friday:

First up was the highly anticipated 'global debut' (actually the third global show, but a festival debut is pretty decent boasting too) of ex-My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way. With the release of 'Action Cat' just two months ago, many of the songs featured in the set were unknown, but that didn't make it any less fun or any less compelling. Gerard Way is a frontman and a half; charismatic, charming and filled with boundless energy. Wearing the blue suit instantly recognisable from the recently released 'Hesitant Alien' album artwork, the crowd in the well-filled tent were automatically bouncing along to the opening notes of 'Bureau', followed by the singalong 'Action Cat'. His third song (which I've since found out was titled 'Zero Zero' was captivating and it's not often you see a crowd so enthralled with unknown songs. Breaking it up with 'Millions', the track that started the rumour mill about a solo project so many months ago, is a stroke of genius, keeping the crowd interested throughout 'Juarez', 'Drugstore Perfume' and 'Get The Gang Together', which featured Gerard screaming like a man possessed, exuding everything that made My Chemical Romance so spectacular. The lyrics to 'No Shows' were released last week and despite that being relatively recently fans were already singing along as though the album had been released. Finishing the set up with The Jesus and Mary Chain cover 'Snakedriver' might have seemed like an odd move, but I think it puts a nice comma in the sentence that is Gerard Way's new chapter. And with US shows in October just announced and the promise of UK shows in November, we'll be seeing more of Gerard Way soon, and that can never be a bad thing.

After a bit of a wander about and some encounters with bands I've been meaning to check out, I arrived at main stage to see Deaf Havana who, sadly, just didn't seem to be in best form today. Their headline show at Oxford in April was absolutely superb but today James Veck-Gilodi seemed to be struggling through the songs, making '22', 'Boston Square' and 'Anemophobia' seemed strained and messy which was a real shame.

Contrastingly, after running across field to Mallory Knox I couldn't have been more pleased. Arriving in the tent for my personal favourite 'Wake Up' I was surprised and proud to see such an amazing crowd reaction for the band who were main stage openers last year. With 'Asymmetry' coming out in just two months time I was expecting a good mix of new and old material and I wasn't disappointed, with the set consisting of 'Death Rattle', '1949', 'Hello' and 'Lighthouse', dispersed with new song 'The Remedy' and recent release 'QOD II'. When I saw Mallory Knox at Slam Dunk in May I felt a little disillusioned, with them not really living up to my expectations, but give them time to have a break and a stage like this and they certainly do shine. With their upcoming November tour featuring support from Frnkiero and the cellabration it was already worth checking out, but if you're only going for Frank, please stick around for an amazing performance by Mallory Knox.

Following Mallory Knox, with another run across the field, I arrived at Jimmy Eat World's main stage set in the middle of 'Praise Chorus'. With their second set, headlining the Lock Up Stage later in the day, rumoured to be the tenth anniversary playback of the 'Futures' album in full, I wasn't sure what to expect from this set, but I saw a brilliant mix of the best of an underrated band. For most of the set (comprised of 'My Best Theory', 'Big Casino', 'Chase This Light', 'Let It Happen', 'I Will Steal You Back' and 'Authority Song') there was little to none crowd reaction, but finishing up with two fan favourites, 'Sweetness' and 'The Middle' saw people running to the stage to dance to songs they would have been craving to hear live ten years ago. Jimmy Eat World might be one of the most experienced bands on the bill today, but they're definitely not one of the most disappointing.

The same can be said for Glaswegian rockers Twin Atlantic. After (yet another) trek back up to the NME/BBC Radio 1 tent, I managed to hear the end of 'Free', followed by the beautifully soul-touching acoustic 'Crash Land'. 'Make A Beast Of Myself' had the entire crowd singing along, mimicking vocalist Sam McTrusty's accent on the word 'universe' proving how much the fans care about this band. Wrapping up with 'Heart and Soul', the first single from their recently released third album 'The Great Divide' (which went into the UK Official Album Charts in a brilliant sixth position) was predictable but memorable and I will definitely be catching these guys again.

