PVRIS - O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, 04/05/17

Originally Fickle Friends were the support for this show, but Scottish duo Prides took their place after they pulled out.
The last time I saw Prides they were playing a triumphant set at Reading festival. Since then, they've started work on their second full-length album and have parted ways with drummer Lewis Gardiner. Their synth-filled, upbeat indie-pop doesn't make them the most obvious choice to support a band like PVRIS, but they certainly warmed the crowd up. Playing two brand new tracks - 'Say' and 'Are You Ready?' - taken from their upcoming second album, the band showed that they're heading in a more understated direction while still keeping their unique style alive, and they're aiming to be playing bigger venues. The "oh oh oh" singalong at the end of 'Are You Ready?' is evidence of that: it's built for arenas.
Vocalist Stewart Brock seemed pleased with the crowd response, grinning from ear to ear when fans scattered throughout the crowd started singing along to 'Rome' and 'Higher Love'. Not many people in the venue were familiar with them before the show - some still expecting to see Fickle Friends and encountering disappointment - but there was love for them in the room before their set, and they definitely converted more members of the audience into fans by the end.
Closer 'Messiah' was an explosive end to the set, the repetitive "So say it, say it, say you'll be my Messiah" getting everyone in the room chanting along as Stewart jumped across the stage in a frenzy, encouraging people to raise their voices and shout the line back at him. He's certainly a charismatic frontman, and that, combined with the fact that they're releasing songs that are impossible to compare to anyone else, makes Prides impossible to ignore.

Setlist:
Away With The Night
Rome
Higher Love
Out of the Blue
Say
The Way Back Up
Just Say It
Are You Ready?
Messiah

Over the past couple of weeks, PVRIS have been teasing fans with the knowledge that news of their second album was coming soon. After posting an intense promo clip, new single 'Heaven' was released on Daniel P. Carter's Radio 1 Rock Show on Sunday - a mere four days before this show - ushering in the 'All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell' era with a bang.
This was my second time seeing the band play a headline show, and it was absolutely faultless. I don't say that lightly - there literally isn't a bad thing I can say about this show.
From the moment the house lights dropped, the atmosphere was electric. An intense intro tape echoed throughout the venue, almost inaudible beneath the bloodcurdling screams of anticipation emanating from everyone in attendance. Taking the show to the next level, the band had four Victorian-style street lamps standing at the back of the stage, which began to flash furiously from behind a thick cloud of smoke as the band walked out and dived straight into 'You and I'.
It was impossible to find a person in the venue who wasn't singing along to every word of every song (except for brand new, previously unheard track 'Half', which I'll get to in a moment!). The roaring voices equalled the volume of vocalist Lynn Gunn, almost overshadowing her during the explosive choruses of both 'You and I' and 'Fire'.
Considering this is their first time back in the UK since they supported Bring Me The Horizon at the Royal Albert Hall, fans have been waiting for a while to get their chance to see the band again. More than that, it seems the band have been excited to return to our stages: all of the members - Lynn, guitarist/keyboardist Alex Babinski, bassist/keyboardist Brian MacDonald, even touring drummer Justin Nace - looked happier to be on stage than I've ever seen them before, beaming at multiple moments throughout the night at the impassioned crowd response. The time away has reinvigorated them, and while it seemed possible that they could burn out (not many bands experience such a vast amount of success from just a debut album!) their second album has brought them back to life - even if the video for 'Heaven' does show their deaths.
I can't express my love for their new material in words. It proves that Lynn's vocal isn't the only talent she has: she demonstrates her piano playing skills during 'Heaven', and closed the debut of 'Half' with an epic, musically intense session of drumming alongside Justin. She's always been a great frontwoman, but she's developed into a more confident performer: she's at ease while communicating the crowd, and has no hesitation when swapping her guitar for the other instruments. It's not often that you find a vocalist who's also a multi-instrumentalist, and it'll be exciting to discover whether she has any more tricks up her sleeve in the eight currently unheard tracks that will comprise the rest of the album.
Despite the fact that 'Heaven' was released less than a week ago, it's obvious that it's already become a fan favourite. From the first note the crowd were singing along to every word, having listened to the track so many times at home that it was already burned into their memories. It's impossible not to play it on repeat: the video is compelling in a cinematographic way, but the song is so catchy that you can't get it out of your head once you've listened to it and you can't stop yourself clicking replay over and over again. It worked perfectly as the first song in the two song encore: preceded by an ominous recording of a heartbeat and garbled, static voices, it points towards their upcoming (yet to be announced) fall tour having a far creepier aesthetic than the 'White Noise' era. They're not afraid to admit that the UK is one of their favourite places, Lynn even going so far to say that "London is [her] favourite city", so it was only right that they played their new material for the first time in the place that they love the most.
I was mildly surprised that there wasn't a more overtly political theme to the evening, as the band have been openly political on social media in the past few months. There was a brief moment after a fan threw a bra on the stage, to which Lynn joked "Set those puppies free! Free the nipple!", but there wasn't time for much more of a discussion: the set was stuffed with material, because as well as the two new songs the band almost performed 'White Noise' in full (merely omitting 'Let Them In'), playing alternative, stripped back version of 'Ghosts' and 'White Noise' with just Lynn and Alex on the stage. It'll be interesting to see whether the band spark more debate on stage at shows in the future, but that's the only thing that's missing.
A lot has changed, that much is obvious, but the band still have 'Hooked on a Feeling' by Blue Suede as their outro tape when they leave the stage at the end of the night. It's a nice throwback for people who've seen the band before, and shows that they're still the same, despite the level of attention that their new music is attracting.
PVRIS are back, and PVRIS are better than ever.

