2014 Round Up: Favourite Gigs

Paramore

Reading Festival
Obviously any year where I get to see my fave trio is fantastic and every time i've seen them has been incredible but this Reading appearance, although having the potential to be destroyed because of shitty sound, actually ended up being more magical because of it. They prove to me time and time again why they're my favourite and, if possible, make me fall more in love with them. Side note: apologies again to those who were near us and heard our singing. You may have mistaken us for cats fighting.

Tonight Alive

Cardiff, Solus 27/11

Oh my days these guys have just become so heartbreakingly stunning live. Their Reading performance was amazing and a good warm up for this show but it had nothing on the passion and energy in that room. This tour felt important and that night felt poignant.

Fall Out Boy

Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena 15/03

Blargh, Fall Out Boy, still questioning how I made it through their four year break. I mean what a show this was - I got to see The Pretty Reckless, there was an acoustic middle, a drum solo and they played 'Save Rock And Roll.' Quite honestly it felt a lot like dying and going to heaven.

A Day To Remember

Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena 26/08
One cancelled gig, several months and a Reading performance a day beforehand and I was finally at their headline show which absolutely did not disappoint. The set list was excellent and the fun they bring to their shows was infectious enough to carry throughout the entire the arena which in itself is amazing to see them playing venues of that size. Just a couple of years ago I saw them in university cafe.

Taking Back Sunday
Bristol, o2 Academy 08/12

Finally. FINALLY. After something like 13 years listening to them I saw them live with my brother and sister and it was just everything I could have dreamed it being. Not many words are required here because they simply would not do the night any justice. They carry the prize for the loudest crowd moment i've ever witnessed.

The Wonder Years

Cardiff, Great Hall 06/05

They provide an emotionally charged, safe place to expel ones demons and make everything ok and for that I will forever be thankful. Whether at their own headline show or Reading festival they win all the awards and gratitude for simply existing.

We Are The In Crowd

Cardiff, Slam Dunk 27/05

Earlier in the year I saw them at their headline show where we had M+G and they were epic and then their Slam Dunk performance was even better. They're seriously coming into their own and becoming quite unbelievably striking.

La Dispute

Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach 17/05

The very first time I saw them and they were brilliant. They're so unique in their sound and performance, its very raw and the energy is like a shaken up bottle of coke just waiting to explode - which of course for King Park it does.

Mayday Parade

Cardiff, Solus 03/02

I discovered a new band, affirmed my love for another, finally got to see Man Overboard after years of trying and was turned into an emotional wreck thanks to the triple threat of 'Miserable At Best', 'Stay' and 'Hold On To Me.' Pretty standard then for a Mayday gig.

New Found Glory

Cardiff, Solus 23/11

I'll probably never tire of seeing these guys live especially if they keep dragging out songs like 'Hold My Hand' and 'The Story So Far' and, incidentally, bringing said band on tour with them.

Jimmy Eat World

Reading Festival
Like with Taking Back Sunday there aren't really any words that can describe how I feel when seeing Jimmy Eat World. There's a lot of nostalgia, tears and teethy grins. Plus, I saw them twice that day.

Take Me Back: Taking Back Sunday (08/12/14)

So, on Monday night I saw Taking Back Sunday live for the first time ever. They formed in 1999 and since about 2002 when Tell All Your Friends was released they have been one of my favourite bands. I used to switch between their CD's and S Club 7 on my walkman and my sister literally can't remember not knowing them since she was born the same year they formed. I'm pretty sure my first crush was Adam Lazzara. We've grown up with them - gone from toddlers, to teenagers to young adults. As you can imagine they mean quite a lot to us. It just so happens that every time they've toured over here we have either been abroad, tickets sold out before we could get them or we were too young to get in but finally we had tickets.

Having to do a bit of a detour to pick my brother up from Cardiff we were of course late and thought we'd missed first support band Blitz Kids but it turned out that for reasons unknown (even to them) that Marmozets played first. A tad bit gutted because I really wanted to actually see them, as opposed to hearing them on the outskirts of the NME tent, to see whether they could change my mind on the gimmicky impression they had left. However, I was glad I got to see Blitz Kids. From the very start of the set to the end front man Joe James was pitch perfect. Their sound is relatively unique to anything i've ever really heard it's rocky with a touch of pop-punk on certain elements and the main vocals as well as the backing/gang vocals all sounded perfect live. Apparently they don't really have that much support in Bristol but this set, which included tracks like 'Sold My Soul,' 'All I Want Is Everything' and closed with 'Perfect,' was enough to change that and the four piece seemed to notice.

When it was time for Taking Back Sunday the atmosphere in the room made it feel like Jimmy Eat World shows. Its that whole energy that surrounds these bands that have been around for so long and still consistently put out good music, who's shows are still fun and where the members clearly still care. There's no just 'going through the motions' feel to the shows and when they came on to 'What's It Feel Like To Be A Ghost?' and I got that feeling I was so unbelievably happy. It's such a hard feeling to describe, in the past i've tried to explain Jimmy Eat World shows to my brother and I just couldn't but when he turned to me and grinned during 'A Decade Under The Influence' I could finally explain it to him - because he was feeling it. They played through an amazing set list that included a lot of their biggest and best songs from over the years as well as some of their very best newer songs from Happiness Is. The 'Liar (It Takes Ones To Know One)' and 'Timberwolves At New Jersey' duo was absolutely deadly so when the slightly slower 'Faith (When I Let You Down)'  started to be strummed you could feel the relief from the tired crowd, but the intensity of the singing didn't dissipate.

