A Special Time Creative

I Prevail – Electric Ballroom, Camden

I Prevail ended their Europe and the UK tour following their album release earlier this year with a sold out show at the Electric Ballroom.

The American rock band comprising vocalist Brian Burkheiser, screamer Eric Vanlerberghe, both guitarists Steve Menoia and Dylan Bowman, as well as drummer Gabe Helguera formed in 2014 and have released two full-length albums, ‘Lifelines’ (2016, Fearless Records) and ‘Trauma’ (2019, Fearless Records), as well as their debut EP ‘Heart vs. Mind’ (2014, Fearless Records). Musically the band mixes elements from hardcore, rap and electronically enhanced percussion which creates a unique sound. The alternation between Eric’s shouted and screamed vocals and Brian’s delicately sung vocals offer an energetic dynamic which helps to tell the stories behind the songs. Especially the latest album ‘Trauma’ was a way for the band to speak about depression, anxiety, panic attack and mental illnesses.

The doors of the Electric Ballroom opened around 7pm for the patiently queuing audience outside. First up on stage was the American post-hardcore band Palisades who started off the evening with high energy and got the crowd moving. Their music shows influences from electronicore, post-hardcore and anthemic rock choruses which was well received by the audience who sung along and enjoyed themselves in mosh pits. Having set the energy levels high, the crowd went mental once I Prevail entered the stage.

Following the first bass drop leading into ‘Bow Down’ the crowd immediately picked up the energy and sang on the top of their lungs, giving the band a warm welcome. Especially songs such as ‘Scars’, ‘Paranoid’ and ‘Deadweight’ saw the crowd belting the lyrics back to the stage while ‘Gasoline’ saw the venue splitting up into a big circle pit just before the band took the time to speak to the fans about the difficulties of the past month and how thankful they are for being warmly welcomed back, leading into ‘Hurricane’ and a sea of shining phone lights. The set consisted mainly of their new material which sounded a lot heavier live but some older songs made their appearance as well which was highly appreciated by the fans. Not even Brian’s broken foot sopped the band from giving their best on stage and wildly spinning around as if nothing could hold them back. They ended the set with ‘DOA’ but came back for two encores being ‘Breaking Down’ and ‘Come and Get It’ as the audience demanded for more.

It was a great evening with amazing musicians who gave their best on stage and an energetic audience who enjoyed themselves singing along and running around in circle pits. Everyone seemed to have a great time and the bands appreciated the audience’s warm welcome. It was definitely a special time.

Venue: Electric Ballroom

Band: I Prevail

Support: Palisades

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Fever 333 – Electric Ballroom, Camden

Fever 333 selling out the Electric Ballroom in Camden on their first headlining UK and Europe shows.

‘There is a fever coming…’ all the way from Inglewood, CA. The American rock trio comprising vocalist Jason Aalon Butler, guitarist Stevis Harrison and drummer Aric Improta mixes different music styles such as rapcore, post-hardcore, rock, hip hop and punk, creating a unique new and dynamic sound. The mainly shouted vocals are accompanied by soaring guitar riffs and dynamic drumbeats which creates energy and tension that leads into screamed outbursts and breakdowns. Lyrically, they discuss politically and socially conscious topics such as racism, homophobia or sexism, trying to create a save environment for likeminded people and call for change. So far, they released their debut EP ‘Made An America’ (2018, Roadrunner Records) and their debut full-length ‘Strength In Numb333rs’ (2019, 333 Wreckords / Roadrunner Records).

Formed in 2017, they rapidly grew a solid base of followers. Hence, it was no surprise that the response to their tour announcement in the UK and Europe was highly appreciated by the fans. One of the tour dates was in London at the Electric Ballroom. The sold-out 1500 capacity venue opened its doors around 8pm and quickly filled up with fans who waited excited for the band to start the ‘demonstration’. There was no support act for the night, nonetheless, there were crowd surfers and even before the music started. Canting for the band to start, the crowd went absolutely mental when the curtain fell and the band started off with ‘Burn It’, leading into the second part of ‘Prey For Me’. There were crowd surfers right from the start and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. ‘Made An America’, ‘Animal’ and ‘One Of Us’ had the crowd screaming the lyrics on the top of their lungs and were followed by a beatbox and drum solo. They slowed down the set a bit with ‘Inglewood’, the second part ‘How Bad’ and ‘Am I Here’ where Jason joined in with the guitar. ‘Prey For Me’ had the crowd chanting along before losing their minds for ‘Out Of Control’ and the closer ‘The Innocent’. Chanting for encores, Fever 333 came back to perform ‘We’re Coming in’ and ended their set with ‘Hunting Season’. They were overwhelmed by the huge support of their fans and highly appreciated their energy and participation. The crowd seemed to have a great time dancing, moshing, crowd surfing their way to the stage and singing along. Jason, Stevis and Aric themselves seemed to have a blast on stage being as wild and energetic as the crowd. They climbed on the speakers and joined the crowd as crowd surfers. Before they left they also announced to be back with further ‘demonstrations’ in Europe and the UK in November.

It was definitely a special time, and everyone seemed to have a great evening. Fever 333 gave their best on stage and was overwhelmed by the positive energy and participation of their fans who enjoyed themselves moshing around and chanting along.