Setlist:
You and I
Fire
Mirrors
Holy
White Noise (stripped)
Ghosts (stripped)
Smoke
Half (live debut)
Eyelids
St. Patrick
-
Heaven (live debut)
My House

Bring Me The Horizon - Royal Albert Hall, London, 22/04/16

Because I haven't seen and reviewed Bring Me The Horizon enough recently, here's another one for you. This was no regular show: teaming up with Teenage Cancer Trust, this event saw Bring Me The Horizon paired with a full orchestra all in the name of fundraising for charity. The show sold out within an hour, so I was very grateful to have even grabbed a pair of tickets.

The host for the evening was Tim Lovejoy, best known for being one half of the presenting team for Sunday Brunch on Channel 4. He shared the fact that his brother died from cancer at the age of just 37 and asked the crowd if they could imagine being a teenager and going through something like that: his introduction, combined with the wonderful and uplifting footage of Teenage Cancer Trust patients and nurses shown later in the night, really brought home the real reason we were all there. Yes, it's great to go to rock shows, but when it's for a good cause (including all of the proceeds from merchandise sales made on the night) it means a hell of a lot more.
Teenage Cancer Trust have been putting on gigs for 16 years, and this is the first one that I've been able to attend, but I'm definitely going to continue supporting them in the future, and I'd suggest that you do as well.

