Southampton’s Creeper entertained a packed out O2 Guildhall Southampton as they ended their ‘Theatre of Fear’ tour back in their hometown and was described by Will Gould as a ‘dream come true’.
Lead singer Will, Hannah Greenwood, Sean Scott, Dan Bratton, Oliver Burdett and Ian Miles all put on one hell of a show as they proved once again they are quickly becoming one of the biggest bands the UK has to offer. They were joined on the night by Can’t Swim, Microwave and Nervus.
Creeper’s set from start to finish was a truly unique experience for their fans, as the mysterious James Scythe took to the stage in theatrical style as the punk band were getting ready to show what they were made of. Considering the band has not been together that long, it was just amazing to see a show this big live up to the expectations Creeper bring to every single one of their sets.
The sextet took to the stage with over 1,500 screaming fans finally getting to see part of this exciting tour. They started with Black Rain from their debut album Eternity, In Your Arms that reached number 18 on the UK Album Charts.
It was a perfect way to start an incredible set and right from when the song intro ended with the lyrics ‘Becuase Callous hearts don’t break’ you could just hear fans scream out Creeper’s lyrics. And those chanting and screaming just didn’t stop throughout the night and the incredible loyal Creeper Cult was in full voice. The electric sound to Black Round echoed throughout the iconic Guildhall and you could just feel out proud the band were headlining on the same stage that each and one of them spent time watching endless gigs. Will really rose to the occasion and had a really epic look to him with his blacked out neck showing that his confidence as a lead singer is only getting better by each gig.
Another track from their debut album was then performed as Winona Forever blasted from the stage. The catchy song would appeal to anyone that has a love of rock and it went down really well with fans. Fans were then treated to a track from their EP The Callous Heart that was The Honeymoon Suite. It was great to see the fans enjoy this one, as it was one of their earlier tracks and shows how loyal their fans were knowing every single lyric of the song. The ever-popular track Suzanne was then performed and this is a personal favourite of mine with the lyrics ‘Suzanne, I want to die holding hands’ reflecting the darkness of the band as well as the romance that they show. Check out Suzanne from the night below!
Poison Pens and Valentine then followed before the brilliant Down Below. Will got the crowd to sing the lyrics ‘Down Below’ back to him to really build the song up and it was really deserved as the track has the perfect mixture of horror and catchiness that really got the venue buzzing. After the brilliant Room 309, it was then Hannah’s turn to take the spotlight as the keyboardist and backing singer performed a beautiful song titled Crickets that showed her heartbreak and provided goosebumps throughout your body. You can check out the brilliant Crickets from the night below!
After Hannah got an amazing reception for her performance, the singer then talked about how difficult it is for females to get into the music industry still today and thanked her loyal fans to get her where she is now. Will then once again took to the stage as they performed Hiding with the Boys which was another great addition to the set and really got the crowd back into the jumping mood. However before the song kicked in they performed a slower version of the chorus which was really cool to see and shows it would work as an acoustic track also. Allergies and Lie Awake followed as well as the equally brilliant Astral Projection and Darling. The best moment for me on the night was when Creeper performed I Choose To Live and Will explained that the name of the tour ‘Theatre of Fear’ was actually about the world we live in. He talked passionately about how it’s been a dark time for the music industry this year and how fans shouldn’t be scared to go to gigs like this despite what has gone on. So Will thought it was fitting to perform I Choose To Live as their last song and asked for fans to show no fear and assured them that when they go to a Creeper gig that it is a safe place to be. Check out I Choose To Live below!
When the track finished, it was an incredible moment to be in within the crowd chanting those simple lyrics ‘I choose to live’. And fans continued to shout these words out until all six of the members came back out to the delight of the screaming fans.
Creeper then performed the magnificent Black Mass before the Creeper Cult requested VCR from their debut self-titled album that was released back in 2014. With the crowd still buzzed from the last song, it was time to slow things down with Misery – a track so meaningful yet sad, it truly moved everyone in the venue and I couldn’t spot one person that didn’t sing along. As Creeper posed for their photo in front of a packed Southampton Guildhall, one would think that this is just the start of something special for Creeper as they will look to conquer the world with their unique yet imaginative style of music. When the band left and said goodbye until next time, the stage once again turned theatrical which marked the end of ‘The Theatre of Fear’.