With such an eagerly anticipated tour, we went along to check out the run of amazing bands on show in Manchester.
Kicking the night off were German lads, Burning Down Alaska, who hit the stage with high impact, new wave hardcore. These guys brought everything from punchy guitars to solid screams. With their album ‘Values & Virtues’ being released early this year, Burning Down Alaska were definitely sharp on delivering an excellent opening to the night.
Following on from a solid opener, Fit For A King came to the stage with what can only be described as sheer energy. The nice mix of screams and clean vocals really added to the whole punch of their set. Every member was tight and certainly prepared everyone for a heavy night. The crowd went crazy when lead vocalist, Ryan Kirby, held an amazing scream at the end of ‘Warpath’, certainly a band to check out!
With a crowd rearing to go, Cruel Hand came on and most certainly delivered. Hitting things with dual guitars and heavy vocals, the crowd reacted with lots of crowd surfing and circle pits, in which Cruel Hand loved. The fast-paced songs mixed with the odd breakdown sounded really good and definitely set things up for the next big band.
No vocalist on the stage? Ah, that can only be Being As An Ocean! Academy 2 went up in a loud roar as soon as the guys came out. Vocalist Joel Quartuccio, didn’t spend a second on the stage but instead interacted with the crowd and made sure the set was all about them. Things certainly got emotional when Quartuccio made a speech about Hope For The Day, a non-profit organisation who shed light on the serious effects suicide has on people. It was here when Being As An Ocean played ‘This Loneliness Won’t Be The Death Of Me’; there were no house lights, just lighters and phones, a definite highlight of the night.
Boston lads, Defeater had a lot to live up to following on from Being As An Ocean’s set, but word, they delivered! Hard-hitting lyrics, funky guitar grooves and an extremely lively vocalist made the bands set one to remember for a long time. Defeater’s set saw the most crowd surfers of the night up till now, and a large majority of the crowd were singing back every word to every song. It was definitely a lyrically emotional set, and the crowd reacted insanely to these guys. LiveMix Music definitely hopes to see them in the UK again soon!
In between the changeover, Jonny from Hope For The Day, came on and told everyone about the Non-Profit organisation and what they do. Every night of the Never Say Die! Tour, HFTD has a stand next to The Amity Affliction’s merch desk, where anyone can go and speak to Jonny, as he believes “Prevention starts with a conversation”.
The Amity Affliction, wow, we’re impressed. What an incredible set from the guys down under. Opening the night with ‘Open Letter’, the crowd didn’t have a chance to ease into things, but instead, were throwing themselves around, having a good time. Vocalist Joel Birch, really conveyed every emotion inside him during ‘Chasing Ghosts’, it was a really solid performance by every member. The highlight of the set had to be when the guys performed ‘Deaths Hand’. Every single person in the Academy went absolutely crazy, with multiple mosh pits, large numbers of crowd surfers and everyone singing back the words.
Overall, the whole night was incredible. Every single band that performed were tight and got everyone involved. If you’ve never heard of any of the bands, go check them out!
Words & Photography – Sam Mackintosh