I was overjoyed when PVRIS were announced as the opening act. I only saw their headline show in London two weeks ago, but I adore this band - I can't get enough of them. After seeing such a long set last time, it felt strange going back to only hearing a handful of songs, but the band made the most of every moment they spent on the stage.
There's no denying that Lynn Gunn's voice is spectacular, but in a venue such as this it's really elevated. Their brand of pop-infused rock was the perfect way to introduce the evening: it appeals to rock fans, but it also segues beautifully into the more polished music of the orchestra. I'd been hoping (but not expecting) that new song 'Empty' - from the just released deluxe edition of 'White Noise' - would make it into their set: I haven't heard it yet, but seeing that there's a harpist on the personnel list it would have been interesting to hear it in this evening.
Only a handful of bands from their genre will ever get to grace these hallowed halls, and it feels appropriate that PVRIS are one of them: their rise has been meteoric and shows no signs of slowing down, so they deserve once-in-a-lifetime moments like these. As you can see by these photos on Rock Sound's website, the band looked so at home on the stage, and at this point you'd genuinely believe they'd been together much longer than they have, because they rise to every challenge. Festival appearances? Easy. Playing Madison Square Gardens and Alexandra Palace? No big deal. So a legendary venue like the Royal Albert Hall is just another exclusive name to add to what's quickly become a very lengthy list.
I was surprised at the inclusion of 'Eyelids', but I loved the fact that the band were still surprising me. I've seen them as supports and at festival appearances four times in the last year, and they've always played six songs: it was obvious that new single 'You and I' was going to become one of the chosen ones, but they know that their fans appreciate all of their music so they aren't afraid to pick and choose from the album as they feel like it.
This is the first time in 18 months that I haven't had my next PVRIS show lined up on the horizon, so I'm feeling a little bit anxious. They've quickly become one of my favourite live bands, and while I know they need to take some time off to record the highly anticipated album number two, I'm already waiting for them to come back and blow me away again.

Setlist:
Smoke
St. Patrick
White Noise
Eyelids
You and I
My House

Of course, the band that everyone was waiting for was Bring Me The Horizon. The tickets for this show went on sale nearly six months ago, so it's certainly been a long time coming: everyone wanted to know whether the band could successfully pull off something of this magnitude, or whether they would crash and burn under the pressure of the evening.
When Tim Lovejoy announced that there were going to be over sixty people on stage, I'd assumed he was joking, but seeing the orchestra and the choir file out and into position, I finally appreciated the magnitude of what was about to happen. As you can tell, I don't normally attend shows with orchestras, so it was a first for me: I hadn't quite realised how many bodies it took to put on an event such as this one.
Anyone who had doubts would have had them proven unfounded within the first two songs of the set. As it was a performance with an orchestra, I'd assumed that it was going to be a more subdued affair compared to the sets that I'd seen the band perform recently: I was completely incorrect. 'Doomed' was a wonderful opener, because it gave the opportunity for the orchestra to introduce the band and establish what we could expect from the rest of the evening, but when - halfway through 'Happy Song', the second track in their set - vocalist Oli Sykes screamed "It's time for the first wall of death!"... That moment really elevated the show to another level.
Come on, how many wall of deaths do you think the Royal Albert Hall had seen before this evening?! (Speaking of which: how many times do you think "cunt" had been screamed in this venue, until the band played 'Antivist'?! Pushing boundaries.)
I was up in the seats with quite a bird's eye view over the stage, but it meant  that as well as seeing the band in a way I never had before, I also had the chance to watch the crowd in action throughout the evening. That was certainly a sight to behold. After releasing 'That's The Spirit', their most pop-influenced album to date, the audience members that you encounter at Bring Me The Horizon headline shows are often much less energetic, and the crazy moshing days of the past seemed to be over. However, due to the limited ticket numbers and the fact that this was a show for hardcore fans, the crowd didn't stop moving the entire evening: I lost track of the number of mosh pits and wall of deaths that popped up (though there was only one incidence of a line of people sitting down and starting to "row, row, row the boat" ...Yeah, I wasn't sure either). This really felt like a Bring Me The Horizon show.
Reintroducing 'Empire (Let Them Sing)' and 'It Never Ends' to their set (playing them both for the first time since their headline show at Wembley Arena) cemented this feeling. 'It Never Ends' was the oldest song that they put in, which surprised me: I'd been hoping for a couple of surprising, reworked versions of songs from 'Count Your Blessings' or 'Suicide Season'. It had to be included though, just for the "Take my hand, show me the way" bridge: it's choral on the original recording, and I've never thought that it sounded right live, so it was good to finally experience it how it should be.
I've seen the band play effectively the same set four times in the past six months, so I was grateful for the change of pace and the few surprises that they included. Finally hearing 'Avalanche' and 'Oh No' live was certainly a memorable moment! Debuting songs live in an environment like this is a brave move: it makes it difficult to put the song into a set again, because it'll be hard to surpass a first play like this! They both worked brilliantly though, particularly 'Oh No' as a closer. It was a surprise to hear that as the encore, as it's normally one of the more well-known and radio released tracks, but with the "oh, oh oh, oh oh" singalong it complemented the band, the orchestra, and the crowd, who didn't stop singing the chant even while walking down the road after the show. I've only had a moment like that twice before (both times with 'Best of You' by Foo Fighters) and if Bring Me The Horizon have something in common with legends like that? It bodes well for the future.
Compared to how busy they've been over the last six months, the next six months look a bit quieter for the band. With the announcement that keyboardist and programmer Jordan Fish is going to be a father (congratulations, by the way!) I think it's about time that the band let themselves have a break: they took over the world in 2015, and it doesn't look like their domination is going to stop any time soon. I'm seeing them again in November, when they finally headline the O2 Arena, and I'm already looking forward to experiencing another one of their sets. If you haven't seen a Bring Me The Horizon live show, you're missing a spectacle.