Next up were Enter Shikari who, sadly, were not having a great day. Due to distortion and mic problems, it just wasn't their finest house. With drummer Rob Rolfe wearing a 'Love Syria' shirt and singer Rou Reynolds focusing on educating and inspiring the crowd to 'Say no to homophobia. No to sexism and misogyny. No to the slimy 1% who own 50% of the world's money', the music side of things is just lacking. 'Sorry, You're Not A Winner' evokes the expected crowd response of clapping and chanting along and 'Arguing With Thermometers' makes people go crazy, but other than that the set seems odd and unrecognisable. But this could have just been the distortion and mic problems, with sound fluctuating between loud and quiet and an inability to make out which song was being played at points throughout the set, as I've never seen a bad Shikari show.

Later on in the day, the second Jimmy Eat World set was revealed to be the highly anticipated 'Futures' in full, showing a much better reaction from the crowd that was mostly comprised of hardcore Jimmy fans. Sadly, I only caught the beginning of the show, as I was beyond excited to see Paramore, but they seemed to be performing better than they did in their earlier set.

Before I even start writing about Paramore, I'm gonna be completely honest and say this is going to be biased. Paramore have been one of my favourite bands for as long as I can remember and I've never managed to catch any of their live shows. So I obviously found their performance completely flawless. I'm sure you've already heard about the sound issues during 'Ignorance' and the acappella performance of 'The Only Exception', but those issues just made the show a once in a lifetime experience. Yes, it was a shame that the headline set that should have been an absolute triumph was riddled with issues, but it just showed what professionals Paramore is comprised of. Instead of taking a break, leaving the crowd booing and unhappy, they carried on despite the fact that everything was against them, and they battled through and came out on top. Anyone who has ever accused vocalist Hayley Williams of lip-syncing could completely eat their words, because her vocal performance was completely on form and utterly free of pitching issues. I've already admitted that I'm completely biased, but I like to think it was rightly so. All of my preconceptions about Paramore were absolutely confirmed. They truly are one of the best bands on the planet.

Setlist:
Still Into You
That's What You Get
For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic
Ignorance
Pressure
Decode
The Only Exception
Last Hope
Brick By Boring Brick
Misery Business
Let The Flames Begin
Part II
Proof
Ain't It Fun

On the other hand, fellow co-headliners Queens Of The Stone Age just weren't Reading material. Playing their most popular song, 'No One Knows', second in their set caused a large chunk of the crowd to flood away to other stages, or to even leave the festival early. Singer Josh Homme seemed too introverted and melancholy after the absorbing stage presence of Hayley, making the set feel long and boring. It feels like they are a band much more suited for a headline slot at Download or Sonisphere. While most people were doubting Paramore's suitability as a headline act, it seems that people should have been worrying about Queens of The Stone Age's ability much more. Without even thanking the crowd or saying goodnight the set ended rather abruptly, making the conclusion of Friday night rather anti-climactic.

Saturday: 

The first band I had previous knowledge of on the Saturday were Lonely The Brave, who played at Warped Tour UK back in November and performed on BBC Radio 1 Rocks back in June. Their set at Warped Tour was pretty forgettable and they were completely overshadowed at Radio 1 Rocks by the other superb bands who were performing in that week (namely Of Mice and Men, Mallory Knox and Lower Than Atlantis). And no matter how much I wanted Reading to tell a different story, it was just much of the same. The start of the set seemed stronger than usual, with vocalist David Jakes communicating with the crowd and proving his soaring vocals are something that sets them apart from the rest of the upcoming British rock scene, but after ten minutes every song in the set sounded exactly the same. Maybe, when they have a few albums under their belt, they'll have more of a variety, but at this current time they really aren't living up to their potential.

A band who were living up to their potential are American Authors, best known for song of the summer 'Best Day Of My Life', who absolutely smashed their first UK festival appearance. A lot of the songs were relatively unknown but that didn't stop the crowd from bouncing along at every opportunity, showing that these guys really are ones to watch.

Running from American Authors over to the BBC Introducing stage for their secret set, it was an utter disappointment to approach the tent and discover Jake Bugg wailing out his so-called 'hit songs'. For a secret set the crowd turn out was appalling and I wasn't about to add to it, leaving immediately to catch the end of Royal Blood's set (who, despite being a band I'd never listened to before, blew me away).