Up until this point Adam and John had been like a stand up comedy act trading back and forth their witty banter but before 'Better Homes And Gardens' Adam became serious telling us how the song almost didn't make the album because it was too emotional for him but that playing it helps him. It was a sobering speech and a powerful performance. Quickly flipping the happy switch Adam was back to joking with the crowd, threatening to 'pop' some guy in the face with his mic before deciding against it "well, I won't but you know I could" being one of the most accurate statements to ever leave his mouth. Watching Adam swing the mic round all night seemingly recklessly but never hitting anyone/himself I don't doubt that he has beyond mad skills with that thing now that i've witnessed it with my own eyes. Strangely there was no mosh pits for 'Error: Operator' but one of the biggest all night for 'My Blue Heaven' which seemed kind of weird but I was far too dazed by the magic of Taking Back Sunday to give it that much thought.
The reception for their new songs was just as unruly, a rare thing for bands of their age, showing how pop-punk gods can grow, change and still produce music that makes their fans show just as much passion as they do for past songs they've grown up with. This was most evident near the end of their set - they didn't do the whole encore thing to save time which was kinda cool - where 'Flicker, Fade' and 'All The Way' sandwiched 'I Know How You Do' with no change in enthusiasm from the crowd. Hearing a full room chant "we won't stand for hazy eyes anymore" gave me goosebumps but not quite as much as 'Cute Without The 'E'" did. A year ago to the date of seeing them I was in the loudest crowd i've ever been a part of at The Final Night Of Sin, the yell of "underdog" had been deafening in the sold out arena but when it came to the bridge in the Bristol o2 Academy that night Taking Back Sunday fans won. The music stopped leaving just us and Adam to yell "why can't I feel anything from anyone other than you?" so scarily loud my mum could probably hear us 100 miles away. Closing a legendary night was of course 'Make Damn Sure' evoking the monsters in us all one last time.

Take Me Back: Tonight Alive (27/11/14)

After the release of one of my favourite albums of last year - and perhaps ever - I was eager for Tonight Alive to do a headline tour here on the other side of the world to their homeland. Never one to disappoint they put together the Live On The Other Side tour and also played Reading & Leeds. Their R&L fest debut was made on the main stage where their punk aesthetic and Jenna's soaring vocals charmed the crowds and no doubt encouraged the ticket sales for the already massively popular tour.

Chunk! No Captain Chunk were brilliant openers for the night. With their upbeat pop-punk they had the room bouncing along right from the offset. Their energy filled the room and by the time it came around to their cover of 'All Star' the crowd was putty in their hands, chanting the song back to them. The set was short but sweet and unlike some openers it was memorable which will work in their favour in the future.

Before we get down to the gritty punk of Tonight Alive we were covered in sugary pop by Arizona's The Summer Set. Having seen them enough times by now I knew what to expect: B-Dales pulling some Beyonce moves, sing-a-longs and a well placed cover - and that's exactly what we got. Coming out to 'Lightening In A Bottle' the crowd were timidly into it but second song 'Fuck U Over' was followed by the ever annoying/catchy 'Chelsea' so all timidness was thrown aside and I watched grown men sing as loud as they can. Ed Sheeran's 'Sing' was their chosen cover which gained a loud response from the sold-out room. Finishing up their set with 'Boomerang' the crowd seemed genuinely pleased to have seen them but the feeling that everyone just can't wait for one band and one band only is inescapable.

When Rusted Roots 'Send Me On My Way' started playing I knew we were moments from Tonight Alive taking to the stage. The song ended, another small intro played and then the quintet blasted their way on playing 'The Edge.' The crowd was mighty terrifying, truly one of the most deafening experiences of my life. It was written all over their faces how much this meant to them and their passion for what they were doing was so evident I found myself getting choked up on more than one occasion - and that's a pretty hard thing to do, generally speaking I don't cry.
But it wasn't just the acoustic sing-a-long with Jenna to 'Let It Land' and 'Amelia' where her tears streamed quietly down her face; it wasn't the hilarious and stupidly awesome impromptu cover of 'Killing In The Name Of' and it wasn't even the few occasions I caught the eye of Jenna and Whak and we sang to each other that made the night so special, it's the fact Tonight Alive songs are dark, hopeful and absolutely real. It's hard not to feel personally connected to these songs, whether it's 'Listening' and 'What Are You So Scared Of?' which on some level were written for us, the fans. Or 'Lonely Girl' a song about sucky friendships which I'm sure everyone has had their fair share of from the phenomenal volume of the crowd alone. For me, songs like 'The Ocean' and 'Bathwater' carry a lot of weight in my mind for the exact reasons as Jenna herself - the shit trip that is eczema. It sounds so trivial but when it decides to take over your body it hurts not just physically but mentally and The Other Side was like therapy to me as a listener and to Jenna as an artist. It's more cleansing than copious amounts of Savlon and E-45 ever will be.
The final two songs were vastly different with 'Breaking And Entering' starting mosh pits back up and a fitting finale of 'The Other Side' allowing everyone a moment to let the last hour and half sink in. The show was more than I could have hoped in every single way with everyone leaving saying the same thing: holy fucking shit that was incredible. So while Tonight Alive go back home to write album three we'll all patiently wait with The Other Side on repeat wondering how they're going to top that and not for one moment doubting that they can.

Take Me Back: Pop Punks Not Dead Tour (23/11/14)

Back in early 2012, when New Found Glory headlined the annual Kerrang Tour, Chad promised to bring America's Pop Punks Not Dead tour to the rainy shores of Britain. Whilst I hoped beyond hope that the line up would be the same I knew it would be unlikely and was still pretty excited that in the end the UK version included The Story So Far  - as was my brother as our attempts at seeing them over the years were almost as useless as our attempts at seeing The Wonder Years used to be.

For the first time in years we were in the doors and getting a drink having only missed one band and not all the supports. Sugary punk arrived in the form of Candy Hearts who had just started their surprisingly enjoyable set. I'd listened to one of their songs a couple years ago and I remember finding it kinda irritating but - what I'm assuming was their newer material - sounded great live and the crowd certainly seemed to agree with me.

Still celebrating the first birthday of their debut album, State Champs brought upbeat enthusiasm to the room with the nights' first mosh pits and crowd surfers. Having clearly read the manual on How To Be Pop-Punk they proved their place on the tour but mid-set chat showed their humble side. Having increased their fan base on The Wonder Years' tour back in May the room was louder with lyrics being shouted back and the bands' smiles wider.