Setlist:
Doomed
Happy Song
Go To Hell, For Heaven's Sake
Avalanche (live debut)
It Never Ends
Sleepwalking
Empire (Let Them Sing)
Throne
Shadow Moses
True Friends
Follow You
Can You Feel My Heart?
Antivist
Drown
-
Oh No (live debut)

The band are releasing this show on DVD (their second live DVD in twelve months!) with all of the proceeds going towards the Teenage Cancer Trust: I'd highly recommend you purchase a copy, because it's certainly worth it. You can also see some kickass photos of their set over at Rock Sound. 

PVRIS - O2 Forum, London, 07/04/16

Over the last year, PVRIS have grown at a ridiculously rapid rate. I saw them less than a year ago when they supported Lower Than Atlantis and a lot of the crowd had no idea who they were, and now just twelve months have passed and they're embarking on their first UK headline tour, having successfully sold out every date and upgraded the majority of shows to higher capacity venues? That's a remarkable achievement. I've been anticipating this show for a long time, despite the fact that I'd never heard of either of the supports.

Bones were up first, and I was surprised when I found out they were from London: they're absolutely brilliant, and I was certain I would have heard of them before if they'd been fairly local to me. Their vocalist (whose name I can't tell you - there's a real air of mystery surrounding this band, and I can hardly find any information about them online!) has a unique vocal tone that makes them stand out - they certainly sound more American than UK, as her voice would fit perfectly in the soundtracks for shows such as 'True Blood' and 'Sons of Anarchy', proper southern shows. I'm shocked that they haven't gained more mainstream attention for the music that they're performing, because it really is something special.
From the moment they stepped out onstage in their matching 'Ghostbusters'-esque boiler suits, I was hooked. They were on stage for just over half an hour, but it genuinely felt like it had only been ten minutes - you can't help getting carried away in their music. It helps that the chemistry between the members is so palpable and that the vocalist is so confident in owning the stage. From the first line on 'Happy', which she sang backwards over her shoulder into the microphone, I knew I was in for an interesting show: there aren't many opening acts who can own a stage at a sold out show like this.
I've heard the phrase "making love to the microphone" before, but I'd never experienced it until the vocalist started sashaying forwards during 'Electric' - you can see why their catchphrase is "We're called Bones, and you're about to get boned! We hope you enjoy yourself, because we're definitely going to", because they do put on an extremely sexy performance.
However, they aren't just using their sexuality to get attention as some artists do. They're brilliant at writing lyrics and crafting a diverse range of songs - the first half of the set is pure energy and fun, but then it comes to the inspirational 'Life is for Living', with the inspirational rhyming couplets "graze your knees, break your nose, go outside when it snows" telling the crowd to make the most of every moment.
They also have extremely feminist songs throughout their set, taking their position as women on stage and inspiring every single female who goes along to see them. From 'Beautiful is Boring' and 'Pretty Face' to 'Fat', they aren't afraid to deal with the expectations of the media and the prevalence of the dieting and cosmetic industries in our day to day lives. The most impressive song of their set, though, was definitely 'Girls Can't Play Guitar' - they dedicated it to a guy who approached them after one of their sets in Camden, who saw one of their gigs and said "it was pretty good, but it was biologically impossible for girls to play guitar as good as boys". After the crowd booed and jeered, the singer shouted "I KNOW!", and what followed was their response to his comments - it's so badass, and I really hope that guy is proud of himself for inspiring such a brilliant song and making himself look like such a douchebag.
If you've been looking for a heavier, female-fronted rock band, look no further - particularly if you're looking for one that have a great message for the masses. 

