A Special Time Creative

Holding Absence – Scala, London

Holding Absence ended the year with their biggest show to date and sold out London’s Scala.

The Cardiff based emotive hardcore quartet comprising vocalist Lucas Woodland, Guitarist Scotty Carey, drummer Ashley Green and bassist James Joseph just released their highly anticipated debut album ‘Holding Absence’ (2019, Sharptone Records) earlier this year before touring the UK and Europe to support the release. The group mixes elements of emotive hardcore, pop, post-hardcore and rock, creating soaring guitar riffs, catchy and anthemic choruses, combined with raw and deeply honest emotions in their lyrics. Their unique sound creates an intimate and haunted atmosphere while Lucas impresses with his incredible vocal range, alternating between melodically sung and emotionally screamed parts.

The queue outside the venue seemed endless until the doors opened to let in the excitingly waiting fans. Filling up quickly, the excitement inside the venue grew until Acers opened the stage. With their heavily dark and anthemic sound which mixes melodically sung and roughly screamed vocals with ambient guitar sounds and thriving drums, they captured the audience right from the start and set the energy levels high. Press To MECO followed next, a British progressive alternative rock band comprising vocalist and bassist Adam Roffey, vocalist and guitarist Luke Caley, as well as vocalist and drummer Lewis Williams. With their fusion of pop-ish choruses, punchy guitars and technical precision, they got the crowd immediately and warmed them up for the final band of the night.

With the lights turning off the last time, the set started with the songs that started Holding Absence’s journey as a band and set the special atmosphere that lead throughout the whole evening. Opener ‘Permanent’ was followed by ‘Dream Of Me’, ‘Penance’, Heaven Knows’, ‘Saint Cecilia’ and the homage to the fans ‘Everything’. The crowd was hyped right from the start, singing every word back on the top of their lungs. The second part of the set was the debut album as a whole starting with ‘Perish’, slowing down in the middle with the piano ballad ‘Marigold’ and ending with the anthemic ‘Wilt’ leaving the fans filled with excitement and hunger for more. Even though they spent loads of energy moshing and crowd surfing it seemed as they were tireless which was highly appreciated by the band.

It definitely was a special time with very talented bands and great musicians. Holding Absence couldn’t thank their fans enough for all their support so far and promised more to come in the new year. It was an amazing end for a successful 2019, leaving excitement for what is coming next!

Venue: Scala

Band: Holding Absence

Support: Acres, Press To MECO

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Northlane – Electric Brixton, London

Northlane ended the UK leg of their Europe and UK tour with an incredible sold-out show at the Electric Brixton.

The Australian metalcore quintet comprising vocalist Marcus Bridge, both guitarists Josh Smith and Jonathon Deiley, bassist Brendon Padjasek and drummer Nic Pettersen are known for their atmospheric ambient sound mixed with heavy breakdowns, buzzing guitar riffs and thriving drums. Especially Marcus’s impressive vocal range lifts the sound onto another level, seamlessly switching between heavily screamed and melodically sung vocals within both spectrums of the range. The calmer more anthemic parts balance out the heavy breakdowns and add to the spacious atmosphere of their music. With their fifth full-length album ‘Alien’ (2019, UNFD), Northlane added a darker and more industrial sound while lyrically addressing topics such as domestic violence, alcohol issues and abuse which was part of Marcuse’s difficult childhood.

Opening its doors around 7pm, the space in front of the stage at the Electric Brixton filled up quickly with an excited crowd waiting for Void Of Vision to open the stage. The Melbourne based metalcore band comprises vocalist Jack Bergin, both guitarists James Mckendrick and Mitch Fairlie, as well as George Murphy who got the crowd moving right at the start. With their energetic and heavy sound, they got everyone hyped up and saw the audience moshing around just before Polaris entered the stage and took the energy to the next level. The Australian metalcore quintet comprising vocalist Jamie Hails, the guitarists Rick Schneider and Ryan Siew, bassist Jake Steinhauser, as well as drummer Daniel Furnari burst with energy and saw the crowd going crazy in circle pits and moshing around. They warmed up the audience with their heavy breakdowns and grooving drumbeats, setting the energy levels high.