The moment my brother had been waiting for - The Story So Far. I managed to catch them at Reading this year when they opened the main stage but my super fan brother was yet to see them live despite his desperation. Sound checking their own equipment I was pretty sure my brother was gonna pee himself when Parker Cannon came out in a parker and if the excited screams were enough to go by he wouldn't have been alone. The moment they broke into 'Empty Space' the full room attempted to occupy just the front two rows turning into security's worst nightmare. Staying on my own two feet was bloody difficult as the room surged around violently, trying to stay upright whilst aggressively fist pumping and bellowing the brilliantly angry lyrics with more bite than Parker himself. My brother - who without his glasses is near enough blind - got lost in the crush when a particularly large guy came bombing through my side of the room opening a gap for me to find him. In the smaller venue Parker lost his shyness from Reading and joked with the crowd and apart from the non-appearance of 'Mt. Diablo' the set was perfect with every TSSF song with a relatable, pissed off hook included.

Googling the set list pre-show I couldn't wait for New Found Glory as it really was supposed to be the best set list i've seen from them so with fingers crossed I waited. Sure enough the set was the same as what I'd seen online which saw them open with 'Understatement'- a sure way of drawing everyone into madness from the start. Playing a range of songs from across all albums and all eras of their 17 years as a band, the newer tracks, which could be accused of being wishy washy, sounded a lot better live and for me that's how they're meant to be heard.
One of the highlights was the third song in - 'Hold My Hand'. A completely infectious piano led track everyone had teethy grins and dimples the whole way through, the 'do do da doo's' deafening. This was a pop-punk dance party where fully grown adults became dorky twelve year olds for three minutes. A staple to their set is their fantastic cover of 'Kiss Me' which was like letting loose twelve year olds on a bouncy castle. Following on was 'Dressed To Kill' and 'Head On Collision' and the adults were back in their pits - mosh, not ball. Another stand out moment was when Cyrus' drums started 'The Story So Far'. There was a kind of disbelief in the crowd. Arms linked together and voices broke yelling 'and everything else is irrelevant to THE STORY SO FAR.'
Chad told us Jordan was going to cast a spell on us all to make the whole floor turn into a giant mosh pit and Chad was not wrong. Jordan stood on the box, swished his arm around and announced 'My Friends Over You' and in no less than a second the whole floor really was a mosh pit. Their encore consisted of rarely played Sticks And Stones tracks 'Sonny' and 'Forget My Name' before closing this pop-punk fest with 'All Downhill From Here'. They might have been a band for 17 years but see these guys live and they just keep on delivering fantastic show after fantastic show having more fun every time I see them.

Take Me Back: Reading Festival 2014 (Sunday)

Paramore (Friday)

Another year passes and we're back here again - the last day of Reading Festival. It's always a bittersweet day and this year was no exception as the Sunday's line-up was phenomenal. Up bright and early we headed down to the main stage for the start of a pop-punk feast with The Story So Far. With perhaps the largest crowd i've seen an opening band draw in, they certainly didn't disappoint the crowd's clear high expectations. Beginning the sunny day with 'Right Here' the set list churned out twelve of the pop-punkers very best hits, with 'Quicksand' and 'Daughters' appearing early creating the days first hungover mosh pits. 'Empty Space' with that fantastic tune turned into a sing-a-long that left grins on the faces of everyone around and by the time 'Things I Can't Change' came along the crowd was even larger, the singing even louder. Going out with a bang, 'The Glass' and 'High Regard' see the mosh pits expand and angry fists pump high before the bands time is up. 

***

Next to grace the stage was everyone's favourite Aussie's Tonight Alive. Blasting their way on stage with the monumental Spiderman song 'The Edge' there was an instant response from the sizeable crowd, all screams of excitement and out of tune wails, 'I am standing on the edge of my life.' The enthusiasm coming from the band was electric with Jenna throwing herself around the stage and belting the lyrics out to the bands' hugest songs from 'The Ocean' to 'Don't Wish.' Replacing gritty vocals for silky smooth Jenna's vocal range shines on 'Hell and Back' and the crowd is given a much needed breather. Having gathered ourselves and oxygen once more in our lungs, the hard-working five piece soon had us jumping all over with older fans beyond ecstatic at the appearance of 'Wasting Away' before Jenna's little speech before the bands' defining song 'What Are You So Scared Of?' The crowd had never been louder than on 'Listening' and it was with heavy hearts we said goodbye but not before they played us one more song - the mighty 'Lonely Girl.' From start to finish the band were stunning, proving they more than deserve the attention they're getting and putting a stopper in all cynics' mouths - these pop prodigies have shown their punk worthiness and the world needs to get ready.

***

With a relatively short break between bands we headed over to the Alternative Stage for Tiff Stevenson's thought provoking, yet hilarious, set. Unafraid of telling the truth through a series of personal stories she reminds us that life can be brutal - somehow managing to make us laugh at the same time. The unfortunate reappearance of Meg's food poisoning led us back to the toilet's before the UK's very own up and coming pop-punk act Neck Deep. With people spilling out the tent I found a space to the side with a surprisingly good view of the stage where the looks of passion and shock on their faces at the turnout didn't go unnoticed and the magic of the crowd wasn't lost. Every song went off with a bang, this crowd definitely the loudest I'd heard for the band. "Losing Teeth" and "Crushing Grief (No Remedy)" were the highlights and I honestly thought the band and crowd alike couldn't sound any better until of course the inevitable slowing down of the rambunctious set for "A Part Of Me." Every one who has ever seen Neck Deep will know and understand that on this song you don't just sing you SING. All caps. And this crowd seemed more than aware of that and took this song to a whole other level, I don't think my hearing has been the same ever since. It was a pretty stunning display and I feel privileged to have seen what felt like an important moment in the bands' career.