Setlist:
Happy
Electric
Creature
Beautiful is Boring
Life is for the Living
Fat
Girls Can't Play Guitar
Pretty Face

The other support of the evening was k.flay who, again, I hadn't heard of until she was announced as being part of this tour. A lot of people were freaking out about it, so I assume she's been making some waves somewhere... It was just some hype that had completely passed me by.
Now, after seeing her... I don't really understand the big deal. Kristine performs in a kind of rap style - but it's not really rap because I enjoy rap, and it wasn't fast and it didn't really go anywhere - but it's also not RnB, and I wouldn't call it pop or dance because it's not that mainstream. I was getting Halsey vibes throughout her set, because her sound has an indie, unclassifiable vibe, but I just didn't really get it.
It might have been her voice, but I just couldn't really gel with the songs. I was enjoying the beat and kind of felt like dancing because her music has a very funky sound, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been instrumental - her gravelly tone with the consistent yelping noises got very old, very fast. Yes, it's unique, but unique doesn't always mean good - I like listening to singers who can actually sing.
The highlight of the set (the only positive aspect for me) was Lynn Gunn coming out to drum at the end of 'So Fast, So Maybe'. I knew she was talented - her voice is evidence enough of that, but she also plays guitar on stage - but finding out she drums as well?! That's a very impressive hat trick.
I'm glad I've listened to k flay, if only because it's given me the opportunity to decide for myself that she's really not my cup of tea.

Setlist:
FML
Thicker Than Dust
Turn It Around
Can't Sleep
So Fast, So Maybe
It's Strange
The Cops
Make Me Fade