With the lights turning off again and the first riffs of ‘Talking Heads’ kicking in the crowd went absolutely mental and no one was on their feeds. The energy in the room peaked and Northlane gave their best to deliver an unforgettable gig. Focusing mainly on their newer releases, they added some older favourites such as ‘Intuition’, ‘Rot’, ‘Citizen’ and ‘Obelisk’ which saw the fans screaming the lyrics on the top of their lungs. New songs such as ‘Details Matter’, ‘Jinn’, ‘4D’, ‘Freefall’, ‘Vultures’, ‘Eclipse’ and set closer ‘Bloodline’ didn’t lack in heaviness and got the crowd spinning in circle pits or surfing their way to the front of the stage right from the start of the set and saw the fans chanting for more at the end of the set. Marcus and Jonathon came back on stage for ‘sleepless’ which ended with the full band joining in and ending off the night with the energetic but atmospheric ‘Quantum Flux’.

Overall, it was an incredible evening with great music, amazing bands and a highly energetic crowd. Everyone seemed to have a great evening enjoying themselves moshing around and singing on the top of their lungs which was highly appreciated by the bands. All bands gave their best and had a blast on stage. It was definitely a special time.

Venue: Electric Brixton

Band: Northlane

Support: Void Of Vision, Polaris

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Halestorm – Alexandra Palace, London

Halestorm ended the UK leg of their Europe and UK tour with an amazing headlining show at the iconic Ally Pally.

Following their sold-out show at the o2 Brixton earlier this year, the American hard-rock band comprising the siblings vocalist Lzzy and drummer Arejay Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger and bassist Josh Smith announced some more shows in autumn, bringing along their friends in New Years Day and In This Moment. The quartet just released their deeply honest and personal fourth full-length album ‘Vicious’ (Atlantic Records) in 2018 and is known for encouraging their ‘Freaks’ (collective of followers) to be unapologetically themselves. Lyrically, Lzzy writes about her struggles with self-doubt and depression, but also to encourage herself and everyone else to accept and love themselves the way they are. Musically, the band add a unique vibe and dynamic to each song, mixing heavy guitar riffs with anthemic melodies and rhythmic drumbeats. Especially Lzzy’s massive vocal range is impressive, seamlessly switching between both soft and roughly screamed tones up and down the scale.

The doors of the Alexandra Palace (Ally Pally) opened around 7pm letting the excitedly waiting fans quickly fill the space in front of the stage. First band of the evening was the American rock band New Years Day comprising vocalist Ash Costello, bot guitarist Nikki Misery and Austin Ingerman, as well as bassist Frankie Sil just released their fourth album ‘Unbreakable’ (Another Century) earlier in 2019 and mixes elements from gothic metal, hard rock, post-hardcore and alternative metal. The quartet captured the crowd’s attention right from the start and got them warmed up for the next band of the evening.

In This Moment, an American alternative metal band comprising vocalist Maria Brink, bassist Travis Johnson, drummer Kent Diimmel as well as both guitarists Chris Howorth and Randy Weitzel, show influences of gothic metal, metalcore and alternative metal, adding elements of alternative rock, industrial and electronica. Maria Brink’s distinct voice seamlessly switches between singing and shouting while dancing across the stage. Their theatrical setup got the crowd hooked right from the start. Everyone was singing the lyrics back to the stage, especially when the band introduced their set closer ‘Whore’.

After a short break to pack down In This Moment’s stage equipment the light s turned off and the first riffs of ‘Do Not Disturb’ rang through the venue everyone was off their feet and screamed the lyrics back to the stage. Halestorm played a good mix of all their releases including ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’, ‘Mz. Hyde’, ‘I Get Off’, ‘Black Vultures’, a rendition of ‘Familiar Taste of Poison’ leading into ‘Amen’, ‘Freak Like Me’, ‘Killing Ourselves To Live’, ‘Uncomfortable’ and ‘Chemicals’ before finishing the first part of the set with ‘I Am The Fire’. Of course, Arejay improvised one of his impressive drum solos, following a battle with bassist Josh Smith. After leaving the stage and the fans screaming for more songs, Lzzy came back onstage to play an acoustic medley starting with ‘Rock Show’, followed by ‘White Dress’, ‘Dear Daughter’ and a rendition of Whitney Huston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’. The night ended with the band inviting the other bands on stage for ‘Here’s To Us’ and then finishing off with ‘I Miss The Misery’. All band members gave their best and seemed to have an incredible time jamming and improvising between songs which shows their talent and craft as musicians. Lzzy’s voice was on point and never fails to impress as she makes it sound effortless to reach the high notes.

Overall, it was an amazing evening with incredible musicians, great music and an energetic audience who seemed to have a special time. Not only the bands on stage but also the fans enjoyed themselves singing and dancing along which was highly appreciated by the bands.

