I Killed The Prom Queen were given the job of opening the night. While less than half the band are pre-hiatus members, they have enough combined touring experience to warrant expecting a stand out set. While the five-piece definitely had synchronised head-banging down to an art form, they left a lot to be desired. Playing through their newer material, set highlights came in the form of classics Your Shirt Would Look Better With A Columbian Neck-tie and set closer Saying Goodbye which got at least a small section of the crowd moving.
Punters weren’t promising to save any energy when The Ghost Inside stepped onto the stage, quickly getting the mosh pit moving. Engine 45 and Unspoken proved to be great openers, The Ghost Inside’s energetic performance only spurring the crowd to give them more. The set was full of small surprises, from vocalist Jonathan Vigil’s positivity speech before Thirty Three to guest vocals from letlive.’s Jason Butler in Faith Or Forgiveness, each welcomed by a ruckus of applause from the crowd and a lot more pit involvement. The band were clearly thriving off the energy being thrown at them, the smile not leaving Vigil’s face from the beginning of Engine 45 til the end of set closer Dark Horse.
From the opening chords of All I Want to the closing screams of The Downfall Of Us All, A Day To Remember delivered. The set wasn’t without its signature gimmicks. Right Back At It Again saw bouncy balls being let into the pit, All Signs Point To Lauderdale brought toilet paper, City Of Ocala had free t-shirts and It’s Complicated opened with vocalist Jeremy McKinnon running across the pit in a hamster ball and begging the crowd “not to let him die”. There was no doubting A Day To Remember brought one hell of a rock show. With a set leaning to the heavier side of their discography they ripped through I’m Made Of Wax Larry starting the first of many pit circles and used The Document Speaks For Itself as the backdrop for a wall of death.
Inside all the chaos, the biggest surprise of the night came when the band stripped things back for two acoustic tracks. Starting with You Had Me At Hello before continuing to crowd singalong favourite If It Means A Lot To You leaving only McKinnon and guitarist Kevin Skaff on the stage.
BY GLORIA BRANCATISANO
Loved: Watching people get fooled by The Forum’s “outdoor” roof.
Hated: Nada.
Drank: Good ol’ H2O.