Venue: Electric Ballroom

Band: Fever 333

Support: /

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Rock Am Ring 2019

Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, the German twin rock festivals, opened their gates once more.

Every year at the beginning of June, the festivals which take place at the famous racing court Nürburg Ring (RaR) and the Zeppelin Feld (RiP) attract thousands of festival goers to spend their weekend listening to their favourite bands.

This year’s line up consisted of around 76 bands spread across three stages with the headliners being Tool, Die Ärzte and Slipknot.

	Volcano (main) Stage	Beck’s Crater Stage	Alternastage
First Day	Wolf Jaw (former Badflowers) Deadland Ritual Halestorm Alice In Chains Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators The Smashing Pumpkins Tool	Palisades IDK How Drangsal Against The Current Welshly Arms Cage The Elephant Foals SDP The 1975 Bonez MC & Raf Camora	Fiend Power Trip Bad Wolves Beyond The Black While She Sleeps Kvelertak Beartooth Behemoth Arch Enemy
Second Day	Underoath Seiler Und Speer Feine Sahne Fischfilet Dropkick Murphys Bring Me The Horizon Die Ärzte	The Hu Fever 333 I Prevail Starset Trivium Three Days Grace Architects Sabaton Slayer Die Antwoord	Jadu Ryan Sheridan Juke Russ Nothing. Nowhere. Alice Glass Kovacs Left Boy Alle Farben
Third Day	Atreyu Godsmack Amon Amarth The Bosshoss Tenacious D Slipknot	Dvtch Norris IRKN BHZ KC Rebell Kontra K Alligatoah Bastille Marteria & Casper	Blackout Poetry Coldrain Adam Angst Like A Storm The Struts Kadavar Graveyard Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Eagles Of Death Metal Hot Water Music

Having had some difficulties getting to the venue due to badly organised day-parking possibilities, shuttle busses that were stuck in traffic and a lack of information that would have been helpful to have before coming to the event, I unfortunately missed the first few bands I wanted to see on Friday which were the American rock band Palisades and a split between Wolf Jaw and IDK How who played almost the same time. However, since I didn’t arrive as planned the first band I went to see was the American heavy rock band Halestorm on the Volcano Stage which were one of the highlights of the day. Especially Lzzy’s vocals are impressive and unique, and the quartet never fails to put on an amazing show. They played a good mix of their older and some of their new songs including a rendition of the beginning of ‘Familiar Taste Of Poison’.

Moving on, I went to the Alternastage to see Bad Wolves. The American metal band got the crowd moving and screaming the vocals back to the stage. They played a good mix of songs, including their rendition of The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’. The German symphonic metal band Beyond The Black were playing next bringing their mystical almost theatrical vibes, just before the British metal band While She Sleeps, one of the highlights, got the crowd hyped. Their energetic sets always see the crowd moving in circle pits and crowd surfing their way to stage while their anthemic refrains are screamed on the top of everyone’s lungs. They played a good mix of songs including ‘You Are We’, ‘Anti-Social’, ‘Brainwashed’, ‘The Guilty Party’, ‘Four Walls’, ‘Silence Speaks’ and the closer ‘Hurricane’ which saw the crowd go mental.

The Norwegian metal outlet Kvelertak played next and brought some heavy guitar riffs just before the American heavy rock band Beartooth, another highlight, entered the stage. Offering mainly screamed vocals accompanied by heavy guitar riffs that lead into anthemic rock choruses and release the tension they built with some heavy breakdowns, their sets are always energetic and see the crowd go mental. They played a good mix of their songs including ‘Aggressive’, ‘Hated’, a drum solo, ‘Disease’ and ‘In Between’ with which they closed the set. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves screaming the raw and emotional lyrics on the top of their lungs or releasing their energy in mosh pits which was highly appreciated by the band. The light and pyro show was impressive and added to the overall energetic but still intimate atmosphere. It was an amazing way to end the first festival day!

The second day started in front of the Beck’s Crater Stage where the American rock band Fever 333 were playing. Mixing different genres such as rapcore, post-hardcore, hip-hop and punk, they created unique sound. Jason Buttler’s mainly shouted vocals are a mix of spoken and sung, accompanied by soaring guitar riffs and energetic drums. The crowd went mental jumping around and crowd surfing their way to the stage. Even Jason joined the crowd and let them carry him to one of the technic stalls to climb on top and sing from there while guitarist Stevis Harrison climbed almost on top of the stage with his guitar.

Moving quickly to the Volcano Stage, Underoath just started their set. The American post-hardcore outlet opened the stage and brought a lot of energy. Unfortunately, the audience who was dominated by fans wearing Die Ärzte merch, was hard to convince and seemed to be still asleep. Nonetheless, Underoath played a great set and highly appreciated their fans’ engagement.