***

After witnessing that little piece of pop-punk history being formed we bimbled back towards Main Stage to wait for the mighty A Day To Remember. It was unfortunate that Sleeping With Sirens were still playing. I'm not one to bash bands and I respect everyone has their own opinion when it comes to music but seeing the last half of their set confirmed to me that I think they are truly awful. I kind of get the appeal I just don't get how anyone can bare listening to a band where the vocals are as painful as that. 

Eventually 17:15 hit and A Day To Remember exploded onto stage with burst of energy and the 'da dada da da da's' of the career changing "The Downfall Of Us All." After the disappoint of the cancelled show in February this was my first time seeing them since the time of Homesick's release. Looking around at the massive crowd it was amazing and I couldn't help but be so pleased and proud for these guys as back then they played tiny university cafeteria's. Oh how times have changed. It was a damn brilliant setlist with as many of the favourites in there as time possibly allowed including "I'm Made Of Wax Larry" and the ultimate stereotypical and utterly brilliant pop-punk tune "All Signs Point To Lauderdale." Towards the middle of the set they brought out the acoustic guitar and another "A Part of Me" moment was had with the beautiful "If It Means A Lot To You" being sung by thousands on a lush sunny evening. 

What everyone there will remember the most is "Homesick." Why you ask? The Zorb, that is why. Yes, A Day To Remember are a bloody brilliant band and they could just stand of the stage and sing their songs and still be brilliant but that wouldn't be enough for them. Creating a wild and individual, memorable show is what they're about so with Jeremy in his Zorb (y'know those see through giant hamster ball things) he was pushed onto the crowd as they played. I was ran over my Jeremy Mckinnon in a Zorb and then nearly crushed as the crowd all fell over. It was fantastic. 

Back to being all serious I very nearly got teary eyed (read: very nearly started bawling my eyes out) when the next song was "End Of Me" something about that song makes me feel a whole lot. And ADTR songs make me feel a lot anyway so it could have got messy there as the crowd all sat down ready to jump up as the song bursts - or attempted to sit anyway. Following on was "Sometimes You're The Hammer" which still remains one of my favourite songs ever - the ending lyrics are truly incredible and the live performance was too. Ending their electric set was "All I Want" and the angrier than angry "The Plot To Bomb The Panhandle" which included a sparkly lycra suit clad dude shooting free t-shirts at us... whaaaat? For that hour the crowd were actively expressing their love for these guys with super size mosh pits and space restricted like no other gig i've ever been to. Crowd surfers were everywhere - at one point one guy knocked into my arm and said arm flew into a guys face punching him pretty damn hard in the jaw. Dude who I accidently punched... if you're reading this know I really didn't mean to and it probably hurt me a lot more than it hurt you. Soz from the blonde girl with the friend who looked like she was dying.  

***

Despite the fact I now felt like I was dying, not just Meg, there was no stopping me as I left her behind at the Main Stage to watch You Me At Six whilst I went back to the Lock Up tent for my favourites The Wonder Years. I don't have anymore praise that I can verbalise for these guys that I haven't already in the past. They are unimaginable live. Their shows take me to some far away place where nothing matters and that doesn't really exist, yet they're also the most real and raw of any show i've ever been to. From the opener "Dismantling Summer" to the final "Came Out Swinging" everyone in that tent jumped, fist pumped, crowd surfed and screamed until our heads and hearts stopped hurting, until the tears in our eyes turned to sweat and our blood pumped with adrenaline instead of anger. I've said it before and i'll say it again - seeing The Wonder Years is an experience. Cliched as it sounds to understand it you have to be there. Everyone is made to feel like they belong, no typical gig bullshit just pure intense devotion from everyone. It's humbling.  

***

Completely gutted at having to leave behind another Wonder Years gig I stumbled out the tent behind everyone else back towards the Main Stage. I had no intention of trying to find Meg amongst the masses of people clustered around for You Me At Six and I thought they'd be finishing pretty soon. However, I was totally wrong as I'd only missed half their set. By the time I was within hearing distance the band were just starting "Forgive and Forget" which is perhaps my favourite song off of their newest album. I've seen them often enough to know what to expect of them but as I watched them I realised they were better than ever. After Soupy mentioning his chat with Alex Gaskarth earlier in the day I wasn't as shocked as everyone else in the crowd was when the man himself bounded on-stage to join them during "Fresh Start Fever" making me all the more eager to grab tickets to their co-headliner. Josh didn't even have to ask for everyone to take a layer off and swing it round their heads for "Reckless" almost losing the entertainment value as it was always rather hilarious watching him desperately beg, bless 'im. The newer tracks provided a kind of grown up depth to their shows particularly with "Cold Night" whilst the older "Bite My Tongue" was a sheer frenzy and clash of adolescent emotions. Closing their set was "Lived A Lie" with the bridge, sung by thousands, leaving goosebumps all over. We are without a doubt believers.

***

Finding Meg, grabbing food and collapsing in the mud we watched Macklemore play "Thrift Shop" and wondered what he was going to finish with and if anyone would stay to watch him after he played that, but ironically we didn't stay to find out as we went to the Festival Republic stage. Catching the end of the upbeat The Sunshine Underground our deliriously happy smiles were soon to be eradicated as Mayday Parade were up next. If ever you need a good cry just stick these guys on and within a few minutes I promise you you'll be crying. While their music makes me sad sad sad when I see them live it doesn't seem so bad as their own grins and obvious joy at being on stage is so infectious. Their set was short but a good mix of old and new songs including "Three Cheers For Five Years" and "12 Through 15" seemingly designed to make our hearts ache. "Black Cat" and closer "Jersey" had everyone springing off the walls and Mayday Parade's Reading Festival debut was a success. 