This was my fifth time seeing PVRIS, so I already knew I was going to enjoy their set. This is the first extended show of theirs that I've experienced - the rest being support slots or festival performances - and I knew there was a good chance that they'd end up playing debut album 'White Noise' in its entirety.
I wasn't wrong. Playing the full album, as well as adding in 'Only Love' (an older song which I'd never heard before) and brand new single 'You and I', they still only stayed on stage for an hour. It's the only problem with catapulting to such a high level of popularity so quickly: the band just don't have enough songs to fill an extended stage time, while only playing an hour for a headline set still seems quite short. It did mean that the set flew by, but that must have just been because I was having so much fun - the only time I wasn't singing at the top of my lungs was while I was appreciating how beautiful 'Only Love' is.
This set was a celebration in every form of the word. A celebration of birthdays: Lynn dedicating 'St. Patrick' to a Simon, and wishing happy birthday to a 17 year old and a 21 year old respectively (quipping "It's your 21st? In America that's the one where you get really wasted", reminding the crowd that she didn't celebrate that milestone too long ago herself). A celebration of a wonderful year, all stemming from their first tour supporting Lower Than Atlantis (the fact that their vocalist, Mike Duce, was in attendance at the crowd was a poignant moment). A celebration of their success so far, with Lynn saying "It was our first time here a year in ago in the UK, and we played the Barfly. [...] We didn't think we'd be playing in front of [this crowd] tonight a year ago, when we were just here for the first time", and you could see how proud she was throughout their set. There were a few points where she allowed the crowd to take over the vocal for her (most effectively during 'Fire', in which she sang the lyric "What you give" and allowed the crowd to call the rest of the verse back to her) and the response was electric.
But most of all, this was a celebration of 'White Noise'. With the deluxe reissue coming at the end of the month, and the promise of a second album being worked on behind the scenes, it's nearly time to close the chapter on what has been an amazing debut album, and there's no better way to do that than to play it in full. From the popular singles (the crowd reaction during 'St. Patrick' and 'My House' being particularly energetic) through to the poignant 'Eyelids', the band did not neglect a single moment of the set, pouring themselves into each movement - particularly Alex Babinski and Brian MacDonald, whose synchronized dancing throughout the evening was one of the best things I've ever seen.
I was just so beyond impressed with this show. Performing 'Only Love' and 'Ghosts' stripped back, just Lynn and Alex, showed a vulnerability that the band don't normally demonstrate, and it made it feel so extremely intimate - it was possible to forget, just for a moment, that there were over 2,000 people in the room. Moving from that pared back performance into 'Holy', Lynn requested that the crowd put their phones away just for the one song - another very special moment, as the majority of the crowd complied without a second thought - but it cemented how personal this band are when Lynn changed the lyrics of her own song to call out to someone in the crowd: "You make it seem that you feel whole, so they don't know, don't think that I can't see those phones". It was such a humorous moment, and for a band to have interactions with a crowd of this size so easily... It's something amazing to experience.
Hearing 'You and I' live for the first time was definitely a surreal experience - it's only been out for a matter of weeks, but it got the crowd moving more than almost all of the other songs combined. Lynn's voice is transcendent, and while I'd worried about whether it would live up to the recorded version (come on, this song is EPIC), it actually surpassed it. I'm sure I'm going to hear it again when I see them supporting Bring Me The Horizon in two weeks, and I'm definitely looking forward to that - I was so wrapped up in the moment that I didn't really take it in. I already can't wait to see this band again.
Now: I'd read a lot of reviews about the O2 Forum before attending this show, and I'd seen a lot of people complaining about the venue - I genuinely can't understand where any of the comments were coming from, because this show was one of the best that I'd experienced. The band didn't play a note wrong and the sound quality was perfect: it was a wonderful place for me to experience my first headline PVRIS show. I don't normally comment on venues in my reviews, because I focus on the music, but it feels right to because the O2 Forum is probably one of the best venues I've been to - especially for seating, which is where I always am (I don't want to get in the way of you moshers while I'm making notes about the band!). You could see the stage perfectly, but I could also see the crowd dancing away below me: it really added to the atmosphere, and it felt like a huge party that everyone was involved in, rather than feeling removed from the event in the seating area.
So while PVRIS were amazing and I can't recommend their live show more, I think we all already knew I was going to say that. Come on, I'm a bit of a PVRIS super fan (sat here in my PVRIS jumper reviewing their concert, using the notes on my phone that has a PVRIS wallpaper...) - it was going to take a lot for me to not love this show. So while I'm telling you to go and see PVRIS (GO! RIGHT NOW! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!) I'm also telling you to please give the O2 Forum a chance - I'm definitely going to return their at the next possible opportunity, despite the fact that I've heard terrible things about it.

Setlist:

Smoke

Mirrors

St. Patrick
White Noise

Fire

Only Love 

Ghosts

Holy

Eyelids

Let Them In

-

You and I

My House

Bring Me The Horizon - Alexandra Palace, 28/11/15

I realised last week this show was going to be the fourth time I'd seen all of the bands on the bill in the last twelve months! With a line-up this brilliant, there was no way I was going to pass up on the opportunity to attend (I mean, come on, nothing's ever beaten this line-up, apart from the You Me At Six/Kids In Glass Houses/The Blackout/Deaf Havana Halloween show extravaganza) and I've been highly anticipating this show for months. 