Going back to the Beck’s Crater stage, I Prevail just played their last song. As the American rock band played the same time as Underoath, I couldn’see their set but the fans seemed to have had a great time. Starset were up next and brought a space like show with them. Their mix of heavy guitars, strings and anthemic vocals created an electrifying atmosphere. Everyone joined in and sung along which was highly appreciated by the band. The American metal band Trivium played next and brought some thriving guitar tunes and anthemic melodies which the fans screamed back to the stage. They played an energetic set which was highly appreciated by their fans. Following Trivium, the Canadian rock band Three Days Grace picked up the energy and played a good collection of songs from all of their releases including ‘Pain’, ‘I Hate Everything About You’, ‘Animal I Have Become’ with a snipped of ‘Seven Nation Army’, ‘Never Too Late’ and the closer ‘Riot’. The fans seemed to have a great time, enjoying themselves in circle pits.

Unfortunately, Architects played the same time as Bring Me The Horizon which was definitely not well thought through as both bands have a similar fanbase. While Rock im Park changed the set times so fans could see both bands due to another band being stuck in traffic, the stage times at Rock am Ring remained the same. Nonetheless, I decided to see Bring Me The Horizon who played on the Volcano Stage. The British heavy rock band played a good selection of songs from their last three albums. They opened with ‘Mantra’, followed by ‘The House Of Wolves’ which got the crowd moving but not nearly enough as Oli Sykes asked the fans if they were even alive. With Lee dropping the first riff of ‘Wonderful Life’ the space in front of the stage divided into several mosh pits to the band’s satisfaction who seemed to have a blast on stage. ‘Shadow Moses’ had the crowd singing every word on the to of their lungs while ‘Suhar Honey Ice & Tea’ and ‘Happy Song’ got the crowd raving just before they slowed the set down a bit to play ‘Mother Tongue’ and the anthemic ‘Can You Feel My Heart’ of which the fans sung every word back to the stage. ‘Nihilist Blues’ got the crowd dancing just before they ended the set with ‘Follow You’, ‘Drown’ and ‘Throne’, leaving with a bang. Everyone seemed to have a great time and Bring Me The Horizon have proved once more how talented and versatile they are, adding both heavy and lighter songs which was highly appreciated by their fans. Their set was definitely one of the highlights and a great way to end the second day.

The third day started in front of the Alternastage where the German alternative rock band Blackout Problems before moving on to the Volcano Stage to see the first half of Atreyu’s set. The American heavy metal outlet opened the stage and were faced with similar problems as Underoath the day before. As it still was quite early the audience was fairly moving which is sad to see since the band created an energetic set and brought a mix of anthemic and melodic choruses, accompanied by heavy guitar riffs. Unfortunately, I had to leave their set a bit earlier as I wanted to see Coldrain on the Alternastage who played almost the same time as Atreyu. The Japanese post-hardcore band got the crowd moving with their mix of heavy guitars and alternating screamed and clean vocals which lead into anthemic choruses and heavy breakdowns.

After a short break I went back to the Alternastage to see the post-grunge band Like A Storm from New Zeeland. They mixed heavy baritone guitar riffs with anthemic hard rock melodies and digeridoo. Next up were the British glam rock band The Struts, followed by the German hard rock band Kadavar and the Swedish psychedelic rock band Graveyard. The quartet mixes classic heavy rock with blues, creating a dynamic between calm verses that burst into heavy and energetic choruses.

After Graveyard I went back to the Volcano Stage to see Slipknot. The American metal outlet is known for their crazy and energetic shows and didn’t fail to impress. They played a good mix of their repertoire including their latest release ‘Unsainted’ which had a slightly more anthemic vibe to it. Other songs such as ‘Before I Forget’, ‘The Heretic Anthem’, ‘The Devil And I’ and the closer ‘Duality’ saw the crowd raving and screaming the lyrics on the top of their lungs. Slipknot didn’t leave before performing ‘Spit It Out’ and ‘Surfacing’ as encores which was highly appreciated by their fans. Their wild stage performance, scary masks and pyro show were a great way to end the festival weekend!

Overall, it was a special time with great music and amazing bands. Even though, the weather was rather wet and cold, everyone seemed to have a great time and enjoyed the festival atmosphere. The bands seemed to have a blast on stage and gave their best which was highly appreciated by the fans. Unfortunately, there was a lack of organisation which led to shuttle buses being stuck in traffic, chaotic parking situations and endless queues. Furthermore, there are barely any bin on the festival site and the few ones next to the food stall were constantly overfilled. There was not a big variety of foods to choose from as the main food stalls repeated themselves only offering Burgers, Chips, Pasta, Pizza and Wraps with barely any vegetarian and almost no vegan options at all. The fun curt also included some food stalls that offered limited vegetarian and vegan friendly options.

Nonetheless, it was a great weekend and everyone seemed to have a good time.

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Camden Rocks 2019

Taking over Camden for the first two days in June, Camden Rocks gathered both upcoming and already well-established artists from the heavy, rock and indie scene playing rather small and intimate shows. Several pubs and iconic venues opened their doors, offering festivalgoers an eclectic lineup spread all over Camden.

XIII Weeks opened the stage of the Dublin castle on the second festival day. The emotionally driven melodic hardcore quintet mixes shouted verses with melodic choruses which are supported by harmonic guitar melodies and heavy riffs. Driving drums and heavy breakdowns create an energetic opposite to the vulnerable atmosphere. Unfortunately, due to the early stage time and the location of the venue it took quite a while for the festival goers to come by which is a pity as the band definitely deserves more attention.