***

Sunday night. There's only one thing left now and that's for some serious nostalgic singalong time with the gods themselves Blink-182. After seeing them on their comeback tour I had an inkling of what to expect but when they came out to "Feeling This" and there was god awful and downright embarrassing dancing happening everywhere I turned and thousands of people singing this song with drunken smiles and thoughts of old times it was something else entirely. It was tune after tune and highlighted just how many stupidly good songs this band has written and why exactly they are so worshipped. I always hear how people didn't respond as well to Neighbourhoods but you try telling that to this crowd as "Up All Night" and "Wishing Well" receive just as much love from the crowd as the vintage "Dammit" and "Carousel." I couldn't write about how the crowd reacted and how simply awesome every song was as they played near enough all the hits and then some - they even threw in a Misfits cover. Tom sang typically off key and replaced words in songs, Mark looked like an out of place dad and Travis rocked so damn hard and I wouldn't have changed a thing. It was cheesy and like only Blink could ever pull off completely, utterly, totally immense. I'm glad I got to grow up listening to these legendary losers. 

Reading Festival (Friday) 

Reading Festival (Saturday)

Take Me Back: Reading Festival 2014 (Saturday)

La Dispute (Friday)

Saturday was the biggest write off ever. I slept in until midday whilst everyone ventured back to Tesco after we consumed all our alcohol the night before. With no one that we particularly wanted to see until Lower Than Atlantis we bimbled around and caught a little of Pulled Apart By Horses' set and Marmozets. Despite the packed out tent and their name frequenting all the alt-rock sites the angry-girl, guitar smashing set left me with the feeling that it was all a bit gimmicky as opposed to genuine which I was pretty gutted about.

Escaping to the Alternative Stage it didn't take long for us to be in fits of laughter as Daniel Sloss finished up his set. So carried away with the hilarity on offer from the likes of Matt Rees and Rob Beckett we ended up missing half of Lower Than Atlantis' set. The NME tent was at bursting point and it was clear the four piece had upped their game since the last time I saw them. Everything was that little bit more right down to the tightened production - I can still see the impressive lighting in my mind and how it really worked well enhancing their set. Catching the start of their second single - from their almost here and much anticipated self-titled album - "English Kids In America" the crowd was buzzing off the bands' fired up performance. Although they're Reading Festival veterans the band had a relatively short slot only managing to squeeze in nine songs, however, their veteran status has made them pro's at putting together a brilliant set so when "Deadliest Catch" and "Beech Like The Tree" followed on I wasn't surprised. The crowd was lapping it up, singing every word with enthusiasm that carried over into their last song "Here We Go." The funky first single from the self-titled was the cruelest set ender as the crowd was left begging for more.

Once more time alludes me as the next thing I remember is being in the dance tent during Pendulum's DJ set and Meg running off to be sick. Then we're at the Pit stage watching Architects and again Meg is chucking her guts up. A little while later with Arctic Monkey's playing in the background we decided to haul Meg off to the first aid tent. The verdict: food poisoning. Brilliant.

Take Me Back: Reading Festival 2014 (Friday)

After hurried packing a mere ten hours after returning to the UK I was in a car and on the way to Reading. Thursday went without hiccup unlike last year and the 'short walk to Tesco' fiasco. With a good camping spot, the near-by Tesco located and vodka in the system the mediocre fun fair almost seemed as exciting as Germany's Europa Park. 

Friday morning got off to a weird start with us taking spots at the main stage to watch Hacktivist followed by Crossfaith and if I was feeling sleepy two hours before then I certainly wasn't anymore.

With no time between the end of Crossfaith and the start of La Dispute, many would have witnessed my hysterical shrieking when the big screens came into my vision and frontman Jordan Dreyer was already on there shyly bouncing around. Their unique sound - and the list of people I know who like them being restricted to two - I was surprised to see the NME tent packed out. Looking around there were the kinds of people who were in attendance at the epic Cardiff headline show I caught earlier this year but also a wide array of people who I would've never have guessed were fans. Typically, the band played flawlessly with tracks mostly from their beautiful masterpiece Rooms Of The House with older tracks like the weighted 'a Letter' cropping up every now and then.
With his face bloody and voice shaking Jordan broke out of storyteller mode just long enough to timidly talk to the crowd about their best friends Touche Amore whose frontman joined the band onstage causing an excited uproar in the tent for a fantastic send off to La Dispute whose set unfortunately had to end. Whilst my heart swelled with pride at the sizeable crowd the five piece managed to capture I almost wish they'd been put in the Lock Up tent for a more intimate show like the Clwb gigs I favour over everything.

***

I've managed to lose about three hours of my life as I honestly couldn't tell you what I did after La Dispute and before Jimmy Eat World's first appearance of the day. Something about Jimmy Eat World makes me feel euphoric. These guys are verging on gods of my world. Completely adorable and with faultless music the grin that takes over my face when I see them could push Lewis Carroll's Cheshire off the charts. Opening with 'Bleed American' the crowd was wild from the start right to the kinda ironic end 'The Middle.' The crowd were with them the whole way through yelling along on those upbeat tracks 'The Authority Song' and 'Sweetness' or attempting to sing in key on the softer songs 'I Will Steal You Back.' I have a relatively short list of places I would happily stay stuck in a loop for forever and Jimmy Eat World gigs are pretty near top spot.

***

Staying at the main stage Enter Shikari were next to entertain our ears and just like back in 2012 it didn't take long for me to start questioning whether we were actually going to make it out of this crowd alive. To say that Shikari fans are enthusiastic would be the biggest understatement I could ever make. 'Solidarity' right through to 'Gandhi Mate, Gandhi' sees the craziest crowd melt under the sun until Rou just can't help but get educational on us all. Pre-'Anaesthetist' the crowd found ourselves cheering him on as he rambled about the NHS and the morons who run our country and whilst the chaos was momentarily calm it didn't take much to open the pits once more.

