Kerrang! Relentless Energy Drink Tour 2010
w/ All Time Low, The Blackout, My Passion & Young Guns
O2 Academy, Glasgow
1st February 2010
"Holy haggis, Batman!" - Alex Gaskarth.
Having already destroyed Northern Ireland, England and Wales, this year's highly anticipated Kerrang! Relentless Energy Drink Tour crashed into Glasgow on Monday night for the only Scottish show of the 13-date run. With dedicated fans queuing outside every venue from the early hours of the morning (some even braving the elements for over 24 hours in order to grab a barrier spot) and a barrage of Twitter updates from a certain Sean Smith proclaiming each night of the tour to be better than the last, tonight's capacity crowd certainly had a lot to live up to.
The task of kicking off the show tonight, a mere 30 minutes after doors, fell to Young Guns who stormed onto the stage to a deafening roar from the already sizeable crowd. It had been a tough few days for the band, with illness and van problems following them around the country but as the haunting orchestral intro to new single, 'Winter Kiss' gave way to a clash of urgent guitar riffs and powerful vocals, it was clear nothing was going to stop Young Guns from having a good time tonight. Showing a progression towards a heavier and perhaps darker sound, 'Winter Kiss' was the perfect introduction to the fast paced and energetic set that followed. Front man Gustav Wood darted around the stage like a man possessed, twisting his way between his band mates and snarling lyrics into the microphone. There was no sign of the technical light displays that would accentuate the rest of tonight's line up and instead Young Guns produced a straight up, raw rock performance during which they needed to rely on nothing more than their killer riffs and a dim red glow to make themselves heard. With a hard working tour ethic to their name, Young Guns already had a fair few fans scattered throughout the room tonight and by the end of their set had succeeded in converting many, many more. With a debut album waiting patiently to be recorded it's easy to predict big things from this humble and deserving young band.
Next up were electro-Goths, My Passion who brought a much more theatrical atmosphere to the evening. A flurry of screaming vocals, precision eyeliner and monochrome hairstyles, this was by far the most aesthetic band on the bill tonight. With guitars, amps and monitors emblazoned with the same heart-shaped motif found on any piece of My Passion Fashion merchandise, what the band deliver tonight is an expertly constructed and tightly executed package of visual and audio treats for their amassing army of fans. From the second My Passion burst onto the stage shrouded in an eerie green backlight, the crowd were on their feet, determined to have a good time. Particular highlights came in the shape of 'Play Dirty and 'Thanks For Nothing' with vocalist Laurence René (who happens to win the prize for most muscular Goth we've ever seen!) scattering heartfelt 'thank you's' to the exuberant crowd between songs. Love 'em or hate 'em, there is absolutely no denying that My Passion are onto something of a winner here, especially if the reaction of tonight's crowd was anything to go by.
An ear splitting scream erupts from the crowd during the next set change as The Blackout's banner appears behind the drum riser. Within moments the lights have dimmed and the silhouettes of Gavin Butler and Sean Smith appear at the front of the stage, fists punching the air. The whispered introduction to 'Children of the Night' creeps out of the speakers and in a split-second is taken up by the crowd who yell it back into the faces of their Welsh heroes. Taking no prisoners, The Blackout hit the packed hall with a sucker punch of sheer noise and barely stop for breath before launching straight into 'STFUppercut'. Renowned for a stage presence that encompasses more than just a barrage of face-melting songs, Merthyr-Tydfil's finest definitely didn't disappoint tonight, with neither their tour mates nor the capacity crowd escaping the razor sharp wit of the Butler-Smith double act. The boys were on top form this evening and used their Welsh charm to its full advantage by cajoling the entire crowd to sit down during the breakdown of 'Save Our Selves (The Warning)', before commanding them to their feet as the chant of "going out, going out, going out..." exploded into a big pile of mosh. Other memorable moments included a skilfully executed barrel roll, which saw Sean catapulting himself over Gavin without batting an eyelid.
Song wise the set list was pretty much spot on, with 'I Don't Care (This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things)' and 'The Beijing Cocktail' going down a treat. However it was set closer 'I'm A Riot? You're A Fucking Riot!' that proved to be unmatchable in terms of energy and passion. Exhausted, the band left the stage as they had entered it - with fist held high in appreciation, safe in the knowledge that Glasgow will always be their home away from home.
"Look how tight this t-shirt is; I feel like I'm in The Blackout." - Alex Gaskarth
The task of closing tonight's show lay in the hands of Baltimore's All Time Low, the only American's on this otherwise all British bill. They opened their set with an unstoppable trio of songs from current album 'Nothing Personal'. 'Lost In Stereo', ' Break Your Little Heart' and 'Stella' set the tone just right for tonight's pop-punk dance party. A blend of old and new songs alike meant old favourite 'Jasey Rae' sat alongside the likes of 'A Party Song (The Walk Of Shame)' in a slightly predictable but nonetheless enjoyable set list. The energy from the crowd was immeasurable and a true testament to the hard work All Time Low have dedicated to honing their live show over the past six years or so. Interrupting the slick delivery of their songs was light-hearted banter, which included an extensive debate on the number of 'Batman' t-shirts in the crowd, before Alex himself donned a rather snug shirt that was thrown onto the stage.
The appearance of an acoustic guitar meant one of two things - 'Remembering Sunday' or 'Therapy'. An overwhelming response in favour of the former was unsurprising and helped to strike a balance between debut 'So Wrong It's Right' and the band's more recent sophomore effort. However, the amp was soon cranked back up to eleven with a rowdy encore featuring current single 'Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If Don't)' and the ever popular 'Dear Maria, Count Me In'. With heartfelt declarations of love and gratitude, the band left the stage to rapturous cheering from a crowd that didn't seem to want the night to ever end.
--Lucy.