Next up was the emotive hardcore quintet Selfworth who played at The Monarch further up Camden Highstreet. Musically, they combine rhythmically shouted vocals with driven drumbeats and melodic ambient guitars which creates a vulnerable, almost haunted, and intimate atmosphere. As their stage time was quite early as well, it took a while for people to stop by which is sad as the band has a lot of potential. Having seen them play in crowded venues before, especially the darker atmosphere and vibes enhanced the rawness of the music.

Moving on to the next venue, Our Hollow, Our Home played at the Underworld. The Southampton based melodic metalcore band mix screamed verses with anthemic choruses and heavy breakdowns during the bridges, all supported by heavy guitar riffs. The audience immediately picked up the energy and sung the lyrics on the top of their lungs which was highly appreciated by the band.

After a quick lunch break and some confusion with stage times, the next stop was the Camden Assembly to see Shvpes. Unfortunately, they were almost finished but had a great end to their energetic set. The venue was absolutely packed with excited fans who enjoyed themselves by jumping around and singing along.

Following another break, the Irish alternative rock band Greywind played at the Kolis. Musically, they combine atmospheric and melodic verses with soaring post-rock like choruses. The audience seemed to enjoy the set as much as the band themselves, singing the lyrics back to the stage.

Moving on, the next venue was again the Camden Assembly where Press To Meco were playing. The alternative rock trio offered a dark guitar heavy sound combined with harmonic vocals and energetic choruses. Playing at a well filled venue, the audience seemed to have a great time and enjoyed the set.

Heading over to the Black Heart, the British post-hardcore band Acres just entered the stage to start their set. The venue filled slowly but steadily with excited fans who seemed to enjoy themselves singing and jumping along. Mixing anthemic choruses with screamed verses and ambient guitar melodies, all supporting the honest and emotive lyrics, the quartet creates a raw and vulnerable, almost haunted, atmosphere. The dark and simple light as well as the size of the venue enhanced the vibes of the music. Both the band and the audience seemed to have a great time and enjoyed the set. Having seen Acres a few times before, they never fail to impress and give all their energy. Especially their rawness and distinct sound makes them unique and special.

Finally, the last band of the day was Deaf Havana who played at the Electric Ballroom. Due to them having been around for a long time and already being a well-established band, I expected quite a long queue in front of the venue with little chances to actually get to see them play. However, the venue was surprisingly not too packed. They played a mix of both older and newer songs with the focus on songs of their latest album. Especially some of the older songs saw the crowd getting wild and singing the lyrics on the top of their lungs. Both the fans and the band seemed to have a great time. Deaf Havana highly appreciated the support of the audience and their participation.

It was definitely a special time with great music and talented bands. Everyone, in front as well as on stage, seemed to have an amazing time and enjoyed themselves.

Alexisonfire – Alexandra Palace, London

Alexisonfire played a handful of live shows around the world after heir hiatus.

Following the release of a new track ‘Familiar Drugs’ (2019, Dine Alone Music) earlier this year, the first one in around a decade, and the announcement of a small tour which included one UK date in London, the Canadian post-hardcore outlet returned from their hiatus. The quintet, comprising Dallas Green (clean vocals, guitar), George Pettit (screamed vocals), Wade MacNeil (vocals, guitar), Chris Steele (bass) and Jordan Hastings (drums), is known for their heartfelt lyrics, powerful guitar riffs, precise drum work and especially the mix of Dallas Green’s delicately soulful and melodic vocals and George Petti’s rough growls which are both accompanied by Wade MacNeil’s husky voice. Their discography spreads over four full-length albums and several EP’s showing their raw and honest emotion as well as the talent and art of each band member.

The beautiful Alexandra Palace opened its doors to an excited crowd, filling slowly but steadily, probably due to the high temperatures outside. First band on the stage to get the fans warmed up was the Canadian alternative rock band Chastity who blend different genres and styles such as pop, indie rock and post-hardcore creating their own style. They got the crowd excited with their energetic guitar riffs and screamed vocal style.

With Alexisonfire entering the stage, starting the set with their ‘Watch Out!’ (2004, Distort / Equal Vision Records) opener ‘Accidents’ the energy levels in the room increased rapidly and saw the crowd getting as wild as George Pettit who ripped of his shirt before the first song even ended. The setlist was well mixed offering songs from all their albums including the first song they wrote ‘Little Girls Pointing And Laughing’, ‘Young Cardinals’ and the ‘Watch Out!’ closer ‘Happiness By The Kilowatt’ with a snippet of Prince’s ‘When Doves Cry’ as encores. Starting the signature drum beat leading into ‘This Could Be Any Where In The World’ saw the crowd going mental while songs such as ‘Drunks, Lovers, Sinners And Saints’, ‘We Are The Sound’ or ‘.44 Caliber Love Letter’ got the fans chanting every lyric of the songs back to the stage. ‘Broiled Frogs’, ‘Rough Hands’ or ‘To A Friend’ showed the uniqueness with Dallas’ delicate and emotional soulful vocals alternating with Pettit’s unique roughly shouted vocals which together created a raw and hones atmosphere. The light show and well mixed acoustic enhanced the atmosphere created through the music.

