0
Always one for the diary of those who like their music Loud, Birmingham Academy played host to the Kerrang! Tour last week headlined by New Found Glory, with The Blackout, Letlive and While She Sleeps rounding up the bill.
Within moments of taking to the stage, New Found Glory already had the riled up, moshed up, crowd in the palm of their hands.
The Godfathers of Punk Pop are spoiled with a catalogue of seven albums under their belt to choose from. While the kids on the academy floor bounced and danced so frantically as to form a cloud of steam overhead, Florida’s finest mimicked the same energy onstage.
A couple of newer tracks from latest album “Radiosurgery” make an appearance but unsurprisingly older favourites create the biggest frenzy. Security had their work cut out during ‘Understatement’ and ‘Head on Collision’ with the number of crowd surfers flying overhead proving too many to count.
Three covers slip into the set – Green Day’s ‘Basket Case’, ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ and Sixpence None The Richer’s Kiss Me before they close with a bang with anthem ‘My Friends Over You’.
Directly preceeding New Found Glory were Sum41 replacements and late additions to the bill, The Blackout.
Walking onstage to Elton John’s ‘Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word’, Sean Smith apologises to the room that they aren’t Sum41.
Though the choice of The Blackout as replacements had been met with some criticism the Birmingham crowd seemed overjoyed with the decision. The Blackout always put on a good live show and crowd participation was at an all time high.
It was always going to be difficult for anyone to follow what was the highlight of the night, Letlive.
In Jason Butler Letlive have one of the best current frontmen as he raced from one end of the stage to the next, thrashing, leaping, writhing and inflicting blood spattered injuries upon himself.
It was clear that many of the crowd were unfamiliar with the material at first but when you witness live performances such as Letlive’s it really doesn’t matter whether you know the songs or not.
Letlive are one of the most hyped live bands at the moment but refreshingly the hype is deserved and they are one band that you really want to see.
Not to be forgotten Sheffield metalcore mob While She Sleeps kicked off the proceedings, tearing through a brief but belting set. This band oozes attitude and aggression and are another live “must-see”.