Playing Alexandra Palace as their second London show ever is a huge achievement, so I was ecstatic that PVRIS received the crowd reaction that they did. In the year since they've released their debut album 'White Noise' huge things have happened for the band, and with the crowd singing and dancing along at every possible moment throughout their set, it's inspiring to see their hard work paying off.
Because I'd already seen them quite a few times this year there were no big surprises in their set - still six songs, still fabulously performed - but I still enjoyed every second. Their blend of pop and rock sensibilities gives their sound the chance to accrue a large fan base, and that's definitely in the midst of happening.
The reaction to 'Mirrors' and 'St. Patrick' was especially vibrant, and seeing a large majority of the crowd jumping along to this kind of music is not what you would have expected at a Bring Me The Horizon show a few years ago. You also wouldn't have expected to see a support band whose lead singer shouted "Have you all got your party pants on?" but that's exactly what we received, and I don't think anyone was disappointed with their show. PVRIS aren't everyone's cup of tea, but they make it very difficult to dislike them.
I'm finally seeing a PVRIS headline show in April - my birthday present to myself - and I'm hoping they'll take the opportunity to really break out of the mold and own their live show. They play the role of supporting band extremely well (with having supported Sleeping With Sirens, Pierce the Veil and soon to be supporting Fall Out Boy, they must have been doing something right!) but it'll be brilliant to see them stand on their own.

Setlist
White Noise
Fire
Mirrors
Holy
St. Patrick
My House

In some strange twist of fate I've gone from being begrudgingly accepting of Neck Deep to being more excited about their set than any of the other bands. For a while there it seemed as though everything that we were attending had Neck Deep on the line-up: Slam Dunk, Reading, All Time Low, which was nice and all, but I wasn't a huge fan of their music so it didn't get me jumping up and down with anticipation. But that started changing at Reading festival, when they began turning my opinion of them around: it finally looked as though they were becoming something special.
I still haven't listened to 'Life's Not Out To Get You' in full (when I'm excited about an album I normally wait, out of fear that it won't meet my expectations) but the songs that I'd heard from it - 'Can't Kick Up The Roots' and 'Gold Steps' specifically - were exciting and a huge advance from the music that they'd put out earlier in their career. You could feel a change in the air, and that change finally struck me last night.
With the setlist comprising of three songs I'd never heard before, this was certainly the most varied Neck Deep show I'd seen this year. In the past I've complained about the fact that all of their songs sound the same, but this is a complaint I have with a lot of pop punk bands of late. As Neck Deep say it best, with their slogan t-shirt 'Generic Pop Punk', it sounded as though every band was releasing the same music for a while there. But Neck Deep have finally found that development that was necessary to lead the genre to a more exciting place.
Starting off with 'Citizens of Earth', I was struck by the difference in their technique. The music was heavier, and there was shouting, unclean vocals?
Wait, that can't be right. This is Neck Deep. They don't have an unclean vocalist. Were Fil or Dani taking a (microphone) stand? From where I was, stuck behind a lot of tall people right in the centre of the crowd, I wasn't sure what was going on; no clue in the slightest, and a lot of the people around me looked equally concerned.
It was only when, after 'Losing Teeth', vocalist Ben Barlow shouted out to their "friend Sam Carter from Architects" that I realised why the sound had been so revolutionary. Who'd have thought that Neck Deep with a heavier sound could work that well? And who'd have thought I'd be completely able to miss a guest vocal spot that exciting? This is why you read my reviews, kids. I'm observant as shit.
But from the slightly confusing and extremely different opening song, Neck Deep didn't revert back to their old patterns. None of the songs sounded the same: all of their intricacies (lyrics, guitar lines, drum patterns) sounding so vastly different from each other that they all stood out for me. 'Kali Ma', a song about Indiana Jones, and 'Serpents', a slowed down, heart-wrenching moment, stood out the most for me, but what really impressed me the most was Neck Deep's new found ability to craft a setlist.
Whereas before the songs blended in together, the complete changes between the songs surprisingly still managed to sound cohesive. It didn't feel like a band shoving a lot of random songs together, as though they were playing their set on shuffle; it felt considered, deliberate... Amazing. From the dance-y bouncefest that is 'Can't Kick Up The Roots', into the melancholy 'Serpents', down to the acoustic ballad 'A Part of Me'... Each song was 180 degrees different from the one before it, but they all felt like Neck Deep.
'What Did You Expect?'. Well, I never expected to think Neck Deep were the highlight of this show: PVRIS are one of my favourite bands, while Bring Me The Horizon are always brilliant... But neither of them could hold a torch to Neck Deep. This band have really come into their own with their second full length album, and I'm excited to see where they can go next. The only way is up.