The energetic ending of the set left the crowd hyped and satisfied. Everyone seemed to have a great time singing along and dancing around. Alexisonfire highly appreciated the support and love of their fans and seemed to have a blast being back on stage. It was definitely a special time with great music and amazingly talented artist leaving everyone wondering what’s up next.

Venue: Alexandra Palace

Band: Alexisonfire

Support: Chastity

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All Points East – Bring Me The Horizon

Bring Me The Horizon headlined the All Points East Festival in London.

Following the debut in 2018, the All Points East festival which is a ten-day festival, returned to Victoria Park at the end of May. Offering an eclectic mix of music across two weekends with free arts, film and food events in between.

One of this year’s headliners as the Sheffield based heavy rock band Bring Me The Horizon who curated the lineup for their festival day including bands such as Architects, While She Sleeps, Sleeping With Sirens, Pengshui, Yonaka, Nothing But Thieves, Lotus Eater, Black Futures, Idles and many more who played across three different stages.

East Stage (main stage):

Bring Me The Horizon, Run The Jewels, Nothing But Thieves, Idles, Alice Glass, Scarlxrd, Tillie

North Stage:

Architects, While She Sleeps, Sleeping With Sirens, Yonaka, Employed To Serve, Lotus Eater

Firestone Stage:

Happyalone, Vucovi, Black Futures, Pengshui

On the way from the tube station to the festival area, there were many signs and staff guiding the visitors into the right direction which made it easy to find and access. However, the organisation on the side was not as good as there haven’t been enough signs guiding to the different stages nor were the stages labelled with their names. It was quite confusing to get information about the festival itself as well as to find the proper timings for each set. Nevertheless, I managed to get all the information I needed as the bands and other media partners posted about them.

Starting off, I decided to watch Yonaka’s set on the North Stage. The Brighton based quartet captured the audience with heir catchy melodies which animated the fans to dance and sing along.

Next up was the American alternative post-hardcore band Sleeping With Sirens who increased the energy levels in front of the stage. Offering a good mix of older heavier songs and some of their newer anthemlike tunes got the crowd singing all the lyrics on the top of their lungs and enjoying themselves in a big circle pit. Before they left the stage, they played a brand-new song, teasing their upcoming album which hinted a slightly heavier style which the band was known for in their earlier days.

The British metal heads While She Sleeps were next and literally tore the stage apart. Having a well-mixed set list with some of their older and some of their newer songs was greatly appreciated by the crowd who enjoyed themselves running around in circle pits, surfing the crowd and screaming the anthemic refrains on the top of their lungs. As a surprise, Oli Sykes who is the vocalist of the headlining band Bring Me The Horizon, joined While She Sleeps during ‘Hurricane’ which saw the fans lose their minds.

Last band on the North Stage was the Brighton based metalcore band Architects. The quintet is known for their emotive and anthemic songs and offered a good mix of their discography including some of their older songs such as ‘Gravedigger’, ‘Nihilist’, ‘Naysayer’, and ‘These Colours Don’t Run’ or ‘A Match Made In Heaven’, as well as some songs of their latest release ‘Holy Hell’ such as the opener ‘Modern Misery’, ‘Holy Hell’, ‘Royal Beggars’, ‘Mortal After All’, ‘Hereafter’, ‘Gone With The Wind’ and the epic closer ‘Doomsday’. Everyone seemed to have a great time, enjoying themselves surfing the crowd, running around in mosh pits and screaming the lyrics on the top of their lungs.

After Architects finished their set, there were only around five minutes left to head over to the main stage where Bring Me The Horizon were about to finishing off the festival day with an impressive live show. The Sheffield based heavy rock band didn’t fail to impress and surpass everyone’s expectations. Their two hour long setlist included some of their older songs which they haven’t played in a long time as well as some of their newer material. Starting off the set with Mantra, they set the energy levels high right from the start, followed by ‘Avalanche’, ‘The House Of Wolves’, ‘Medicine’ and ‘Wonderful Life’ together with Dani Filth leading into the seemingly heavier part of the set. After a quick intermission they dived right into ‘Diamonds Aren’t Forever’ with the crowd going mental, moshing around in circle pits, and were joined by Architect’s Sam Carter for the emotional track ‘The Sadness Will Never End’. Halfway through the set Oli sat down and took the time to speak to the crowd thanking them for their continuous support and how people came up to the band telling them how much their music has helped them especially after they released ‘Sempiternal’. Slowing it down a bit, the speech was followed by a heartbreakingly beautiful acoustic version of ‘Sleepwalking’ which saw the crowd belting every single word of the song on the top of their lungs. Leading into their final part of the set they played ‘Pray For Plagues’, the anthemic ‘Can You Feel My heart’ and ‘Shadow Moses’, as well as they got the crowd dancing during the electronically driven ‘Nihilist Blues’. Finishing off, they were supported by a choir during ‘It Never Ends’ and joined by Lotus Eater’s Jamie for ‘Antivist’ before ending the official set with ‘Follow You’ which had the crowd screaming every word back to the stage. As an encore they played ‘Throne’ and ‘Drown’ which left the crowd hyped and excited.