Venue: Alexandra Palace

Band: Halestorm

Support: New Years Day, In This Moment

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Chapter And Verse – The Courtyard Theatre, London

Chapter And Verse welcomed ‘The New Breed’ with an intimate gig at the Courtyard Theatre.

After they just released their latest singles ‘Beauty Sleep’ (2019, Killing Moon Records) and ‘Bad Blood’ (2019, Killing Moon Records) the British alt-rock quintet hosted their first ‘New Breed’ (as they call their fans) event in London. The band comprising vocalist Josh Carter, both guitarists Darren Gosling and Ash Morton, bassist Jonny Hopwood and drummer Kevin Miller mix emotive calm melodies and heavy riffs which creates a dynamic atmosphere. Josh’s vocals alternate between raspy screams and melodic falsettos mixing pop influenced melodies with heavy guitar riffs.

The evening at the sold-out Courtyard Theatre started with a short acoustic set where Josh sat down with his guitar and played a few songs for everyone who arrived a little bit earlier and impressed with his incredible vocal range. Meanwhile, the first band of the evening, the Manchester based rock band Tirade set up and got ready to take over the stage once everyone ventured from the bar where the acoustic set took place to the actual concert room. With their electrifying guitar riffs and pop-punky melodies they captured the audience’s attention right from the start and got everyone warmed up for Chapter And Verse.

With the lights turning off and the first riffs of ‘Bad Blood’ ringing through the room the crowd was off their feet dancing to the beat. Chapter And Verse played a good mix of their releases including some older songs such as ‘The New Breed’, ‘A Devil In Blue’ or the closer ‘Magazines’ as well as some recent releases such as ‘Ink’, ‘Beauty Sleep’, ‘Eleven Hours In Real Time’, ‘Miracle Drugs’ and a live debut called ‘Sweet Time’. Everyone seemed to have a great time enjoying themselves dancing around and singing the lyrics on the top of their lungs. Even Josh jumped into the crowd and surfed his way through the room while performing.

Overall, it was a great evening with amazing music and a lot of fun. Chapter And Verse gave their best on stage and were highly appreciative for their fans’ continuous support and passion. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and had a blast. The feeling of acceptance and belongingness throughout the whole evening was impressive and turned it into a special time.

Venue: The Courtyard Theatre

Band: Chapter And Verse

Support: Tirade

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Stake – The Social, London

Stake headed to The Social in London to play an intimate show and went wild.

The Belgian atmospheric grunge core quartet Stake hit the road to support their recently released album ‘Critical Method’ (2019, Hassle Records), playing three dates in the UK one of which was at The Social in London. Brent Vanneste (vocals, guitar), Joris Casier (drums), Cis Deman (guitar) and Jesse Surmont (bass) create an energetic gunge infused guitar-heavy sound, having thriving drum beats, atmospheric vibes and soaring riffs that get the crowd moving. The vocals are mainly shouted and add rawness and emotion to the sound.

Opening the doors around 7pm, the 250-capacity filled up with an excited crowd, waiting for Phoxjaw to open the stage. The grunge-infused alt rock quartet comprises vocalist and bassist Danny Garland, guitarist Alexander Share, as well as the brothers Kieran (drums) and Josh (guitar) Gallop. Having just released their debut EP ‘A Playground For Sad Adults’ (2019, Hassle Records) earlier this year, they mix soaring guitar riffs, melancholic melodies and rough vocals with emotional raw grunge vibes, creating a distinct and unique sound. Their explosive stage performance captured the attention from the crowd right from the start and set the energy levels high.

With Stake entering the stage, the already hyped crowd got fully involved, singing along and jumping around. Stake played a good mix of songs, focusing on their most recent releases but adding in some older songs as well. The darkness inside the venue with just some indirect light sources and the small size of the room added to the grungy and raw vibes making it a special time.

Overall, it was a nice evening with amazing bands, an energetic crowd and great music. Stake and Phoxjaw couldn’t thank the audience enough for their support and energy and gave their best on stage which was highly appreciated by their fans!

Venue: The Social

Band: Stake

Support: Phoxjaw

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Fever 333 – o2 Forum Kentish Town, London

After their successful sold-out show at the Electric Brixton in London earlier this year, Fever 333 returned and unsurprisingly sold out the even bigger o2 Forum Kentish Town.

