Kill Hannah @ The Sanctuary, Birmingham – 1st May 2008

KHK5

Tonight’s Kerrang Raw gig sees Kill Hannah return to a smaller venue, a setting they are much more suited to than at their recent main Academy appearance. With lasers flying off the walls and smoke machines filling the darkened room, the atmosphere is much more intense. However, the majority of the crowd are fairly young and with a complete lack of crowd surfing and a fair few parents dragged along, there is definitely a feeling of safety, which is never a particularly good thing at a rock show.

Singer Mat Devine frequently voices his appreciation for the band’s devoted fans, taking the time to look at the banners and messages that fill the front row of the crowd. Due to the absence of any support bands, the Chicago boys have plenty of time to play with, delivering the majority of 2006 release ‘Until There’s Nothing Left Of Us’ along with a few older songs. A slightly shaky cover of The Smashing Pumpkins’ ‘Cherub Rock’ is probably better appreciated by the parents in the crowd than the younger fans, however it is good to see a band acknowledging their influences and doing what they want, rather than what they think is expected of them.

KHK3

For the well loved, ‘Crazy Angel’, Mat asks the crowd to ‘Tear the place apart’, yet aside from the usual jumping and screaming, the crowd fail to really give much of a response to his request, leaving security with nothing to do and The Sanctuary very much intact. Kill Hannah are enjoyable to watch live and have an interesting sound, however they are beginning to seem like the ‘safer’ alternative to other more recent bands such as Gallows and Mindless Self Indulgence who prompt far more rebellion and anger from their reasonably young fans.

KILLHANNAHFANSKHK2

Final song ‘Welcome To Chicago, Motherfucker’ is a welcome change to the usual set closer ‘Lips Like Morphine’, which finds a place slightly earlier in the set. This move works well with tonight’s crowd who even know the unreleased songs off by heart. The fans are given the chance to get even more close and personal with the band after the show as they appear to sign anything that is thrown at them and pose for endless pictures.

The incredible demand for tickets to tonight’s show highlights how popular the band are now becoming, making Mat Devine’s onstage statement ‘This is only the beginning’ seem like a very strong possibility for Kill Hannah.

KHK9

Review – Helen Catchpowle
Photos – Lucy Pryor

About Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *