The Xcerts, I Am the Avalanche and Brand New 15/02/2012

Scottish band ‘The Xcerts’ were the first band on stage; young, exciting and extremely enjoyable to listen to. Despite not being remarkably well known, they provided an entertaining set with catchy riffs and powerful lyrics. ‘Slackerpop’, a song which has recently been featured on ‘Kerrang!’, is an enthusiastic rock anthem which really got the crowd moving. Finishing with the fast-paced ‘Hurt With Me’, the ‘The Xcerts’ used tonight to prove how talented they are, and hopefully we will be hearing a lot more from them in the near future.

Brooklyn boys ‘I Am the Avalanche’ exploded onto the stage with ‘Holy Fuck’; a wise move, as the amount of ‘Woahs!’ enabled the entire crowd to join in, whether they had heard of the band before or not. The lead singer, Vinnie Caruana, seemed truly astounded by how much the crowd were enjoying themselves and extremely grateful for the support, which is humbling to see from a recent band nowadays. The fast riffs and melodic singing in 'The Gravedigger's Argument' was astounding to listen to, and the swift changes in the pace of the song highlighted how exciting they are to watch live. 


The style of music Brand New perform is incredible; it ranges from melodic hardcore, to rock, to alternative. Despite being hard to define, they are a powerful and enticing live band; pure emotion oozes out of every lyric that escapes Jesse Lacey’s mouth. ‘Millstone’ had the crowd stood in amazement, yet the sound of everyone singing along was deafening. Jesse opened up for ‘Sic Transit Gloria.. Glory Fades’ by saying “This song is the best song we’ve ever wrote,” which was definitely apparent from the jumping which occurred as soon as the song started. ‘Seventy Times 7’ was an instant crowd pleaser; the lyrics are extremely strong and angry. A softer approach was met for the melodic ‘Mixtape’ and ‘Jesus’, with many lighters in the air and lots of swaying. Jesse is an incredible front man; not just due to his voice, but also how down-to-earth he is. He even had a rant about the different between American and English crisps, which was absolutely hilarious. After an impressive hour and a half set, ‘Brand New’ closed with ‘You Won’t Know’, the riff haunting everyone in the crowd. All in all, it was a fantastic night for rock/alternative music, filled with powerful lead singers and catchy riffs. 

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.

Never Say Die Tour (As Blood Runs Black, The Word Alive, Deez Nuts, Emmure and Suicide Silence) 9/10/11

Due to the commercial success of the Never Say Die tour in the past, this year it was back with even more of a bang! Despite the resemblance to a Justin Bieber song, there was no pop here! Sponsored by Impericon, the headliners this year were Suicide Silence, and it definitely was a concert to remember.

Due to transport issues I missed the first two bands (Vanna and The Human Abstract), so the first band I saw were As Blood Runs Black. Despite not knowing many of their songs, they instantly engaged with the audience and offered a fresh new deathcore sound. The lead singer, Sonik Garcia, seemed extremely grateful to be presented with such an energetic crowd, and they played songs such as ‘In Dying Days’ and ‘Divided’. They had strong guitarists and definitely are a band to watch out for in the future.

The next band on were The Word Alive, an American metalcore band from Arizona. I was slightly sceptical when I saw their name on the line up as on record they didn’t seem as ‘heavy’ as the other bands listed, however, they sounded a lot heavier with more screaming live and performed amazingly well. Their performance of ‘2012’ was astounding and the crowd seemed to love them.

Deez Nuts, a hardcore punk band from Australia, are renowned for their explicit lyrics and energetic stage shows. Despite their slightly negative reputation, they were really fun to watch and engaged the audience well. Their crowd chants made them more accessible to the audience (for example “I hustle every day, every day, every day!” and the unpleasant “Your mother should have swallowed you!”). The lead singer had a strong voice that filled the venue and the mosh pits were intense.

The next band on were Emmure. Love them or hate them, you have to admit they were amazing live. The lead singer Frankie Palmeri has an indescribable voice and he was fascinating to watch. They played songs such as ‘I Thought You Met Telly and Turned Me Into Casper’, ‘Demons with Ryu’ and ‘R2 Deepthroat’. It really was amusing hearing the whole crowd shout “The next time you see her, ask your girl what my dick tastes like!” Things like this would only happen at a metal gig! I was pleasantly surprised with Emmure’s setlist as it had a wide mixture of songs to engage old and new fans. The passion Frankie displayed on stage was intense and I highly recommend that if you haven’t already to check them out.

The final band on were called Suicide Silence. They opened with ‘Wake Up’, which definitely did wake up any of the crowd that were exhausted from such a long night of metal! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd go so mental as they did during ‘You Only Live Once’, the latest single off ‘Black Crown’. Mitch Lucker proved anyone in the crowd who seemed doubtful of Suicide Silence’s musical ability wrong and his energy was infectious. I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘Fuck Everything’ became many people’s new anthem last night as it was an amazing demonstration of how metal music can be used to portray your emotions and rid yourself of anger.

All in all, it was a fantastic night with an incredible line up that helped introduce metal fans into new bands and genres. All I can say is bring on next year!