Calvin Harris and Rihanna 29/11/11

Calvin Harris and Rihanna are two of the biggest names in the music industry at the moment. After their collaboration song ‘We Found Love’ reached number one, it was the perfect line up for an amazing night of dance and pop music.

Calvin Harris arrived on stage with an amazing lightshow in the background. He entered the DJ box and despite only being able to see his silhouette it was apparent it was him from his amazing music abilities and voice. As well as playing his own songs, he mixed in popular chart songs such as ‘Party Rock Anthem’ by LMFAO to engage the crowd and to give them fresh new music to listen to. Through the use of his musical skills he was able to make the whole sold-out NIA Arena move around and become extremely excited for Rihanna. When he asked the crowd to scream so loud that Rihanna could hear them back stage the sound was almost deafening! Calvin Harris is an incredible versatile DJ and amazing to watch live.

As soon as the lights dimmed and a video of Rihanna started playing the tension was unbearable. When she appeared on stage it was amazing, she opened with her single ‘Only Girl (In the World)’, which sold over a million copies. Her voice was astounding, and proved that despite her sex-symbol status, she was still an incredible singer. She used many different props and pyrotechnics, including a car and dancing crash-test dummies for ‘Shut Up and Drive’, pole dancers for her incredibly unique cover of Prince’s ‘Darling Nikki’ and chains and whips for the provocative ‘S&M’. She even had a tank that shot out smoke for ‘Hard’. One incredibly lucky female was brought onto stage with Rihanna for ‘Skin’. Despite using so many props on stage she was still able to dance and sing incredibly, much more than most ‘pop stars’ around at the moment. She had many different costume changes including a leather corset, a beautiful yellow dress and sparkly underwear. ‘Unfaithful’ proved her voice was extremely versatile and has shown how much she has progressed in the past few years.

Rihanna is an incredible music icon and puts on a fantastic stage show. Anyone who has the chance to see her live should definitely take it up as no matter what genre of music you are into, you will be amazed by her stage presence and beautiful voice. 

An Evening With Dimmu Borgir 26/11/11

Dimmu Borgir are one of the most highly regarded Norwegian black metal bands, and have been since their formation in 1993. There was no support band; this night was all about Dimmu Borgir, and in particular their 1997 album ‘Enthrone Darkness Triumphant’. The first set was Dimmu Borgir playing the album in its entirety, and for many in the audience it brought the feeling of nostalgia from the first time they heard the amazing album. Shagrath has an incredible stage presence; it was almost impossible not to watch his every move. Even fourteen years after then album was released, he still sounded as incredible live as he does on the recording. Opening with ‘Mourning Palace’, the crowd was mesmerised by the band and they proved they are still going strong. Shagrath dedicated ‘A Succubus in Rapture’ to the females in the audience and it was definitely a crowd favourite. After the last track on the album, ‘Raabjørn Speiler Draugheimens Skodde’, the band left the stage.

After a short break the band, in which Daray played an incredible drum solo, the band appeared back on stage and still looking raring to go. Their stage outfits were amazing; their world-renowned face paint, black leather clothes, boots and spikes everywhere. They played such classics as the metal anthem ‘Dimmu Borgir’, ‘Gateways’ and ‘Puritania’. Their performance of ‘The Serpentine Offering’ was perfect and a great example of Norwegian black metal at its finest.

 All in all, Dimmu Borgir put on an intense live show and proved that they will still be going strong in years to come.

Me, The Pretty Reckless and Evanescence 13/11/11

Despite not being particularly well known, Me were a surprisingly refreshing neo-rock band from Australia. Luke Ferris has an amazing vocal range, and every song sounded completely unique, ensuring that the audience stayed focussed on the music whilst having a good time. The catchy chorus of ‘Naked’ made it easy for the crowd to sing along as if they’d been fans since the beginning. The guitar solos were impressive, and as they incorporated styles from all different genres, it was nearly impossible not to like them. They’re definitely a band to watch out for!

Opening with one of the ultimate rock-chick anthems, ‘Since You’re Gone’, Taylor Momsen’s raspy voice filled the academy greeted by thousands of adoring fans. ‘Zombie’ was an instant crowd-pleaser and was perfect for showing her vocal abilities. The punk riffs and catchy lyrics contributed to an incredible performance; The Pretty Reckless wowed the crowd and proved that they were about the music, not just the fame.  Their cover of ‘Seven Nation Army’ was incredibly unique and matched Taylor’s voice perfectly. However, the best song of the night was definitely ‘Make Me Wanna Die’, which launched their journey to fame.

Opening with their latest single ‘What You Want’ seemed extremely fitting; “Hello, hello, remember me?” due to Evanescence’s disappearance from the music scene, however, their new album and amazing live performance proved they’re back for good! They played a mixture of old songs to appeal to all of the fans, including ‘Going Under’, ‘Lithium’ and ‘Call Me When You’re Sober’. Amy Lee’s voice was phenomenal and her skills on the piano were astounding. Playing ‘Bring Me To Life’ brought nostalgia to the crowd. ‘My Immortal’ was a perfect song to end the evening with, proving that although Evanescence are progressing musically, they will never forget their roots.