Comprising vocalist Jason Aalon Butler, guitarist Stevis Harrison and drummer Aric Improta mixes the American trio from Inglewood, CA combine different music styles such as rapcore, post-hardcore, rock, hip hop and punk, creating a unique new and dynamic sound while their deep and personal lyrics tell stories about their struggles and feelings in life, racism, homophobia or sexism, trying to create a save environment at their demonstrations for likeminded ‘allies’ (as they call their fans) and call for change. The constant alternation between shouted, rapped and sung vocals which are backed by soaring guitar riffs and thriving drumbeats creates dynamic and tension. Following their EP ‘Made An America’ (2018, Roadrunner Records) Fever 333 released their highly anticipated debut full-length ‘Strength In Numb333rs’ (2019, 333 Wreckords / Roadrunner Records) earlier this year.

After the venue opened the gates around 7pm the space in front of the stage filled rapidly with forming into a sea of excitingly waiting ‘Allies’ who were faced with a huge white curtain that was hung across the stage. With the lights going down and police sirens starting to build up tension, the curtain dropped and the whole crowd erupted into screams as the first riffs of ‘Made An America’ rang through the venue. Jason himself whirled around on stage like a human storm, while the crowd opened up the place in front of the stage releasing their energy in a huge circle pit and making their way to the stage by surfing the crowd. The energy increased with the riff heavy songs ‘Only One’, ‘Out Of Control’ and ‘One Of Us’ before Jason invited UK duo Nova Twins on stage to perform a cover of Green Day’s ‘Brain Stew’ with them. They slowed down the set a notch with ‘Inglewood’ before bringing back the energy again with, ‘Walking In My Shoes’, ‘Animal’ and ‘Trigger’ which saw the whole crowd going mental and off their feet. Jason run around the venue and climbed up the balcony to perform an emotional piano rendition of ‘Am I Here’ with the crowd singing on the top of their lungs. The main part of the set ended with ‘Burn It’ and a crowd chanting for one more song. Fever 333 returned on stage and powered through ‘We’re Coming In’, ‘The Innocent’ and ‘Hunting Season’ ending the show with a burst of energy.

It was an amazing evening and a special time for sure. Fever 333 never fail to impress and deliver an incredible show which was highly appreciated by their fans who enjoyed themselves in mosh pits and crowd surfing. The rock trio was overwhelmed by the continuous support and energy of their fans and couldn’t thank them enough. Fever 333’s performance was on point and everyone seemed to have a great time on stage giving their best to deliver an energetic show with a great message.

Venue: o2 Forum Kentish Town

Band: Fever 333

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Being As An Ocean – Islington Assembly Hall, London

Being As An Ocean headed to the Islington Assembly in London as part of their Europe and UK tour run.

The American post-hardcore band Being As An Ocean just released their latest full-length album ‘Proxy’ (2019, self-released/Believe) before hitting the road to support their latest release. Currently comprising vocalist Joel Quartuccio, lead guitarist Tyler Ross, vocalist and guitarist Michael McGough and bassist Ralph Sica, the quartet creates a mix of melodic and post-hardcore. Musically, they mix atmospheric rock with ambient guitars and electronic vibes while the vocals are alternating between Joel’s spoken word and screams, and Michael’s sung vocals in the choruses. The mix of styles and dynamic creates raw emotions and expresses their passion and vulnerability. Especially the lyricism is heartfelt and about personal life experiences, pain, loss, emotions, depression, hope, love or humility.

The Islington Assembly Hall opened the doors around 7pm slowly filling up with a quite mixed crowd of older and younger fans. First up was the American metal band Afterlife, comprising vocalist Tyler Levenson, guitarist Andrew McGuire, bassist Tristan Edwards and drummer Luke Walkinshaw. Their sound is a mix of metal and roc with influences from hip-hop. The personal lyrics about mental health, anxiety and personal life experiences are delivered through Tyler’s mix between sung, screamed and rapped vocals which created a high level of energy right from the start and got the audience’s attention.

Second band of the evening was the French metalcore band Novelists. Matt Gelsomino (vocals), Florestan Durand (guitar), Amael Durand (drums) and Nicolas Delestrade (bass) create an ambient sound with influences from djent and progressive metal supporting a mix of mainly clean and screamed vocals. The energy and dynamic the quartet created got the crowd moving and prepared for the final band of the night. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and sung along or run around in circle pits.