Overall, it was a great festival day with an amazing lineup, great bands and an engaging crowd. The bands and fans seemed to have a great time enjoying themselves moshing and singing along which was highly appreciated by all the bands.

The organisation and accessibility of information prior to the event could have been a tod better. Nonetheless, the staff on site were friendly and helpful. It definitely was a special time!

Bring Me The Horizon – BRITS Week and War Child

Every year, the BRITS team up with O2 in order to offer a week of intimate shows with big artist to support the British War Child foundation.

One of this year’s bands was the Sheffield based rock band Bring Me The Horizon. Following the release of their long awaited sixth full-length record ‘AMO’ earlier this year, the band announced some big festivals and tour dates for this year. Having changed their sound over the years from a death core into a broader heavy rock sound, the latest release was no difference, combining elements from metal, rock and electronica. This mix creates a unique and genre-less style and shows the artistic talent of the band.

As frontman Oli Sykes ruptured one of his vocal chords prior to the show that was originally scheduled for February, it was rescheduled for the end of May. Health the most important thing to look after!

The evening started off with a DJ set of Zoe London and an introduction speech from the representatives of the War Child foundation who have been able to raise half a million pounds with the intimate gigs so far. Following the speech, the lights turned off and two armed and masked figures entered the stage as the albums lead single ‘Mantra’ kicked in to let the crowd vanish in a huge stream of dust. Right from the start the crowd went mental enjoying themselves in a mosh pit in the middle of the venue. The excitement and energy grew even further when Bring Me The Horizon surprised the old school death core fans with ‘Pray For Plagues’, followed by ‘The House Of Wolves’. After a quick appearance of a huge Dani Filth figure taking over his part in ‘Wonderful Life’, ‘Diamonds Aren’t Forever’ kicks in with Oli chanting ‘We will never sleep, ‘cause sleep is for the weak’ echoed by the fans. ‘Shadow Moses’ created a more anthemic atmosphere followed by high crowd participation during ‘Happy Song’.

Slowing down the set and showing another more raw and vulnerable side of the band, Oli took some time to speak to the crowd about the changes of the band’s style from the beginning to now and how ‘Sempiternal’ was the first release that was followed by fans telling them they changed their lives. Since then, they wanted to write honest music about personal experiences that people care about and can relate to in order to change their lives or help them through difficult times. The speech was followed by an intimate acoustic version of ‘Sleepwalking’ which created a beautifully raw and almost haunted atmosphere.

With guitarist Lee playing the riff for ‘Sugar Honey Ice & Tea’ the atmosphere change completely and the crowd relieved the electricizing tension that was in the air, finishing off the set with ‘Follow You’. After chanting for encore, Bring Me The Horizon came back with ‘Chelsea Smile’ surprising the fans once more. Unfortunately, they experienced technical issues which lead to the decision that only one further song would be played which was a spontaneous but absolutely beautiful acoustic rendition of ‘Drown’ with Lee playing the acoustic guitar and Oli joining the crowd off the stage singing the song together.

It was definitely a special time for everyone involved. Both the fans and the band seemed to have an amazing time. The setlist showed all different facets of Bring Me The Horizon ranging from the wild and heavy deathcore side to a more personal, intimate and artistic side, catering to all of their fans equally. It was a great evening with great music, an amazing band and an amazed crowd, supporting the War Child organisation to raise money for a good cause.

Venue: The Dome

Band: Bring Me The Horizon

Support: DJ Zoe London

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Slam Dunk Festival 2019

Another year with a line-up of both up-and-coming artists as well as more established bands, based around the punk, emo and metal music scene at Slam Dunk Festival 2019.

Every year around the May Bank Holiday, Slam Dunk Festival takes place in usually three cities in the UK being Leeds, Hartfield and Birmingham, presenting both up-and-coming artists as well as more established bands, based around the punk, emo and metal music scene. However, this year, the festival only took place in Leeds and Hartfield welcoming around 71 bands playing across nine stages. Another novelty was that some tents contained two stages on which artists played in alternation to allow quicker changes and shorter breatks between each set as one stage prepared the set while artists played on the other stage. The right and left Key Club Stages, as well as the Jägermeister and Impericon stage were located in these tents.

Monster Energy Stage	Jäger- meister Stage	Impericon Stage	The Key Club Stage – Left Key	The Key Club Stage – Right Key
– WSTR – Boston Manor – As It Is – Waterpprks – Simple Plan – Neck Deep – New Found Glory – All Time Low	– The Plot In You – Wage War – The Word Alive – Silverstein – Story Of The Year – Atreyu – Bullet For My Valentine	– Angle Du$t – Knocked Loose – Turnstile – Cancer Bats – The Bronx – Gallows – Glassjaw – Modestep	– Kublai Khan – Hot Milk – Press To MECO – Between You & Me – Pagan – Employed To Serve – Grandson – I Don’t Know How	– Cruel Hand – Wallflower – Y3K – Story Untold – Our Hollow, Our Home – Shvpes – Microwave – Lights

Punk in Drublic	Dickies Stage	Acoustic Stage	Marshall Stage
– The Bombpops – Anti-Flag – Mad Caddies – The Interrupters – Millencilin – Lagwagon – Less Than Jake – NOFX	– Milk Teeth – Tiny Moving Parts – Tiger Jaw – Saves The Day – The Get Up Kids – Touché Amoré – The Menzingers	– John Floreani – tiLLie – Lizzy Farrell – Chas Palmer-Williams – Liam Cromby – Rob Lynch – Justin Pierre	– William Ryan Key – A Loss For Words – Trophy Eyes – Seaway – Real Friends – Hello Goodbye – Plain White P’s

After some difficulties with the trains to get to the festival ground, which is actually easy to reach if the public transport works properly, last ear, I was slightly concerned that it might happen again but luckily the train ran without major delays. The ques for the bag search and ticket control at the beginning were well organised and not too long which allowed a short waiting time.