Setlist:

Citizens of Earth (ft. Sam Carter)
Losing Teeth
Gold Steps
Kali Ma
Can't Kick Up The Roots
Serpents
A Part of Me
What Did You Expect?

Bring Me The Horizon are always going to put on an amazing show. It's a fact of life, like the sky being blue or needing oxygen to breathe. Performing is in their blood, and they've never let me down in a live environment. So when I say I was expecting brilliant things from this show, I'm not exaggerating.
Unsurprisingly, Bring Me The Horizon did not let me down. I will admit that I was a little bit disappointed that they only added two new songs into their setlist (well, four, but I'd already heard 'Happy Song' and 'Throne' live), because I'd been excited to see a wider range of the songs from 'That's The Spirit', but the two they played were both excellent. Starting off with 'Doomed' was inspired, because it set the tone for the rest of the show - brilliant singalongs with a darker lyrical edge - but 'True Friends' was my highlight of the set: it's just so damn catchy. I've been unable to stop listening to it since the album came out, and it's been stuck in my head for what feels like months.
I'm not sure why, but this show did feel less organic to me than the other Bring Me The Horizon shows I'd experienced. It might have been the venue - the ceilings are high and if you're not stood in the right place the sound can seem distorted - but I'm not sure if that's exactly what it was. It meant that this wasn't the best that I'd seen Bring Me The Horizon perform this year. The backing track was a bit overpowering at points, and while Oli's vocal was good it just didn't seem to have that extra something that has made it stand out in the past. That might be because they've done nothing but tour for months now, but it just didn't feel right.
That being said, the band still performed live better than almost any other band that I've seen, and that's extremely commendable. Guitarist Lee Malia was amazing as usual, and Matt Nicholls seemed to be putting more into his drumming than I'd ever witnessed before. Oli's energy is constantly unflappable, and he kept it up throughout the entire set: it's just a shame that the set was so short, because I'd been hoping for a bit more from the band. After seeing them perform at Wembley Arena last year, where they played a large variety of material both old and new, I'd been expecting a little bit more from a headline show of this magnitude, but beggars can't be choosers.
This was still an extremely fun show, and it definitely proved that Bring Me The Horizon are at the top of their game and are pushing the boundaries in the genre. Considering the fact that they sold this show out in just over two hours, it's pretty obvious that they're popular and will be selling out venues of this size just as quickly for a long time to come. It does make you wonder if a headline slot at the O2 Arena could be on its way...
I just hope that whatever they do, the next time I see them they do something different; something that will impress me that little bit more and prove they're undefeatable. I think their supports might have had them beaten at this show.

Setlist:
Doomed
Happy Song
Go To Hell (For Heaven's Sake)
House of Wolves
Chelsea Smile
Throne
Shadow Moses
Sleepwalking
True Friends
Can You Feel My Heart?
Antivist
-
Blessed With A Curse
Drown

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