With the lights turning down and the intro of Proxy ‘The Envoy’ kicking off Being As An Ocean entered the stage to start their set with ‘Play And Pretend’. The atmosphere inside the venue got more intense and electrifying creating an almost haunted and emotional ambient. The crowd was off their feet from the first second on, screaming the lyrics back to the stage with all their heart. It didn’t take long until Joel jumped off the stage and joined the crowd, where he was performing most of the time through out the set which made the show even more personal and intimate. Focusing on songs from Proxy and Waiting For The Morning To Come, the set list included a good mix of songs from all their releases including ‘Alone’, ‘OK’, ‘Dissolve’, ‘Black & Blue’, ‘Lexquisite Douleur’ and the closer ‘This Loneliness Won’t Be The Death Of Me’ before the band played ‘The Hardest Part Is Forgetting Those You Swore You Would Never Forget’ and A.N.I.M.O’. The dark and atmospheric lighting helped to create a cosy and haunted vibe which enhanced the raw and emotional music.

Overall, it was a special time with amazing bands, great music and an energetic audience. Everyone seemed to have fun and enjoyed themselves singing along and moshing around. The bands’ performances were on top and they gave their best on stage, highly appreciating the audiences support and participation.

Venue: Islington Assembly Hall

Band: Being As An Ocean

Support: Afterlife, Novelists

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River Becomes Ocean & Kill The Ideal – The Unicorn, London

River Becomes Ocean and Kill The Ideal headed to the Unicorn in London.

The Lincolnshire alt-rock trio Kill The Ideal hit the road together with River Becomes Ocean and played a few shows across the UK. Currently comprising vocalist and guitarist Ash Wilson, bassist Luke Farmer and drummer Jordan Bell, the group creates a dynamic and grunge-ish sound with big choruses and catchy melodies. So far, the trio released their debut EP ‘Heritage’ (2015, self-released) and a self-titled EP ‘Kill The Ideal’ in 2017 (self-released). Before they went on tour, they just released their newest single ‘Criminal Town’ (2019, self-released).

After the doors at the Unicorn opened a quite young audience started to build up in front od the stage, waiting for Kill The Ideal to kick off the night. With their energetic sound the captured the audience’s attention right from the start and didn’t slow down until the end. Halfway through the set Ash jumped off stage and run a round in the venue, returning to the stage to finish the song. They played a good mix of all their releases to date and seemed to have a blast on stage as well as the fans in front of the stage who danced and clapped along.

Second and final band of the evening was the Brighton based alternative rock group River Becomes Ocean. Formed in 2013, the quintet currently comprises vocalist Marvin McMahon, both guitarists Danny Snow and Ben Bartup, bassist George Donoghue and drummer Dorian Neidhard. Musically, the band mixes heavy rock riffs with cinematic sounds, creating a moody but electrifying ambient vibe. So far, the quintet released the two EP’s ‘The World Around Me’ (2014, self-released) and ‘December’ (2016, self-releases), followed by their debut album ‘A Motion Paralysed’ in 2019. Their ambient sound got the audience get involved and singing along. Everyone seemed to have an amazing time, on stage as well as in front of the stage. Ash decided to spontaneously jump on stage as well to join River Becomes Ocean for one song.

Overall, it was a great evening with good music and, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Even though the crowd was quite small, the bands gave their best and made sure everyone enjoys the evening, using all available space on and off stage. The audience appreciated the energy of the bands and had fun dancing along. It was a special time and definitely a nice evening.

Venue: The Unicorn

Band: River Becomes Ocean & Kill The Ideal

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Dream State – ULU, London

Dream State ended their UK headlining tour with a sold-out show at ULU London.

The British alt-rock quartet Dream State from South Wales just released their long-awaited debut album ‘Primrose’ (2019 via UNFD), which was well received by their fans, before heading out for a solo tour to support the album release. Having played earlier this year at Camden’s Underworld, they stepped up the game for this leg of the tour and sold out the ULU. Currently comprising vocalist CJ, both guitarists Aled Rhys Evans and Rhys Wilcox, as well as drummer Jamie Lee, the quartet is known for the energetic and melodic sound that carries CJ’s emotional and raw vocals. The mix between sung, shouted and spoken vocals adds a unique dynamic and raw emotion.

The ULU opened its gates around 7.30pm and filled up quickly with a rather young audience. First band opening the stage was the London based melodic hardcore band Behind Blue Eyes who created a vulnerable and atmospheric ambient with a mix of raw emotions and anthemic choruses. They captured the audience’s attention right from the start and set the energy levels high. Everyone seemed to enjoy the set, singing along and jumping around. Next up was the Swedish alt-rock band Normandie who got the crowd dancing with their electrifying heavy guitar riffs and catchy refrains. Everyone was off their feet and highly enjoyed the set singing the lyrics back to the stage.