Next up, Lower Than Atlantis, who have been throwing out hits left, right and centre in the lead-up to their self-titled album release next month. The set started off much the same as any Lower Than Atlantis set; 'If The World Was To End', 'Love Someone Else' and 'Motorway of Life' evoking the same usual, amazing singalongs, followed by 'Marilyn's Mansion' which seemed like an odd choice for a festival but got everyone moving more than I expected it would. 'Deadliest Catch' kept the tempo up and continued the throwback to older tunes, followed by 'Another Sad Song', with the lyrics "we all make mistakes from time to time, unfortunately for me, being me was mine", giving a heart-breaking look inside the head of vocalist and lyricist Mike Duce. Following this touching moment with 'English Kids In America' perfectly exemplifies the development that the band have gone through in the last three years, with 'Beech Like The Tree' inserted between the new songs, meaning that 'Here We Go' closed their set. This was a complete triumph for a band who have gone from strength to strength and can only get stronger. If Lower Than Atlantis are performing at Reading Festival next year, they need to be on main stage and they need to be pretty high up on the bill; it's only what they deserve.

Setlist:
If The World Was To End
Love Someone Else
Motorway of Life
Marilyn's Mansion
Deadliest Catch
Another Sad Song
English Kids In America
Beech Like The Tree
Here We Go

Following Lower Than Atlantis, over on main stage, were The Hives. I've only ever known two songs by The Hives; 'Tick Tick BOOM' and 'Hate To Say I Told You So', so I didn't have any expectations from their live performance, but it was the weirdest thing I've ever experienced. Period. At the halfway point in 'Tick Tick BOOM' all of the members froze on stage for a good minute or two, while ninjas swapped members guitars. Singer Howlin' Pelle Almqvist got all of the crowd sitting down, shouting "Don't stand up, I'll tell you when to stand up! I said sit down, don't take a picture!" before taking a selfie with a fan and running further and further out into the crowd, with a worried security guard tailing him the entire way. The banter was impeccable ("Everybody shut up for a while!") and despite the fact that it was completely bizarre and one of the most random things I've ever witnessed, I'm not gonna be forgetting The Hives live show any time soon.

Back over to the NME/BBC Radio 1 stage and it's time for one of my all time favourite bands, Don Broco. Starting off with a partially acoustic 'Yeah Man', before exploding into fan favourite 'Thug Workout', singer Rob Damiani was quick to establish "I don't want anyone getting squashed, take care of each other alright!" and while the push-up squad might not have been out in full force today there were still a hell of a lot of people who turned out to see this magnificent performance. Despite the fact that the microphone disconnected quite early into the set, the crowd carried them through the issues meaning that everything was resolved before it became a nuisance. The problem was fixed before they jumped into 'The Whole Truth', following it up with a new song that includes everything we've learnt to love in a Don Broco song; woah-oh singalongs and drummer Matt Donnelly performing backing vocals. The rest of the set comprised of everything you'd expect from Don Broco: 'Priorities', 'Fancy Dress', 'Let's Go Back To School' (with a pre-song call out to Lonely The Brave, Marmozets and Lower Than Atlantis for being with them in the school of upcoming rock), 'Actors', finishing with 'You Wanna Know', the song that had been out for less than a week last time they played at Reading Festival. If you haven't heard of Don Broco you need to check them out right now, as they've been announced as the headliner for the Kerrang! Tour 2015 and their new album is going to be absolutely fantastic.

Setlist: 
Yeah Man
Thug Workout
The Whole Truth
New Song
Priorities
Fancy Dress
Let's Go Back To School
Actors
You Wanna Know

Both Foster The People and Imagine Dragons did rather predictable set closers; the former finishing with their biggest two hits 'Pumped Up Kicks' and 'Don't Stop (Color On The Walls)' and the latter performing the extended version of 'Radioactive' that has become well known on the festival circuit in the last year.

I was excited about seeing Issues and was not disappointed, even with only knowing a couple of the songs they played. The sing-along for 'King Of Amarillo' was a brilliant show of how they are quickly growing to have a huge fanbase and, with the announcement that they're supporting Bring Me The Horizon on their debut show at Wembley Arena, that fanbase is only going to get larger.

Jake Bugg and Arctic Monkeys are both acts that I would never have willingly gone to see out of a festival environment, so I was extremely hesitant about attending either during Saturday night. But with no one else to see, that's exactly where I ended up. Jake Bugg and his wailing vocal had not improved from his earlier acoustic set, much to my dismay, so fighting through bleeding ears I hung around for the end of his set before taking a break to go and listen to Band of Skulls, who played the uplifting and catchy as hell tune 'I Know What I Am' which cheered me up immensely. Arctic Monkeys were, surprisingly, better than Jake, playing a lot of songs that I actually recognised: 'Do I Wanna Know?', 'Arabella', 'Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair' and, my personal favourite, 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor'. Despite the fact that I absolutely detest the band I can't discredit from their ability to headline a festival of this stature, even though it absolutely pains me to say that it was a pretty decent set.



