While adventuring in The Netherlands, I had the chance to catch a date of Never Say Die tour in Haarlem. The lineup this year was so diverse it definitely sparked my curiosity.
Lorna Shore opened the show. As soon as they started playing, I noticed that they seemed somewhat reserved, maybe due to not being familiar with the stage. However their performance was really interesting and felt like listening to some old Whitechapel or Carnifex. (6) Polaris from Sydney, Australia, was next. I have to give it to these kids; at first I thought they were another Architects copycat but that wasn't the case. They played really well and had great sound throughout their set. I mean, yes, they did have an overall Architects feel but I'm pretty sure that they will grow out of it as they gain experience and polish the rougher edges of their own sound in the future. (7)
Kublai Khan followed, and they surely kicked off their set with a lot of anger and a downtuned hardcore sound. Really loved their performance, however, at some points I felt that they were getting a bit tiring. (7) Sworn In, on the other hand, fully employed dark lights to complement their idiosyncratic metalcore. Their performance was clean, sound wise, and, compared to the previous bands, it felt like Sworn In stood out as more experienced and mature. (7)
Chelsea Grin was up next and, oh boy, were they amazing. They started with older material and then proceeded to play some newer songs. Their presence was really enjoyable; vocalist Alex Koehler was giving a full show, jumping, dancing and laughing while the rest of the band appeared very confident and devoted to their playing. (7)
Time had come for Deez Nutz and they were amazing. Disclaimer that until the day of the show, I wasn't even familiar with Deez Nutz and this was the first time seeing them live. As you guessed, I was in for a big surprise. These guys don't take themselves seriously and put on a really enjoyable show. (8)
Last but not least was Emmure, who headlined the festival. I swear these guys get better and better overtime. Their great sound and groove made every kid in the venue want to headbang and pit. In my opinion, these guys deserved to be the headlining band, as they were fully professional and pretty much owned the stage. (8)
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| Emmure |
Lorna Shore opened the show. As soon as they started playing, I noticed that they seemed somewhat reserved, maybe due to not being familiar with the stage. However their performance was really interesting and felt like listening to some old Whitechapel or Carnifex. (6) Polaris from Sydney, Australia, was next. I have to give it to these kids; at first I thought they were another Architects copycat but that wasn't the case. They played really well and had great sound throughout their set. I mean, yes, they did have an overall Architects feel but I'm pretty sure that they will grow out of it as they gain experience and polish the rougher edges of their own sound in the future. (7)
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| Polaris |
Kublai Khan followed, and they surely kicked off their set with a lot of anger and a downtuned hardcore sound. Really loved their performance, however, at some points I felt that they were getting a bit tiring. (7) Sworn In, on the other hand, fully employed dark lights to complement their idiosyncratic metalcore. Their performance was clean, sound wise, and, compared to the previous bands, it felt like Sworn In stood out as more experienced and mature. (7)
Chelsea Grin was up next and, oh boy, were they amazing. They started with older material and then proceeded to play some newer songs. Their presence was really enjoyable; vocalist Alex Koehler was giving a full show, jumping, dancing and laughing while the rest of the band appeared very confident and devoted to their playing. (7)
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| Chelsea Grin |
Time had come for Deez Nutz and they were amazing. Disclaimer that until the day of the show, I wasn't even familiar with Deez Nutz and this was the first time seeing them live. As you guessed, I was in for a big surprise. These guys don't take themselves seriously and put on a really enjoyable show. (8)
Last but not least was Emmure, who headlined the festival. I swear these guys get better and better overtime. Their great sound and groove made every kid in the venue want to headbang and pit. In my opinion, these guys deserved to be the headlining band, as they were fully professional and pretty much owned the stage. (8)
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| Emmure |
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| Emmure |
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| Emmure |
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| Emmure |
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| Emmure |
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| Emmure |
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| Deez Nuts |
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| Deez Nuts |
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| Deez Nuts |
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| Deez Nuts |
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| Deez Nuts |
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| Deez Nuts |
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| Deez Nuts |
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| Deez Nuts |
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| Deez Nuts |
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| Chelsea Grin |
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| Chelsea Grin |
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| Chelsea Grin |
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| Chelsea Grin |
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| Sworn In |
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| Sworn In |
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| Sworn In |
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| Kublai Khan |
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| Kublai Khan |
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| Kublai Khan |
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| Kublai Khan |
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| Kublai Khan |
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| Polaris |
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| Polaris |
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| Polaris |
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| Lorna Shore |
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| Lorna Shore |
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| Lorna Shore |
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| Lorna Shore |
All photos courtesy of Jason Chatzopoulos Photography
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