Some gigs you just know that everyone is there for the main act, and this was definitely one of them. A fair amount of the crowd stayed outside the main hall or simply sat around taking it all in for the first couple of hours.
Child’s Pose were first to take the stage, and it took them a while to get fully going even though they had quite a short set. With a fairly mellow energy from the band, it was quite a hard set to get in to – and from the limited crowds response, you could tell they just wanted the main act on already. With some attempt to interact with the audience, a little work on stage presence will make them stand out from the crowd and make their performance better.
Next up to hit the stage was Canadian band Chastity and vocalist Brandon definitely brought the energy levels up. After just a couple of songs he’s parading across the pit and engaging with the audience – which I love! With songs packed full of grit, it would have been great to have a little more interaction from the other musicians to match the style of music.
Finally it’s time for Alexisonfire to take the stage – and wow the crowd was certainly ready for them! The band doesn’t need an introduction, they burst on to the stage with their song Accidents, and there’s so much movement on stage I’m not sure where to focus. Vocalist George Pettit soon enough starts to rip up the t-shirt he’s wearing, causing the audience to go wild, and crowd-surfers to start coming over in to the pit with security guards protecting the stage.
As their set continues, they only seem too be getting better. The band hadn’t released any music for years, until very recently with the tracks Familiar Drugs and Complicit. They did play Familiar Drugs in this set, but everyone was really here for the older songs, with the crowd going crazy for This Could Be Anywhere In The World, Dallas Green’s proves his vocals are still amazing by flaunting that great, clear range.
Alexisonfire keep the crowd fully entertained throughout their entire set, and no-one seems to rest. It was a setlist that every fan loved, and that’s exactly the kind of gig I like to attend.
I’m hoping Alexisonfire continue to write great, catchy songs – even if it takes them a while to come back! We’ll always welcome them back with open arms.
Check out our full gallery of the night!