But there was no way I was staying for the rest of it, because that would have meant missing Of Mice and Men. And that was just not happening. Kicking off with 'Public Service Announcement', the opening track from newest full length 'Restoring Force', showed screamer Austin Carlile bursting into action and the high energy lasted through the rest of their fifty minute set. Since the release of 'Restoring Force' back in January I've been saying it's one of the best albums I've ever heard, and that doesn't change in a live environment. The set was flecked with older songs, such as 'OG Loko' and 'The Depths', but the majority was comprised of their new release, with 'Feels Like Forever', 'Bones Exposed', 'Would You Still Be There?' and 'You're Not Alone' all included in the set. Newest addition to the band, Aaron Pauley, proved how invaluable he is with his spectacular vocal performance and showed everyone that this might be a heavy band but they can have their emotional moments. With this being their first time playing Reading festival it was brilliant to see such a great crowd reaction and these guys are definitely one of the biggest cross-over bands from this genre into the mainstream. If they aren't back at Reading festival in the future, it'll only be because they're too busy headlining Download or Sonisphere.

Sunday:

Opening main stage on the Sunday were The Story So Far, a band I didn't have much previous knowledge of but had always intended to listen to, who put on a great performance and had a good crowd turnout for such an early band on the final day of the festival. With the recent stunt that Parker Cannon pulled on Warped tour (if you don't know what I'm talking about check it out) everyone had been talking about this band and they were definitely worth arriving early to experience. Despite the fact that I didn't know any of the songs I still had a very enjoyable time, and with Parker saying "Thank you for supporting us when we sucked! Well... We still suck," it shows that this band have got a long way to go before the understand the talent that they possess.

Next up, Emily's Army on the Lock Up stage. Drummer Joey Armstrong, son of Green Day's legendary singer Billie Joe Armstrong, is the reason that most people know about this band but they aren't as similar as I had expected. You can definitely see the influence, don't get me wrong, but there are also vibes from The Beach Boys which make Emily's Army an amazing combination. Again, I didn't know any of the songs (apart from their cover of 'Dancing On My Own' by Robyn) so I can't really assess whether they lived up to their songs in a live environment, but the show was fun and absorbing so I can't really fault it anyway.

I checked in on Tonight Alive for two songs: 'What Are You So Scared Of?' and 'Listening'. Quite frankly, I wish I hadn't bothered. After the show at Oxford I was feeling so much more enamored with Tonight Alive, because I'd never really managed to see the appeal that's caused such a huge fan base growth so quickly for them. At their Oxford show Jenna McDougall seemed so down to earth, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but walking around stage in yellow jumpsuit trousers and a humongous hat paired with dreadlocked hair, it was just so far removed from that performance. Before anyone starts ranting, I don't judge musicians ability on their looks, it was just one of the many reasons I was confused by this sudden alteration. Her voice seemed shrill and off pitch and it just didn't live up to what I'd seen only five days before. One of the reasons I could see the appeal of Tonight Alive was because of how normal and easy to relate to they seemed to be, but that's completely changed now.

Another thing that completely changed was my opinion of The Neighbourhood. Don't get me wrong, I adore The Neighbourhood. I don't think I can explain how much, or why, but something about this band just absolutely grabbed me. Their full length album, 'I Love You', is one of the smoothest debuts I've heard since 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' by Panic! At The Disco hit the shelves back in 2005, but I just didn't expect it to translate to a live performance. I always felt that the album was slightly auto-tuned... I don't know if it actually was, but on 'Sweater Weather' especially you can definitely hear an effect. So despite the fact that The Neighbourhood are one of my favourite bands at the moment, I was absolutely terrified about seeing them live. But all of my fears were completely dissipated. 'WDYWFM?' saw people flooding into the tent at a speed that I hadn't witnessed since the performance by Gerard Way, 'Jealou$y' was well recognised despite the fact that it wasn't on their full length release, while finishing up with 'Sweater Weather' (introduced with the no fuss statement of "We're gonna do the sweater one,") and 'Afraid' was both predictable but perfectly executed.

Going from The Neighbourhood back over to main stage, I finally got to witness live the new Young Guns song that I left during their performance at Gloucester Guildhall. They performed the two new, previously unheard, songs (since revealed to be titled 'Memento Mori' and 'Rising Up', according to the BBC 1 setlist) one after the other which was an amazingly ballsy move for a festival set, following them with well-known crowd favourites 'Towers (On My Way)', 'Dearly Departed', 'You Are Not (Lonely)' and 'Bones'. Young Guns always perform without fault and I can't wait to see them again in the Wembley Arena environment in December, supporting Bring Me The Horizon (alongside Sleepwave and Issues, whose Reading set I reviewed earlier).

After the disappointing secret set on Saturday, I didn't get my hopes up for the secret set on Sunday, but I was pleasantly surprised when You Me At Six walked out on the stage. I've always been an advocate for them releasing an acoustic album (or at least another acoustic EP) following 'The Acoustic Sessions' they released in conjunction with Banquet Records for Record Store Day 2011, so an entire acoustic set was like heaven for me. On the one hand, I did find it frustrating that all of the songs were taken from their most recent album, 'Cavalier Youth', which I think is the least impressive album they've created, but it was good to hear newer songs arranged in a different manner. The set was only five songs long: 'Lived A Lie', 'Fresh Start Fever', 'Cold Night', 'Wild Ones' and 'Room To Breathe', but it was one of the most beautiful and unmissable moments of the weekend, so you should probably go and watch it, or order the special edition of 'Cavalier Youth', out in October.

Due to staying at the You Me At Six acoustic for a little bit too long, I did miss the beginning of Papa Roach (but a reliable source has informed me that I only missed 'Infest', as I arrived for the end of 'Between Angels and Insects') but the rest of their set was pretty impressive. I'm gonna be honest and admit that I haven't listened to much Papa Roach since the release of 'Metamorphosis', so I didn't know 'Where Did The Angels Go' or 'Burn', but watching the energy that vocalist Jacoby Shaddix was putting into the entire performance really made me want to catch up on their recent releases. 'Forever' was an unexpected inclusion in the set list, made all the more enjoyable for that, but 'Scars' was an anti-climax, with backing vocalist Jerry Horton completely over-powering Jacoby, making the moment less heartbreaking and more irritating. The only recent song that I recognised was 'Kick In The Teeth' (due to it being completely over played on Kerrang! in the weeks following its release) but it had a much better atmosphere live. I didn't know 'Silence Is The Enemy' or 'Still Swinging' but watching Jacoby running up and down the barrier in front of the crowd, randomly jumping on them or high-fiving them, was an experience I don't think I'll ever forget. With a brief interlude to pick out people in the crowd (among them someone carrying a large... erm... male instrument) Jacoby gave a quick impromptu cover of 'All Star' by Smashmouth after seeing someone dressed in a Shrek mask, declaring "Ugh, I hate that song, that shit makes me wanna throw up. I hate you Shrek," followed by '...To Be Loved', 'Getting Away With Murder' and the popular, anthemic 'Last Resort'. If there was such a thing as not liking Papa Roach, any doubters in the crowd would have been converted with this set.

I didn't catch all of Neck Deep, but it's better than I've ever managed before (having missed them two times already) and I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not such a fan of the new pop-punk resurgence, filled with more punk than pop, but having heard such amazing things about Neck Deep and seeing their supremely fast growth in America over the last year I was eager to see them in a live environment. I wasn't disappointed. 'Losing Teeth' and 'Crushing Grief (No Remedy)' were extremely well executed and even though I didn't know many of their songs I had an all round good time. Breaking up their set for a quick run over to Sleeping With Sirens (I was desperate to hear 'If You Can't Hang', don't judge) I managed to get back just after 'A Part Of Me' started and it was great to hear such a good singalong for the homecoming heroes. With the Intercontinental Championships tour next February, Neck Deep are cementing their name as the best band in British pop punk and I don't think anyone is surprised.