Black Spiders and Volbeat 27/10/11

“No make up, no bullshit, just good hippy rock music!” Micheal Poulson’s wise words set the tone for the evening, and the high expectations of the evening were far surpassed from this incredible evening of rock.

Despite only forming in 2008, Black Spiders were a surprisingly energetic hard rock band with a huge fan base; probably stemming from winning 'Best Underground Band' at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards last year. They managed to turn a hostile crowd into fans with just a short set, and their performance considering they were a support band was astounding.  Opening with ‘Stay Down’, the fast-paced and vigorous hard rock sound was apparent and catchy and with Pete ‘Spider’ Spiby’s rough yet melodic vocals it was impossible not to like them. It seemed like their most popular song of the evening was ‘Just like a Woman’, which incorporated aspects from old-fashioned British rock ‘n’ roll with a modern twist and an incredibly catchy chorus. With song titles such as  ‘KISS Tried to Kill me’ it shows they are a light-hearted band out to reinvent the genre and perform great rock shows. Black Spiders prove that rock industry is still going strong and they give a fresh input to the genre.

When Volbeat appeared on stage the crowd reaction was fantastic. The o2 Academy was filled with a diverse range of people from all over the world, but they all shared one thing; a love for Volbeat. Opening with ‘The Human Instrument’, the rock ‘n’ roll influenced power chords and Michael Poulsen’s voice created an incredibly different sound from anything ever heard before. The passion that the band played with was apparent throughout their whole performance and they seemed truly grateful for the fans’ support. Michael encouraged crowd participation and Jon Larsen even looked worried when fans were crowd surfing. When the crowd were asked where some of them has seen Volbeat before as this was their first UK tour, a resounding cry of ‘Sonisphere!’ shows that the festival scene is fantastic for making different bands accessible to everyone. Their wide range of influences was evident due to their amazing cover of Johnny Cash’s ‘Sad Man’s Tongue’ and  Dusty Springfield’s ‘I Only Want to be With You’, putting their own ‘hippy rock’ influences into them to make them unique. ‘Radio Girl’ was an instant crowd-pleaser and ‘Still Counting’ proved how distinctive their style is; there could never be another band like Volbeat. They put Denmark on the scene for unique rock music and illustrates how rock music has progressed throughout the years to create their amazingly distinctive sound. If you’re looking for a mixture of rock, country, metal and a lot of passion, go and see Volbeat live!

Motionless in White, Pierce the Veil and Blessthefall 17/10/11

Motionless in White, Pierce the Veil and Blessthefall; a metalcore fan’s heaven. When Motionless in White came on stage they didn’t look like the traditional metalcore band, covered in make up and dressed to ‘impress’. First impressions concluded that they were a clone of Black Veil Brides, however, their music was a lot less whiney and a lot catchier. Their best-received song was ‘Creatures’ and although they were mediocre live, it felt like they were trying too hard to engage with the audience (for example, insulting ‘Twilight’, which is stereotypically disliked by most metal/rock fans). Having a birthday cake for Christopher Cerulli subverted expectations for the show and he gave a heart-felt speech, however, with less emphasis on trying to shock and more emphasis into their playing they can grow to be a successful band. Pierce the Veil were full of contagious energy; the crowd’s reception was fantastic and it’s impossible to stand still at a Pierce the Veil show. They played a good mixture of old songs, such as ‘Yeah Boy and Doll Face’ and later songs, such as their most famous song ‘Caraphernelia’. Their infamous cover of ‘Like a G6’ was pleasantly surprising and warmed the audience up for Blessthefall, who were on next. Vic Fuentes’ voice is raw and passion-filled, making Pierce the Veil an incredible live band who deserve more credit than they get. After a long wait, Blessthefall exploded onto the stage with their iconic fast riffs and powerful vocals. Beau Bokan was a natural on stage and fascinating to watch. He managed to interact with the audience perfectly and those who didn’t know any better would think he had always been the vocalist of Blessthefall. They played such classics as ‘Black Rose Dying’, ‘Hey Baby, Here’s That Song You Wanted’ and even ‘God Wears Gucci’. Their latest song, ‘Awakening’, was received well and sounded as good as their previous albums, maybe even better. Despite the frequent lineup changes, Blessthefall are an incredible live band and their new album is definitely one all metalcore fans need to add to their collection.

Dot Rotten, Delilah and Chase and Status 6/10/11

Over the past few years Chase & Status have gone from strength to strength and seem to have an ever-growing fan base. They've worked with highly regarded singers such as Plan B, Tinie Tempah and Dizzee Rascal and seem to unite all different genres of music.They’ve become renowned for their fantastic live performances and I finally got the chance to see why they’re so highly regarded by drum and bass fans, pop fans and rock fans alike.

The first support was London grime rapper, Dot Rotten. Despite a very hesitant crowd, he seemed to be in his element on stage and soon got the venue moving. Although it was obvious he wasn’t well known to the crowd, he was a strong live performer and managed to engage with the audience. His set was short, but it was long enough for him to gain a few more fans and get the crowd worked up for the next couple of bands.

