Sunday, 21 October 2012

The Gallows – 17-10-12 – Birmingham Academy 2 – With Support from Brotherhood Of The Lake and Feed The Rhino

Tonight is a good night for music in Birmingham, across town Trivium are playing the HMV Institute and here at the Academy 2 we have The Gallows. The Gallows, as most will know by now, have changed over the past year, singer Frank Carter left the band to start his new project Pure Love, so The Gallows had to get a new singer and this came in the form off Alexisonfire guitarist/singer Wade MacNeil. They’ve already released a new album that is amazing, so it’s time to see how much he adds to The Gallows live show. But before we get to that we have the supports in the shape off

Brotherhood Of The Lake, I arrive part way into their set, and the room is already busy and full of people rocking out to this 5 piece Metalcore band from Devon. They sound great, and are full of energy which comes out in the form off heavy riffs and massive vocals.  Singer Robert Clarke, takes the crowd through the paces and crouches down on the stage, screaming into the mic. They are a band to look out for in the future, and are keeping British hardcore scene ticking along, so if you like music with a bit of bite, then check them out. 3/5

Feed The Rhino are up next and are a 5 piece hardcore band from Kent, who have a reputation for being an amazing live band and tonight they don’t disappoint. Before they even start, us photographers get told to stay throughout the set and take as many photos as we like, as they’re filming tonight’s show, so were already expecting some crazy antics and as the band come out on stage to some pounding drum and bass the music stops and they burst into heavy screams and thrashing guitars for Flood The Storm.  Instantly you can feel the power and showmanship off this band, the guitarists jump around and are constantly moving on this small stage, whilst singer Lee Tobin pace’s back and forward forcing his vocals out into the crowd. They sound great and unlike some hardcore bands the vocals are not all washed up in screams, they are coherent and make for a different yet still awesome sound.  They play a great set including Burning Suns, Left For Ruins and ending with The Butchers.  During the set we see allot from the band, including Tim jumping into the crowd and commanding a wall off death before retreating behind the barrier and watching the chaos ensue, he also comes back out later in the set and stands in the middle of the crowd as he gets them all to sit down then jump up on his command. By the end of the set he’s truly worn out and is screaming his heart out in a heap on the floor.  This band are amazing live, and so if you get the chance to see them, do it, they’ll be back in February for a headline tour, so don’t miss it! 4.5/5

The Gallows are up next and are ready to blow everyone’s socks off.  They enter the stage to feedback which gets louder and louder until they blast into Misery from the Grey Britain album, instantly showing the crowd, who needs Frank when you’ve got Wade, as he bashes his way through the song singing every lyric with passion, and getting the crowd worked up so they sing back in the “And we love her too!” parts.  They then change the tune and play 4 tracks from their latest self titled album including Last June, Mondo Chaos and Outsider Art which go down as well as the old songs.  They then go back to old and play London Is The Reason, and remind us that they’re not forgetting their history, this continues throughout the rest of the set with old and new blending seamlessly throughout the show. 

They sound amazing, this band have their sound levels down like clockwork, they get in and get set up in no time and are keeping punk rock ethics going, they get in, get set up and rock out whilst putting on a great show.  The guitars thrash and the bass bellows throughout, whilst Wade screams and sings his heart out, he sings every song as if they were his own, it’s clear to see he loves the Gallows and they love him too.  He fits so well in the group, he pounces around the small stage trying his best to make use of the room, at one point he mimes injecting himself as he wraps the mic cable around this arm to make the veins show, Wade is a showman but likes to keep things short in-between songs, as they like to play rock songs instead of chatting the night away.  The rest of the band perform great, jumping and rocking about the stage, playing the songs as if the cd was playing out of the speakers.  They finish on Cross Of Lorraine, but the crowd know this isn’t the end of the set as nothing has involved them yet, yes the songs sound great but after Feed The Rhinos crowd antics they’re eager for more and want to show the passion they feel for The Gallows.  After a short moment, they re-appear on the stage and play Victim Culture then Abandon Ship, and finally start the final song; Orchestra Of Wolves to which Wade jumps off stage and into the press pit, singing as the crowd bulges forward, the singing stops and he dives into the crowd as they carry him across the room before falling onto the floor, he gets back up and sings as people gather round him, eventually moving him back to in front of the barrier before the circle of people envelop him, in which he loses his mic and just screams the few reaming words into the crowd before slipping back onto the stage and leaving with the rest of the band.

The Gallows, have impressed me tonight, I’ve seen them before with Frank and can say that there are a few things missing, for instance; his fuck off attitude that he gives to the crowd, but this is the new Gallows and what they miss in nostalgia they make up for in pure power and energy. If you were wondering whether Frank leaving meant the end, then I can assure you it is only the beginning and there is plenty more to come, so get your backside to a show and support British rock! 4.5/5

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