Expectations firmly in check, I went to The Reverence last week to witness Boysetsfire. It had been ten years since I had seen them live and they had been largely inactive for most of that decade so how good could they possibly be? The slight chance of witnessing just a couple of their hits was enough to entice me to The Rev that night. I wasn’t asking for much. Within moments of opener Release The Dogs, I could’ve cried and spewed and squealed all at once. They didn’t just nail that set, they destroyed it, decimated the room, thrust it against the wall and lay into it with all the intensity of men half their age. Boysetsfire delivered the set list of my dreams with precision to die for and didn’t stop until I was left gasping and grinning like a madman. Most of my awe was admittedly directed at vocalist Nathan Gray’s stunning range and refusal to retreat from even the loftiest notes. Eugh. Unbelievable.
The Smith Street Band will soothe your aching soul after Christmas promptly destroys it this year. They’ve announced a headlining show at the new and (very) improved Ding Dong Loung on Boxing Day with The Pretty Littles, Stockades and The Union Pacific. Tickets are getting snapped up fairly quickly though so get in now.
The Reverence have announced their lineup for New Year’s and it’s certainly won my vote for ‘place to be’ this Tuesday December 31. MYC will headline the festivities this year alongside Rise Of The Rat, Stoackades, Tigers and Join The Amish. As usual, fancy dress policy is in place and you know there’ll be a DJ on board to spin party tunes once the bands are done. Tickets are available now.
A Day To Remember have found a home for their new album Common Courtesy. 3Wise will release the album this Friday and the world will breathe a sigh of relief after it seemed that Victory Records was going to spoil the part for everyone. The US label tried to stop the band from releasing the album without their involvement earlier this year and the court battles are continuing between band and label. The good news is that Common Courtesy is a brilliant album and you won’t be disappointed.
Jimmy Stadt of Polar Bear Club has taken the time to pen a really long letter to his fans about his vocals on the new album. Anyone who’s listened to Death Chorus will have noticed just how tame Stadt’s vocals have become compared to previous releases where his throaty howl dominated. Stadt has admitted that “the higher notes in my range were starting to fade….it just felt uncomfortable and uncontrollable”. Apparently upon returning to the studio to record the new album Stadt went to sing and out came “pissy, hot garbage” so he lowered his register and sung “a little cleaner”. “It’s going to sound a little different, sure, there’s nothing I can do about that”, he closes. “However, rest assured it’s the same fucking band and the same show”.