Back to Sleeping With Sirens for the very last word of 'Congratulations', I will admit I was fangirling just a little bit. I've been a fan since the acoustic EP 'If You Were A Movie This Would Be Your Soundtrack' and seeing them live feels like it's been a long time coming, even if it's been just over two years. Playing 'Here We Go' followed by 'Low' proved to be a slow procession into the set, with 'Trophy Father's Trophy Son' and 'Tally It Up, Settle The Score' proving, in my opinion, that 'Let's Cheers To This' was a much better release for the band. Squealer (well, with that high pitched vocal can you really call him anything else?) Kellin Quinn was superb, hitting notes that I had no idea existed, but breaking up a fast paced and fairly heavy set with the acoustic rendition of 'With Ears To See and Eyes To Hear' (following the hilarious "I like your giant cock, thank you for bringing that with you!") was a stroke of genius, showing everyone that this band aren't just popular due to the astonishingly high vocals; they genuinely do have substance. This was proved even further with the arrival of new song 'Kick Me', with it's repetition of 'Shit, shit, shit' easy to remember and catchy as hell. Wrapping up with 'Do It Now, Remember It Later' and, the only song performed from their first album, 'If I'm James Dean, You're Audrey Hepburn' shows why this band are so far up on main stage and will be so much further up next year.

Setlist: 
If You Can't Hang
Congratulations
Here We Go
Low
Trophy Father's Trophy Son
Tally It Up, Settle The Score
Scene 5: With Ears To See and Eyes To Hear
Kick Me
Do It Now, Remember It Later
If I'm James Dean, You're Audrey Hepburn

Following Sleeping With Sirens on main stage were A Day To Remember. I've only ever seen them once, acoustically, so I had literally no idea what to expect from a live performance. I will admit, after the album 'Homesick', I kinda gave up with A Day To Remember. I don't know why, it just seemed to happen. Starting off with 'The Downfall Of Us All' automatically had me hooked, as it was one of the best songs on that album, but I lost my focus again throughout '2nd Sucks' and 'Right Back At It Again', meaning that even the triumph that was 'I'm Made Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?' didn't completely redeem the set in my mind. Honestly, I'd written them off completely, with 'Why Walk On Water When We've Got Boats' seeming an odd fit to the set and 'All Signs Point To Lauderdale' sounding so much like so many other songs I've heard recently. However, my mind completely changed when they played 'If It Means A Lot To You'. It's the song that, I think, is clearly the best song A Day To Remember have ever written. Following it up with 'Homesick' was a stroke of genius, with frontman Jeremy McKinnon zorbing across the crowd and making sure that everyone was having an amazing time. He's amazingly charismatic and his stage presence is completely absorbing (get it, cause he was zorbing?...) and it's undeniable what an amazing live band they really are. I still wasn't sure on 'End Of Me', so the new songs are going to take some time to get used to, but 'Sometimes You're The Hammer, Sometimes You're The Nail' was so completely them that it's easy to see the influences from their earlier albums are still very much in play now.  'All I Want' caused one of the biggest singalongs of the weekend, by far, while finishing with 'The Plot To Bomb The Panhandle' was unexpected and more exciting because of that.

Setlist:
The Downfall Of Us All
2nd Sucks
Right Back At It Again
I'm Made Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?
Why Walk On Water When We've Got Boats
All Signs Point To Lauderdale
If It Means A Lot To You
Homesick
End Of Me
Sometimes You're The Hammer, Sometimes You're The Nail
All I Want
The Plot To Bomb The Panhandle

I don't know enough about The Kooks to form a solid opinion, but if you want a nice nostalgia trip with a bit of recent pop chucked in they're a safe bet. With favourites 'Naive', 'Seaside' and 'She Moves In Her Own Way' scattered about the set and newest singles 'Around Town' and 'Down' at the beginning of the set, there was nothing really missing from this performance (apart from what I believed, apparently wrongly, was their biggest hit 'Always Where I Need To Be') and it seemed pretty well done even though I had nothing to really base an opinion on.

Having missed the surprise guest appearance from Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low, the end of You Me At Six's set was much the same as any You Me At Six set; all the songs sound pretty good but they just don't get me excited anymore because of the fact that the conclusion is always so predictable. Playing 'Room To Breathe', their newest release, along with 'Bite My Tongue' and 'Lived A Lie', there was nothing that shocked me, which meant it was a pretty average set to wander along to. I'm glad I saw the acoustic set, because it was something unique, but if You Me At Six don't shake up their set list a bit more before the co-headline tour with All Time Low I'm going to be majorly disappointed.