***

Checking all limbs were still attached we collapsed outside the Lock Up stage and heard some of Brody Dalle's set but with a crowd of people trying to get Greg James' attention we were distracted. Starting off as just two girls it wasn't long before what seemed the whole of Reading was gathered calling to him and throwing their demo's. Turning away for thirty seconds I near enough broke my neck when one of the mob screeched Paramore. Sure enough my favourite trio had taken seats in the Radio One balcony for their pre-show interview. Ecstatic and near bursting with excitement to be reunited with our Tennessee babes we unashamedly stared at the backs of their heads for half an hour until earliers reluctant goodbye to Jimmy Eat World came to an end.

It's at this point in the post I feel I should give a mention to how atrocious the sound had been so far that day. Most of the mics were no where near turned up enough and Jimmy's second appearance was almost twenty minutes late because of the sound system and when we finally got off to a start it turned out to be a false one with guitars having to be switched around as the sound was so bad. But anyway, I stood there kicking myself that I hadn't put a bet down that their headline set was to be Futures in full. The Reading Festival set time people were not in my good books as we could only catch 'Futures' 'Just Tonight...' 'Work' and 'Kill' before our final goodbye and mad dash to the main stage. It's Paramore time.

***

Joining a train of people determined to get a semi-decent position (yes, for Paramore I would be one of those people) we found ourselves stationed centre left of the stage in a mix of people that had faces of skeptics yet the moment 'Still Into You' blasted through the speakers the crowd was dancing and singing along with such force I thought we were going to jump the band right off stage.
Continuing with 'That's What You Get' I could feel everyone being absorbed by the magic of Paramore. Hayley spins and stomps her way around the stage probably throwing real-life fairy dust as she goes and Reading is falling hook, line and sinker for the blue-haired pixie and her best friends destroying the stage alongside her.

'For A Pessimist' starts off their feistier performance followed on by the ultimate angry song - 'Ignorance.' And the crowd is there with them screaming the first verse raring for the chorus when... nothing. The sound is out. Silence strikes the crowd before the murmurs and realisation that they don't even know hit us. Fingers crossed the sound will come back quickly the crowd carries on singing and sure enough before the last chorus the sound is back and impressively we're still singing in time.

Oblivious, 'Pressure' and 'Decode' go by without a hiccup when mid-speech and disaster strikes again. The 80,000 strong crowd stand there wondering just how long they're going to let Hayley talk before someone tells her we can't hear. Eventually, thanks to the front row, she's clued in and suddenly on a mission to figure this out. The crowd boos and chants mean things at the sound people unforgiving for the interruption of the best damn hooks of the last decade. Miming a mock temper tantrum Hayley plants herself on the Paramore box and tells us how they refuse to move until the sound works again - thank god, I was nearing a break down at the thought of their show being pulled. Some fifteen minutes later the trio sit together and we're told the system is down. The three may be terrified that they've lost it now but the worry need not exist as an acapella version of 'The Only Exception' takes place leaving the hairs on the back of everyone's necks standing on end. A landmark show in the bands' timeline truly became one to remember, initially for the wrong reason but the fandom united there and turned the disaster into a stunning moment in the trio's career.

Taking her spot in front of the keyboard 'Last Hope' reduced a good half of the crowd to tears with its brutally honest lyrics, I for one would be happy to watch Paramore play that song forever. Bringing it back to old school tunes 'Brick By Boring Brick' was followed by 'Misery Business' and one dinosaurs chance to be a part of Paramore history when she was handed the coveted golden mic for that killer bridge part. If by now the fandom wasn't already in pieces the trio's next move most certainly tipped us over the edge. RIOT's dark 'Let The Flames Begin' complete with the hair-raising outro continued into it's sister song 'Part II' and let me tell you I could see nothing through my tears. Any remaining doubters out there were soon silenced as their exceptional talent was blindingly obvious and undeniable as they poured their heart into those intense ten minutes.

Sadly it was nearly time to say goodbye but not before they had us all grooving once more to two self-titled tracks 'Proof' and and near everyone's new favourite Paramore song 'Ain't It Fun.' As we all sang 'don't go crying to your mama...' my brain tried desperately to make sense of this band and how it's possible to be so bloody incredible. I walked away from the main stage that night with the confirmation that being part of their fan base makes me part of something and that night that 'something' felt bigger than ever - the world truly is theirs and I don't think anyone dare complain.

Take Me Back: Slam Dunk Wales (27/05/14)

A last minute decision to grab tickets for the final Slam Dunk show of 2014 ended up being one of my best decisions this year. After showing up early to a gig for perhaps the first time in my life we found ourselves waiting in the queue for a good hour when just as the doors were due to open the heavens poured and soaked everyone through. Filing into the tiny student cafe that was used as a stage last year it didn't take long for the room to fill up and with the line-up being a true pop-punk fest I knew it was going to be fun but I was not prepared for just how amazing every one of the bands were going to play.

Save Your Breath started the night off and by their second song had everyone up on their feet and a rowdy mosh pit going. Clearly more known on their own side of the pond,than when I saw them in February, the crowd had just as much energy and enthusiasm as the band themselves as they played some of their best tracks with their closing song, "Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy," drawing the loudest response.

Jumping on stage next were Decade who played with such perfection and were blessed with the rarity that is good sound showing off vocalist Alex Sears' faultless vocals. They had the room in the palm of their hands for an impressive set of up and coming pop-punk that deserves a lot more attention. There were plenty of people that weren't familiar with the band but plenty more comments about how good they were and going home to download their music asap.

If ever there was a band that could make a room full of ecstatic teenagers go wild it would be the relatively new on the scene Neck Deep. Easily future headline material staying stood up when they hit the stage was nearly impossible. Opening with "Losing Teeth" it immediately became a crowd surfing fest with sweaty limbs flying everywhere right until the end of their set "Over And Over." New songs like "Crushing Grief (No Remedy)" had the floor passionately throwing fists in the air whilst the older "A Part Of Me" was on par with some of the loudest singing i've ever heard.

