Brixton Academy
Saturday 28/01/05
reviewed by Cars
main page
Next up were Still Remains who again I didn't know & missed anyway as the queue outside was so long!
I did see Hawthorne Heights who I thought were quite good. Nothing original, but none the less they sounded okay.
Whilst waiting the headline act Bullet For My Valentine me & my friend Prodigal (read his review of tonight here) tried to find people that were at least as old as us. We didn't get to double figures! The crowd here were ridiculously young - some were no more than 10! What on earth they were doing at a Bullet gig I have no idea. This band are HEAVY. As I said in my review of the album (here) they sound very Maiden/Metallica with screaming vocals. Blink 182 they most certainly aren't!
The age situation became even more apparent when between bands they showed past covers of Kerrang on the screens. Not only did I remember reading them all but the only 2 that got reactions were Bullet (cheers) & My Chemical Romance (boo's! which incidently, what's that about? I thought they were still popular! I quickly did up my jacket to hide my MCR top. I looked pleb enough wearing gloves & drinking hot chocolate whilst everyone else was in t'shirts & jeans that hung around their knees!). Covers of Metallica, AC/DC, Soulfly were met with bemusement. Without question this was the strangest audience I'd ever seen!
No matter though because Bullet were fast approaching & since they are the most promising thing to happen to metal in years I was very excited!
The show quicked off with a tape of the albums Intro & they then came onto the stage with flames bursting out Her Voice. They didn't let up once. Matts voice sounded exactly the same as it does on record & with screaming vocals courtesy of the bassist Jay the only downside was that the bass was maybe a little too high as it drowned out the vocals slightly. Apart from that musically they were spot on. From crowd pleasers Suffocating (Under Words of Sorrow) & All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me) to the sinister show closer (aptly titled) The End they were incredible.
As Prodigal mentioned in his review (which also has setlist!) Matt could do with a bit more crowd interacting but I think that'll come with experience.
Bullet saved the Kerrang XXV tour by being the only act on there that I truly believe will make any kind of difference to the direction of metal today & the future of it.
Highlights were definately the brilliant Tears Don't Fall (their best song bar none!), 4 Words (To Choke Upon), Cries In Vain.
9 out of 10
Agree? Disagree?
Go to message board to vent!