Just a couple weeks since releasing their most recent full-length album Till Death & Back, Against the Current play a sold-out Shepherd’s Bush Empire to end the UK leg of their Europe to
Opening the night are London locals Daydreamers. Only a couple of months since the release of their debut album Have You Tried Screaming, the crowd bop along to their indie sound. As the band beams on stage, having previously played much smaller venues, it’s clear this night and this tour means alot to them, and they definitely made a good impression.
Against the Current kick of their set with the first two tracks of their album ‘Fortune Favours the Brave’ and single ‘Dead Man Walking’. The crowd immediately bursts into movement, thrilled to hear new songs live. Vocalist Chrissy Costanza confesses she may need a little help from the crowd throughout the set to sing along due to her not being very well, having pre-nodules on her vocal chords. However, you wouldn’t be able to tell as she belts the high notes seamlessly.
The set list takes a little hit and doesn’t feature a great deal of the new tracks due to Costanza not feeling on top form. However, it does mean fans in the room get the full band experience, with tracks such as ‘Talk’, ‘Blood Like Gasoline’ and ‘lullaby’ from separate releases over the years.
The staging and ambience compliment the band and album themes perfectly, with the night scene and silhouetted trees. Complimented with the phone lights raised in during 2014 single ‘Gravity’, the “EP that this song is named after took us all around the world when we were 18” expresses Costanza. It’s clear the band are full of gratitude and back in full force as they’re now free from a label.
Their set comes to a close with fan favourites ‘paralyzed’ and ‘weapon’. It’s been a packed out evening of mosh pits, ballads and electric energy – a combination Against the Current exceed at.