The last time I saw Hit The Lights I was my sister's age back in '08. As they came on stage their upbeat blend of pop-punk was a welcome change from the previous bands' serious tone. Wave after wave of nostalgia hit me as they played tracks mostly from their Skip School, Start Fights LP. "Breathe In" and "Stay Out" garnered the strongest reactions along with golden oldie "Three Oh Nine." 

Finally We Are The In Crowd joined the rest of us in the teeny cafe for their hugest show i've ever witnessed. Every time i've seen them their performance has been better and better but I wasn't expecting just how much better they would be this time around. Opening with "Long Live The Kids" the fire in Tay's vocals were matched by everyone else in the room as we roared back to her, reaching deafening levels when they hit the bridge 'you can't tell us no.' The weirdest stage anyone had apparently ever seen - it was miles back from the barrier with steps and every band commented on it - didn't stop Tay from getting right up in the crowd and ferociously singing "The Best Thing (That Never Happened)" with the rampant crowd. Their fast-moving, intense set slowed down when they played "Come Back Home" for only the third time and we got to hear Tay and Jordan's gorgeous harmonies in real life. They continued on with their high spirited set playing an array of old and new songs 'closing' with "Never Be What You Want" which always garners an electric response. Cardiff is renowned for it's Ferri Chant so much so that the cluster of Cardiff fans at the last Bristol show I went to got the chant going much to Mike's amusement. This time was no exception as the second the fireball of talent left the stage all you could hear was "FERRI, FERRI, FERRI!" Shuffling his way back on stage Mike did a hilarious little rap before being re-joined by his band mates. Launching into "Both Sides Of The Story" the room erupted and stayed crazed right up until the very moment they left the stage after closing their phenomenal set with "Rumour Mill." 

Take Me Back: La Dispute (17/05/14)

In typical fashion we were late for the doors and missed the first support act Eugene Quell but we turned up just in time for support band O'Brother who came out all clashing drums and powerful vocals that created a mixed reaction in the packed out crowd. There were moments of clarity where the instruments matched Tanner Merritt's angst ridden outbursts but after a while the songs blended into one and the drawn out delivery of every lyric started getting a little too pretentious even for a room full of Jesse Lacey worshippers. There was a touch of Muse about them with the way Merritt projected his vocals whilst the music was more fitting to the headliners. They closed their set and left me wishing i'd checked them out beforehand so I wasn't trying to work out exactly what sound they were going for.

Now it's a week on and i'm still gracing the bruises from the crowd surfing, crowd crushing sweltering hot and very drunk room that Clwb had become. And if you think for a split second i'm complaining then you're entirely wrong. From the moment La Dispute broke into "HUDSONVILLE, MI 1956" the crowd were eagerly trying to keep up with the storytelling genius - what I mean is successfully managing to passionately yell every other word in time.
With a storming set list the crowd got rowdier as the night progressed and the reaction to old and new songs alike were just as excitable instead of being in favour of one or the other like is (unfortunately) common at gigs. After taking several shoes to the head during "Stay Happy There" and "St. Paul..." the set - and Jordan Dreyer who had been bouncing around like a kid that had been injected with caffeine - slowed down for the gorgeous sounding "Woman (In Mirror)." 

With the crowd chilled out Jordan introduced their next song "a Letter" with the line 'this song is for anyone who suffers from a mental illness' and the atmosphere in the room plummeted to a sombre one. The entire room sung along, some joining the band in holding back tears. The frantic crowd returned the second "Andria" kicked in and my brother - who lives under a rock and didn't know Rooms Of The House existed - was shocked at the slightly more upbeat sound to "For Mayor In Splitsville." 

Announcing this was their last song and thanking us for making them feel at home the band launched into "You And I In Unison" and everyone was jumping on top of each other determined to get closer to these musical gods. Somewhere in the ruckus a guy lost his shoe and nearly decapitated me trying to give me a sweaty forehead kiss for finding it - uh, thanks dude. The band disappeared to the non-existent back stage - well the band stayed on stage awkwardly staring while Dreyer sat to the side on his own - and the crowd tried several different chants before settling for screaming "KING PARK" at the top of our lungs. Laughing his way back on stage Dreyer joked how that didn't go quite to plan before the band, of course, closed with "King Park" and the room just about lost it. There was no holding back on anyone's part.

Take Me Back: The Wonder Years (06/05/14)

(Photo from UK tour 2013)

It couldn't have been anymore than a week after their Clwb November date that The Wonder Years announced another UK tour once again heading through my favourite gig city - Cardiff. Snapping up our tickets i've pretty much been counting down the days until the best live band hit our shores.
Halfway through my day at work I got a phone call from my mum telling me my brother was ill, for me to later discover that he was in fact so hungover he could barely stand up. So unimpressed that he was bailing on me I dropped in to his house and made him feel so guilty for being a total bloody idiot that he's paid for our Taking Back Sunday tickets but not guilty enough to change his mind about coming. With all my friends in London I made my dad come with me... mostly so there's someone to hold my phone when it gets crazy. 

By the time we made it to the venue State Champs were just finishing up their set so I found a spot near the front and waited for A Loss For Words. When they took to the stage everyone wandered over from the bar and instantly threw themselves into action as the band opened with "Hold Your Breath." They made it all about the crowd with Matty riling us up and jumping to join us in the pit and even handing us his mic for last song 'Wrightsville Beach." People in the crowd who were unfamiliar with the band even had the chance to join in with the hype when they threw a Jackson 5 cover into their set that had the floor swap moshing for grooving. 

Now, there will never quite be the words to describe a Wonder Years gig. From the instantaneous rush the second they're on stage, to the crowd bellowing the words back so unbelievably loud there is no way anyone hobbles out the venue with fully working vocal chords. There's a sense of unity that i've never felt anywhere else and I don't know whether it's the way we sing those songs for a brief hour and half completely unashamed of admitting lyrics that feel like the darkest parts of ourselves. Or whether it's when you're singing these songs with people you've never met - for the time you're there you all just get it and these strangers feel like old friends. And then there's the absence of the usual bullshit you get at gigs. The people who purposely shove you for the hell of it, the ones who don't help anyone up when they've fallen and the losers who use crowds as an excuse to grope girls. The Wonder Years fans somehow manage to create this perfect crowd where every person is equal whether you're a girl a boy or whatever the hell else. Aliens could show up and I don't think anyone would think anything of it. For me I feel more at home at their gigs than I do anywhere else in the world.