The next artist on stage was Delilah, who has worked on songs such as ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘Time’ with Chase & Status. Her unique look and sound captivated the crowd and her voice easily filled the whole arena. Despite how nervous she was when she started, she sounded great and presented a more relaxed vibe than the grime artist on before her. Her new single, ‘Go’, was a mixture of existing songs but presented in a new and exciting way. Although she was good, it was apparent that the crowd were getting disinterested due to the slower pace, so she played her single again but a lot faster and with more electronic beats. All in all, she was a good performer, but maybe should have picked a more exciting set for such a energetic crowd.

After an extremely long wait, Chase & Status appeared on stage. The opened with ‘No Problem’, which was an instant crowd pleaser. The lighting and videos in the background were amazing and fitted the music perfectly. The next song they played was ‘Eastern Jam’, which demonstrated that they were going to play songs off both albums, appealing to both types of Chase & Status fans. Tempa T (A.KA. ‘Tempz’) joined the stage for a rendition of his song ‘Next Hype’, which led into the collaboration song ‘Hypest Hype’, which was fantastic and full of energy. Delilah joined Chase & Status on stage for performances of ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘Time’. Although they didn’t have all of their guest performances with them on the tour, all of the songs played sounded amazing and the atmosphere could not have been any more intense. ‘Blind Faith’ with Liam Bailey was performed with such passion and sounded even better than the recorded version.

All in all, it was a fantastic concert with an amazing set list from Chase & Status. If anyone is looking to watch an amazing night of drum and bass, I would highly recommend that you go and see Chase & Status!

Bayside, Pierce The Veil and A Day to Remember 2/2/11

Last night, I attended the A Day To Remember tour at the Birmingham o2 academy. As I made my way towards the academy, the queue was visible from many roads away. The turn out for this gig was amazing; it was probably one of the fullest gigs I’ve ever seen at the o2, mind you it was to be expected considering the sold-out tour and how popular A Day To Remember have become recently since their latest album ‘What Separates Me From You’ was released in November.

After a long time outside in the queue, I got into the academy at around half seven-ish; when Pierce The Veil came on stage. They were met by many cheers and opened with ‘Yeah Boy and Doll Face’, which is one of my favourite songs by PTV. Vic Fuentes’ voice was incredible and filled out the whole academy. The band had lots of energy and they were fascinating to watch. After they finished that song, they went into a cover of the popular song ‘Like a G6’, which was a real crowd-pleaser and created many mosh pits and circle pits. The next song that they played was even wilder, not because of the band but because of the crowd’s reaction when Jeremy McKinnon (lead singer of A Day To Remember) came on stage to perform backing vocals. All in all, they were an amazing live band and I think they’ve gained a lot of new fans from their pretty much flawless performance; they really got the crowd ready for the brutality of A Day To Remember.

The next band on were Bayside; a rock band from New York. However, the crowd didn’t sound excited for when they came on stage; they were not greeted with an inviting reaction. Nevertheless, they started their set and after the first couple of songs there was the smell of regret (and sweat… lots of sweat) amongst the crowd and they seemed more inviting and started to enjoy their set. The sound of Bayside’s set seemed a lot calmer than Pierce The Veil’s and it almost created a restless atmosphere amongst the crowd; they wanted A Day To Remember and they wanted them now. I honestly have nothing against Bayside, I personally think they were pretty good live but I do not think that they were the right genre of music for such a pit-loving crowd and that they needed a heavier band to set the right atmosphere.

As soon as A Day To Remember came on stage all hell broke loose; it was absolutely insane. I had seen them before (when they supported Bring Me The Horizon a few years ago) so I knew that the atmosphere was going to be mental, but it was incredible to see so many people inspired by what used to just be small band from Florida. They opened with ‘2^nd Sucks’ which set the style for most of their set; heavy guitar riffs, powerful lyrics and a mixture of screaming and singing. They played a mixture of older songs, such as ‘I’m Made Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of’, ‘Mr Highway’s Thinking About The End’ and ‘Homesick’, whilst still playing newer songs such as their recent popular single’ All I Want’, ‘The House That Doubt Built’ and ‘Sticks & Bricks’. I honestly have a lot of respect for Jeremy McKinnon as he can scream so powerfully, but he can also sing so beautifully; it’s so much better than most of the generic ‘screamo’ bands that are around today that couldn’t hold a note to save their lives. Jeremy proved what an amazing voice he had when he came onstage for the encore with an acoustic guitar and played ‘If It Means A Lot To You’; it was beautiful. When they played the popular song, ‘The Downfall Of Us All’, it was received by many crowd surfers and even more insane pits; it was obvious it was a real favourite amongst the fans. The last song was ‘The Plot To Bomb The Panhandle’ and it was an amazing song to end on.

 All in all, it was a great gig and was worth badly injuring my foot and the bruises. It wasn’t just a day to remember; it was definitely a night to remember too!