Starting off the festival day, I went straight to the Jägermaister Stage, located in the same tend as the Impericon Stage, to see the American post-hardcore band The Plot In You who opened the stage with a lot of energy and played a good mix of their songs focusing on the latest album which was well received by the fans who sung all the lyrics back on the top of their voices. Eventhough they played quite early, there was a big crowd in front of the stage who was engaging in the performance and enjoyed themselves which was highly appreciated by the band.

As I wanted to see the next band on the Jägermeister Stage, I stayed inside the tend and watched the Knocked Loose set from the back who played on the opposite stage. When they finished, Wage War, an American metalcore band, entered the Jägermeister Stage and played an energetic and fast paced set. Their mix of heavy breakdowns and melodic choruses created a dynamic atmosphere and was great received by the fans.

Just before The Word Alive played their set, Turnstile fired through their set on the other stage inside the tent. The Word Alive, an American post-hardcore quartet, just finished their EU and UK ten-year anniversary tour and entered the stage highly motivated. The crowd went absolutely mental, run around in circle pits and screamed the lyrics back to the stage. Everyone seemed to have a great time and enjoyed themselves. The Word Alive played a good mix of their older and newer songs which was well received by the crowd.

For the next band I had a quick change of the venue and went to the tent that included both Key Club Stages. The first band I wanted to see there was the British melodic metalcore band Our Hollow, Our Home who mixed melodic choruses with heavy breakdowns and mostly shouted verses which created an anthemic atmosphere. The crowd enjoyed the set and screamed all the lyrics back to the quintet who highly appreciated the crowd participation.

Next up was the Australian black metal quartet Pagan who played the stage on the other side and heated up the air with their wild and energetic performance. Front woman Nikki set the energy high with her shouted singing style and dynamic stage performance, inviting the crowd to become part of the cult and celebration.

When Pagan finished their set Shvpes, a British alternative metal band, entered the other stage and kicked off with their energetic performance. Their mix of rock, metal and rap influences creates a unique style and dynamic atmosphere. The crowd enjoyed themselves by moshing in circle pits and singing along which was highly appreciated by the band.

Moving to another stage, I went to see the British punk pop quartet Neck Deep who were playing on the Monster Energy Stage. With their dynamic music, they got the crowd moving. There was a big circle pit in front of the stage and several crowd surfers made their way to the stage. Everyone seemed to have a great time and to enjoy themselves.

For the last few bands I went back to the tend with the Jägermeister and Impericon stages. Next up was the American heavy Metal Band Atreyu who already set the energy levels high for the headliners of the stage. While the Jägermeister stage was prepared for Bullet For My Valentine, Glassjaw, an American post-hardcore band, played on the opposite stage inside the tent.

The last band I saw was one of the headliners, the Welsh heavy metal band Bullet For My Valentine who ended the festival with a bang! They played a good mix of some of their older but also newer songs which was highly appreciated by the fans who enjoyed themselves moshing and dancing around.

Even though the weather was rather rainy and humid towards the end, it wasn’t too bad as most of the bands I went to see were located inside the tents. However, it would not have been a proper festival if there hadn’t been sunshine and rain.

The organisation of the festival seemed to be well planned and thought through without too many queues neither for the bag control nor for the food or toilets. The food stalls however didn’t seem to be as varied as last year. There were a few standard stalls offering pizza, pasta, burgers and fries, but as far as I was aware of there weren’t a lot of vegan options or if so, they might not have been as obvious. The staff was helpful and there was a lot of security which created a safe and care taking atmosphere. Additionally, the audience was well behaved, looked out for one another and seemed to have enjoyed themselves. Getting home from the venue, the festival offered a shuttle bus service for which tickets could be booked prior to the event. Additionally there were helpful staff members selling tickets next to the bus station if someone decided to take the bus but didn’t by a ticket in advance. The queues were alright and the sings guided the direction so everyone could find the exits and services they needed easily.

Overall, it was a great festival day, with good music, amazing bands, and an audience who seemed to have a special time!

The Word Alive – The Underworld, Camden

The Word Alive are celebrating their ten-year anniversary as a band and just finished their Europe and UK tour with their final gig in London before heading to Slam Dunk Festival.