After i've left their gigs I think i've made up this magic and with the venue being that much bigger this time I was slightly anxious it wouldn't be the same but the moment the opening chords of "There,There" struck I knew it would be just as incredible as all the other times. Within thirty seconds it felt like everyone had been standing in torrential rain for hours and after the second song - "Passing Through a Screen Door" - I was a little bit horrified to discover my dad was still in the pit. He'd been awake since 4:30am and still had his glasses on. There's a reason I told him to stand at the back. My high pitched 'dad what the hell are you still doing here' yelp made a lot of people laugh and they helped him get out the pit. Playing the usual favourites it was nice to hear tracks like "A Raindance In Traffic" and "Dynamite Shovel." For the first time i've seen them there's been a 'backstage' for the band to disappear out of for the crowd to demand an encore. When the drums started up everyone drew in a breath, looked at each other and choked out no fucking way all in unison. They were closing with the ultimate set ending "I Just Want To Sell Out My Funeral." It was like reliving the entire gig all over again wrapped up into one song. Except this time, despite it being seemingly impossible, we sung louder.

Take Me Back: 30 Seconds To Mars (14/11/13)

FOR FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE (PAGE 10)

A 30 Seconds To Mars show is always quite the experience with multitudes of visual affects so a show without any technical problems is probably somewhat of a miracle.  Opening with Birth then Night of the Hunter it was during Search And Destroy that the crowd were told to sit down and jump up on three at which point large colourful balloons were blasted into the crowd. Conquistador saw confetti explosions before a fan was brought up on stage to introduce Do or Die sending the floor crazy. Really upping their game on this tour, circus style stunt acts provided hair-raising intervals where one of which had the two stunts men doing flips off of a see-saw.

Take Me Back: Fall Out Boy (15/03/14)

On a luscious sunny Saturday, after wading our way through Rugby goers and Richard Madden (!!!), feasting on copious amounts of Italian food and crashing my brother's work to "sample" the new Blackcurrant sorbet we made our way to the Motorpoint arena for one of the best nights of our lives.

By the time we got in the venue first support act New Politics were just starting what was to be their last song and from what I heard of it I was kinda disappointed I had missed the rest of their set. The crowd seemed impressed and I would say it's a fair bet that their energetic performance gained them new fans.

Second up was The Pretty Reckless opening with the initially explosive 'Follow Me Down' which tapers off into beautiful acoustic parts truly showing off Taylor Momsen's extensive range. Their set was mostly songs from their fantastic new album Going To Hell but included their bigger hits from debut Light Me Up. 'Heaven Knows' had the crowd belting 'Oh Lord, Heaven knows we belong way down below' just as enthusiastically has the widely popular 'Make Me Wanna Die.' Whilst Taylor's performance is a shy one her vocals are flawless and as for the rest of the band their talent appeared to be endless with solo's here and there that raised the hairs on my arms. There's no question as to whether these guys can play. 

The fact I was about to see Fall Out Boy again hit me. Barely breathing and shaking all over the lights dropped and the music to 'The Phoenix' came on. 5000 people screamed 'put on your warpaint' as Fall Out Boy tore up and down the stage in balaclavas. The chorus kicked in and the room was a wild tangle of bodies and shrieking voices that didn't let up at any point in the night. Mosh pits opened for 'I slept with someone...' and 'This Ain't A Scene...' before Pete gave his speech before 'Alone Together.' 
They opened with 'Thriller' at Reading but this time it was in the middle of their set and just like the festival crowd, Cardiff belted the opening whilst I tried my hardest not to break down sobbing. Somehow the band managed to make 'Young Volcanoes' seem as though you were just jamming in your room with them despite being in an arena. The dance party from 'Death Valley' returned except this time with inflatable balls flying about the room and everyone's grin audible in their singing. Distracting us with one of their video's playing on the big screen Patrick, Pete and Joe ran round the back to play an acoustic set that felt as intimate as 'Young Volcanoes.' 'I'm Like A Lawyer...' and 'Grand Theft Autumn' sounded amazing with the hush of acoustic guitars. Andy let rip an almighty drum solo whilst the others returned to the stage to play 'Dance, Dance,' mellow us back out with 'Just One Yesterday' before yells of 'I Don't Care' filled the room. No song was written better for a live show than that of 'My Songs Know...' with the oh whoa's so loud i'm surprised I didn't lose my hearing.
A roar of 'FALL OUT BOY! FALL OUT BOY!' and they were back with a piano set up on the platform. I don't think anyone was prepared to experience 'Save Rock And Roll' live. Everything about it was perfection and the level of emotion swallowing the room it was impossible not to cry, particularly during the 'oh no we won't go' parts. 'Thnks Fr Th Mmrs' and a golden oldie but extremely relevant 'Saturday' finished off what was a stunning night.

Fall Out Boy were gone for nearly four years and more than ever i'm questioning how we managed to survive that. From their raw talent to the exceptional production it was an outstanding show that I wish more than anything didn't have to end.

Take Me Back: Tonight Alive (29/05/13)

FOR FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE

All the way from Sydney, Tonight Alive defeat everyone's inner demons with their charged blend of pop-punk. The years spent touring have certainly taught them how to put together a monster of a set list with hardened punk tracks like "Breaking And Entering" leaving the crowd breathless in time for poppy "To Die For" before they deliver"Thank You & Goodnight" - the perfect mix of pop-punk.

Take Me Back: We Are The In Crowd (07/02/14)*

We Are The In Crowd / Neck Deep / Save Your Breath

Bristol, The Fleece

07/02/14

Review Here