Kerrang! Tour @ O2 Institute, 5 December, 2017
Tonight was the first of many shows for the Kerrang! Tour. Having boasted great performances in recent years by the likes of Don Broco, Sum 41, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and Limpbizkit, tonight was no exception for such a line-up. Consisting of Welsh hardcore punk band Casey, Alternative Scottish band Vukovi, Pop Punk heroes Boston Manor and finally, hailing from Australia, The Amity Affliction.
Unfortunately the O2 Institute isn’t known for it’s organisation, and with more than one event going on tonight the chaos was real. Getting there well timed with the queue almost gone I still waited for over an hour and a half, with the security telling people to get in queues to find out they’re in the wrong line, moving over only to find out they were in the correct queue all along, no information being given out and most of the time questions being ignored by the doormen, it was clear there was no organisation and no-one knew what was going on tonight. All this commotion did mean I missed seeing the opening act, Casey, which was a bummer as it’s the band I was personally looking forward to the most. Casey released their first album in 2016, “Love Is Not Enough’, and it was met with great reviews, I’ve had it on repeat for weeks and I’ve heard nothing but praise of their live performances. So although I didn’t manage to see them tonight, I’d recommend everyone to give them a listen and go see them next time they’re around.
Although the issues of getting in put a damper on the night initially, it was quickly relieved, as I managed to get into the venue the second band of the night Vukovi were just entering the stage. Vukovi released their debut self-titled album in March of this year and since then have gone to make quite a reputation for themselves and their live performances. Tonight was no exception, they sounded incredible. With vocalist Janine Shilstone owning the stage, it was clear this band were very comfortable in front of a crowd. The interaction with the crowd was a personal highlight, as Janine got into the crowd, posing and letting people take selfies, all while continuing to sing and on a couple of occasions took peoples phone to the stage to carry on the selfies and recording through-out their performance. Definitely a special take-away for those audience members. The band played a selection of songs taken from their self-titled album including ‘La Di Da’ and ‘Target Practice’, finishing the show with ‘Boy George’.
Next, it was Boston Manor’s turn. These guys have already made a name for themselves in the UK Pop Punk scene, after playing at such events as 2000 Trees Festival and Slam Dunk. They’ve always given amazing performances and always been met with an incredible crowd. Again, tonight was no different. The mosh pits quickly opened and everyone was going wild. Playing hits such as ‘Burn You Up’ and ‘Lead Feet’, they band were on fire. However, their set did seem a bit rushed, being given only 30 minutes seemed a little short for such a band, their last song quickly came around. ‘Laika’ was met with utter chaos, leaving the crowd wanting more.
The lights turned down and room was filled with the crowd roaring as it was time for tonight’s headliner to take the stage. The band took the stage to the eerie bells of ‘I Bring The Weather With Me’ played before the screams of frontman Joel Birch filled the room, and again, chaos. Although the previous bands played flawlessly, it was clear everyone in this room came here tonight for The Amity Affliction.
Word for word their songs were sung and screamed back to them, everyone joining in with the dancing and the mosh pits, throwing their fists in the air.
Carrying their set on with ‘Open Letter’, ‘Lost and Fading’ and ‘Never Alone’, tonight felt very much standard – not meaning to take anything away from tonight’s performance, in-fact the opposite, these guys are used to being on the stage, loving what they do and bouncing off the energy of the room. The monstrous breakdown was met with swinging limbs and flying spin kicks as the pit became a chaotic frenzy. Giving the crowd a chance to hydrate and recuperate, the set turned to a more relaxed note as the soft strums and vocals of ‘All Fucked Up’, which was a highlight for me – this song shows that this band isn’t just full of the same chaotic, fast paced songs, that can at points, blend into each-other.
Finishing the night with ‘This Could be Heartbreak’, the popularity of The Amity Affliction just keeps growing, and with great songs, and a very solid live show, these lads will just get bigger and better.
Setlist;
I Bring the Weather With Me, Open Letter, Lost & Fading, Never Alone, Chasing Ghosts, The Weigh Down, All Fucked Up, Death’s Hand, Shine On, Pittsburgh, Don’t Lean On Me, This Could Be Heartbreak
Reviewer: Jordan Wynn
Photographer: Adriana Vasile