Betraying the Martyrs/ Wage War:Mental Beat
I was really excited about this gig when I found out that Betraying The Martyrs were going to be there. I found a cosy spot on the Juliette balcony and prepared to be serenaded to death by a band (or three bands to be precise) of merry Romeos. First up we had our friends from Paris, who bounced, flounced and trounced across the stage, the crowd screeching with delight and opening the pit which would become a most engrossing and feature of the night. Songs from their latest LP “The Resilient” were laced with gunpowder and thrown in our direction with gay abandon. Singer Aaron has a great presence, in fact they all do, he lets loose with the “floss”, another crazy dance trend as they charge headlong into a rip-roaring set, including “Lost For Words”. Then we had Victor, he of the disembodied keyboard, I think it has got a life of its own; we were all at one with the wind and sky tonight. Much like a stately home, we had another feature to behold, the wall of death, highly charged and highly entertaining. Phrase of the evening came from Aaron with his “because when this shit kicks in…” we were ready for whatever was going to “kick in” believe me.
They didn’t sing their Disney number, so I had to “let it go.”
Into the foray jumped Wage War all the way from the USA, and continued to pummel the fans, who were ready to act on their every word. What began as a mental beat became a mental pit as more and more fans joined in and threw themselves all over the place in the name of Rock ‘n Roll. Security were on hand to provide water to the needy. I also noticed a lovely couple who danced gloriously to the softer tunes and collided madly when the tempo changed, eat your heart out Strictly, ballroom dancing in a mosh pit looks very tasty indeed! There were stars on the stage, but Lucy and Andy from Wolverhampton were the stars of the dancefloor.
Songs included,” Gravity”- my favourite, “Don’t Let Me Fade Away”, “The River” and “Witness” showcasing a vast and varied body of work.
In light of recent events, safety was paramount, the crowd helping each when someone had fallen over and holding onto them and dancing together, offering the support, and companionship we all crave. Three cheers for the bands for fantastic music and three cheers for the crowd who used foresight and intelligence to make sure we all had a great night.
August Burns Red: Never Been Frisked!
A first for me was being frisked at the entrance, having been subject to airport scanners in the past, this was all new, does that make me a frisking virgin? Before the headliners appeared, we had an almighty singalong to SOAD’s “Chop Suey” as we revelled in our “self -righteous suicide”, we sang, note perfect, word perfect, pitch perfect. Anyway, onto business and from one invasion of personal space (hehehe…) we have here August Burns Red whose tendrils reach out and feel for your particulars and rip them out to devour mercilessly. As the intensity of the pit grows, the crowd surfers make their way atop the sea of bodies, get passed around until security helps them to the floor and back into the mosh.
With an expansive musical history, the band lifted us off the floor with song after brutal song, witness if you will, a revelation, an exercise in aggression, and with that comes a most refreshing and exhilarating release. You could visibly see the tensions and anxieties dissipating from the crowd.
Whatever troubles had brought you here, got thrashed by these guys. Every song a fan favourite including “Fault Line”, “Beauty In Tragedy” and” The Frost”.
Singer Jake Luhrs, he of the swinging microphone, quite technical and skilful- if I may add, if that was me, I would have smacked myself over the head with it!
We weren’t going to let them down gently either; a riotous fan base demanding an encore and being treated to a fabulous drum solo and two extra tracks in “Float” and “Whitewashed”.
Dancing King and Queen, Andy and Lucy glided along seamlessly to the more melodious, tender moments, only to launch into a break neck speed onslaught at a moments notice.
Fans Andy and Lucy with Azra Pathan
Despite the cold, bleak winter outside, we bathed in the hot rocks on offer tonight.
They could have sung all night and it would still not have been enough, I stood looking desperately at the empty stage, my heart thumping “one more song, one more song”.
In my opinion- humble as it may be- all three bands were headliners tonight.