With CJ starting the intro to ‘Made Up Smile’ the excitement in the audience rose and got them off their feet as soon as the rest of the band kicked in. The energy was high and had the attention of their fans right from the start. CJ’s vocals were on point and created an emotional and raw atmosphere filled with energy. Everyone in the crowd screamed the lyrics on the top of their lungs which added to the electrifying atmosphere. It didn’t take long until there was a huge circle pit in front of the stage and crowd surfers who made their way to the front. Even CJ jumped off the stage and joined the crowd several times. The set was mainly focused on the album including ‘Are You Ready To Live?’, ‘Primrose’, and ‘Hand In Hand’. Towards the end of the set the crowd could chose between ‘Out Of The Blue’ and ‘Spitting Lies’ of which the later won. The set ended with the epic ‘White Lies’ and ‘New Waves’ and ‘In This Hell’ as encores.

Even though there seemed to be some technical difficulties at the beginning of the evening, the overall sound was balanced, and the lights added further dynamic to each set which helped to create the wanted atmosphere.

Overall it was a special time and Dream State delivered an amazing show. Every band gave their best on stage and created an energetic atmosphere which was highly appreciated by the crowd. The audience enjoyed themselves by moshing around, singing along and surfing their way to the stage. Dream State was grateful for their fans’ support and participation, ending the tour with a bang.

Venue: ULU

Band: Dream State

Support: Behind Blue Eyes, Normandie

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Thrice – o2 Shepherds Bush, London

Thrice headed to the o2 Shepherds Bush in London for their co-headlining tour with Refused.

The American post-hardcore quartet Thrice formed in 1988 and currently comprises vocalist Dustin Kensrue, guitarist Teppei Teranishi, as well as the brothers Eddie (bass) and Riley (drums) Breckenridge. After their hiatus, the band reunited in 2015 and released their latest album ‘Palms’ in 2018 via Epitaph Records following their first release ‘To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere’ (2016 via BMG Rights) after their break. So far, the rock group released ten full-length albums. Musically, they show influences from post-hardcore, alt-rock, melodic hardcore, hard rock, experimental rock, emo and punk. Their grunge infused heavily distorted guitar riffs underline dominant guitar leads while thriving drum patterns create energy. The vocals alternate between mainly sung and screamed vocals which creates dynamic and atmosphere to the songs which often builds up to anthemic courses.

The venue opened its doors around 7pm. Steadily filling up in front of the stage, the audience was quite mixed but mainly consisting of an older audience. First band of the stage was the female fronted American punk rock band Gouge Away who started the evening with some energetic grunge infused guitar riffs and roughly screamed vocals. The audience seemed to enjoy the set which created a raw and electric vibe. Next band on the stage was the Swedish hardcore punk band Refused. Formed in the early 90’s, the current line-up comprises vocalist Dennis Lyxzén, both guitarists Magnus Flagge and Kristofer Steen, bassist Magnus Flagge and drummer David Sandström who got the crowd moving with their energetic riffs and thriving drumbeats. Even Dennis jumped into the crowd and got carried back to the stage where he continued to dance and jump around which was highly mimicked by the fans in front of the stage who seemingly enjoyed the sow.

When Thrice entered the stage, the crowd went mental as soon as the first riff rang through the speakers. Starting off with ‘Only Us’, the opener of their latest release ‘Palms’, Thrice played a good mix of all of their songs including ‘Image Of The Invisible’, ‘Silhouette’, ‘Just Breathe’, ‘The Arsonist’, the ambient and dark ‘Hurricane’, followed by songs such as ‘The Artist In The Ambulance’ or the ballade ‘Red Sky’, before finishing the set with ‘The Earth Will Shake’ and ‘Beyond The Pines’ which is also the closer of their latest album. The audience highly appreciated the diversity of the set and enjoyed themselves singing along and moshing around. Dustin’s vocals were on point and added a raw and unique touch to the sound.

The light show for all sets was well fitted and added to the rather dark but energetic atmosphere the music created. The sound was balanced and well mixed.

Overall, it was a great evening with amazing artists and an energetic crowd. Everyone seemed to have a special time, enjoying themselves both on and off stage. The fans got wild and screamed all the lyrics back to the stage while the bands gave their best on stage and joined the crowd, jumping off the stage. The audience’s support and energy was highly appreciated by all of the bands.

Venue: o2 Shepherds Bush

Band: Thrice and Refused

Support: Gouge Away

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