Talking of disappointed, that's exactly what I was with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Or rather, I was disappointed with the crowd's reaction to them. If you go to a festival and there are bands/acts you don't want to see, just don't go along! Even if it means you aren't close enough to your idols during their set, just don't put yourself through the torture. From where I was stood, Macklemore was putting on an amazing performance; he ran through all of his major hits (namely 'Thrift Shop', 'Same Love' and 'Can't Hold Us') in the first half of his set, while also giving us a listen to his new hit 'Arrow', but when they showed the crowd on the screen more than half of the people at the front just had no interest at all, which really bugged me. I'm not the biggest Macklemore fan. I only know the names of a few songs (to be precise, four songs; the four I just talked about) but I know that when you go to a festival you go to have a laugh and to have some fun and if you can't dance along to 'Thrift Shop', I don't know what you can dance along to. I would have stayed for more of the set if I hadn't been such a big letlive. fan (and I still only managed to catch their last song) because it was a massive laugh and it was a very entertaining set, one of the most entertaining sets of the weekend to be precise.

Following my (brief) attendance of letlive.'s set, I skedaddled across to the Festival Republic stage to watch Mayday Parade, a band who have never managed to succeed in the mainstream but still have rather a dedicated fan following. No discredit to them, but it was a predictable set. Having seen and reviewed them back in February, it's now six months later and I have nothing different to say. Frontman Derek Sanders was still lovable and energetic, but there's still no spark that will grant them the success they've been working hard towards for nearly a decade.

Setlist: 
When You See My Friends
Jamie All Over
Three Cheers For Five Years
12 Through 15
Ghosts
Black Cat
Oh Well, Oh Well
Jersey

Next, with another predictable set closer, were The 1975, who finished with their massive hits 'Chocolate' and 'Sex'. Vocalist Matt Healy seemed squeakier than usual, but no-one really cared at the end of the night; a good song to dance to is a good song to dance to, with or without vocal issues.

Finally, the main event. Closing the entire three day weekend of Reading Festival is a big feat for any band and none seemed better equipped to handle it than Blink-182, what with it being their second time in five years. As with any good Blink-182 show, it did not go as smoothly as anyone had planned. Tom DeLonge was stumbling over his words more than a drunk guy attempting to get home, fumbling through intermission speaking and even getting the words to 'Always' muddled up. His pronunciation still hasn't gotten any better either, but if it had would we really have been attending a Blink-182 concert?! Again, the only word to describe the set list would be predictable with a little sprinkle of weird; no one was expecting snippets of covers or new lyrics for well known songs. But with no new album released since 'Neighborhoods', the album that filled most of their last Reading headline set, it seemed a bit premature to reinstate them at such a high degree. Don't get me wrong, this is a band I will respect eternally for birthing such a diverse and impressive range of new acts. But tonight just didn't seem to be their night. Yes, they played all of the hits (I'll insert the set list below, I don't really have any specific comments on specific songs) but they didn't seem as sharp as usual, apart from drummer Travis Barker who doesn't seem to have an off switch to his perfectionist playing. The banter seemed a bit off-kilter and just didn't flow as easily as a usual show, which made the entire experience a little bit vexing. However, it was still an amazing performance. It might seem like I'm saying a lot of negative things but out of the three closing acts that performed this weekend, Blink-182 out shined them all, without a doubt. Interacting with the crowd, getting people dancing and jumping along, it was all out party season and it definitely felt like a welcoming to a band who might have been slacking a little bit recently but still have a solid collection of fans to fall back on. The introduction to the encore seemed abrupt, with vocalist Mark Hoppus shouting "that's it, that's the end," before the band left the stage for what felt like an hour and then exploded back out with 'Violence', 'Dammit' and 'Family Reunion' (followed by a drum solo by Mark that was absolutely amazing) but with a band the size and calibre of Blink-182 they're allowed to make some oddball decisions. How many bands would play a headline set at Reading Festival and turn out the lights at the midway point to play a song called 'Happy Holidays, You Bastard' in the pitch black? Not many, which is why I believe they're one of the best headliners that could have been chosen despite vocal issues and a bunch of dud notes.



Setlist: 
Feeling This
What's My Age Again?
The Rock Show
Up All Night
Down
I Miss You
Dumpweed
Wishing Well
Happy Holidays, You Bastard
Always
Stay Together For The Kids
Asthenia
First Date
Easy Target
All Of This
Hybrid Moments
Man Overboard
Ghost On The Dancefloor
All The Small Things
Carousel
Violence
Dammit
Family Reunion