The American post-hardcore quartet comprising vocalist Telle Smith, both guitarists Zack Hansen and Tony Pizzuti, as well as drummer Matt Horn have been around for ten years which they celebrated with their ten-year anniversary tour. So far, the band released five full-length albums of which the latest one was ‘Violent Noise’ (2018, via Fearless Records) as well as multiple singles. Over the years their sound changed a bit but in a charming and artistic way while the band always stays true to themselves without losing their identity. Their sound is a mix of heavy breakdowns, catchy refrains and driving riffs, supporting Telle’s both soaring screams and impressive clean vocals.

Opening at around 7pm, The Underworld filled up quickly to a quite mixed audience. First band of the night was the Swedish metalcore band Aviana who will be releasing their new album ‘Epicenter’ later this year via Arising Empire and set off the energy levels high.

Next up was the American metalcore quintet Of Virtue comprising vocalist Tyler Ennis, both guitarists Damon Tate and Michael Valadez, bassist Jon Fox and drummer Kyle Pruehs. The band just released their new album ‘What Defines You’ (2019, via Sharptone Records) which mixes heavy guitar riffs, soaring screams and driving drums with anthemic and melodic choruses. Their dynamic set got the crowd moving and hyped for the following bands.

Make Them Suffer, an Australian metal band, were up next and created an atmospheric vibe with their mix between heavy breakdowns and melodic synths.

With The World Alive entering the stage the crowd went mental and sang every lyric of the songs on the top of their lungs. The set was a walk through all of their album eras starting off with ‘The Hounds Of Anubis’, ‘Epiphany’ and ‘2012’ od their debut ‘Deceiver’ (2010), followed by ‘Play The Victim’ ‘Lighthouse’ and ‘The Runaway’ of their third full-length ‘Real’ (2014) before finishing off the set with a alternating mix of songs from their latest releases ‘Dark Matter’ (2016) and ‘Violent Noise’ including favourites such as ‘Sellout’, ‘Misery’, ‘Trapped’, ‘Red Clouds’, ‘Made This Way’, ‘Why Am I Like This?’ and ‘Human’. ‘Misery’ and ‘Rise’ appeared halfway through the set. However, they couldn’t leave the venue without having played ‘Life Cycles’. Ending the set on this song, Telle jumped off the stage to join the crowd in front of the stage which was highly appreciated by the fans. The energy of the crowd seamed to increase with every song. Everyone was dancing around, joining the big circle pit in the middle of the venue or made their way to the stage by surfing the crowd. As it was Telle’s birthday, the set was stopped towards the end by the crew and other bands to sing ‘Happy Birthday and challenge Telle to crowd surf to the bar and back which he successfully mastered, cheering with some shots back on stage.

Overall, it was a great evening and a special time with amazing bands, a good sound and light show for each set and an energetic crowd. Everyone, both the bands on stage and the audience, seemed to enjoy themselves and having a great time.

Venue: The Underworld

Band: The Word Alive

Support: Aviana, Of Virtue, Make Them Suffer

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Chapter And Verse – Thousand Island, London

Chapter And Verse just finished their first ever headlining tour in the UK and it was a blast.

The London based alt-rock quintet comprising vocalist Josh Carter, both guitarists Darren Gosling and Ash Morton, bassist Jonny Hopwood and drummer Kevin Miller just released their first EP ‘Glow’ (2019, self-released) in January before hitting the road for their first UK headlining tour in May of which the second date was in London at the Thousand Island. Chapter And Verse are known for their emotive alt-rock influences, Josh Carters delicate yet energetic vocals alternating between fragile falsettos and soaring screams, as well as their dynamic guitar riffs. Their thoughtfully crafted songs and unique sound makes them sand out and exciting to listen to.

Especially live, the alternation between emotive calm melodies and heavy riffs creates a dynamic atmosphere and animates the audience to go crazy. Hence, there was nothing less to expect from the quite mixed audience at the Thousand Island gig. Opening the stage, the Southampton based alternative band Wavebye set the vibe for the evening and got the crowd dancing just before Veridian entered the stage. The rock outlet from Reading comprises Simon Jackman (vocals), Robbie Everett (guitar), Jonny Slevin (bass), Joe Sellers (guitar), Zack Watson (drums) and James Marshall Stack (keys). Their dynamic rock sound shows influences from bands such as Mallory Knox or Young Guns and brought some energetic vibes with it. Next band on the stage was the emo punk duo Delaire The Liar who played an impressively energetic set hyping up the crowd. Ffin’s vocals alternate between an incredible clean range and shouted vocals which creates dynamic and excitement. With Chapter And Verse entering the stage the audience went mental and screamed the lyrics on the top of their lungs, especially for the latest single ‘Ink’, and moshed around for some of the wilder songs such as ‘Devil In Blue’ or ‘Magazines’. Even Josh joined the crowd which was highly appreciated by the fans. Towards the end of the set crowd surfers made their way to the front of the stage and had a blast.

The sound in the venue was quite good and the lighting was fitted for each set. Chapter and verse kept the lights rather dark and decorated the stage with some smaller lams to create a homely and cosy living room atmosphere which fitted the vibe of the evening perfectly.

Overall, it was a special time and amazing evening with amazingly talented artists and an energetic audience. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun and the bands appreciated the participation of the crowd.

Venue: Thousand Island

Band: Chapter And Verse

Support: Wavebye, Veridian, Delaire The Liar

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