On October 8th I found myself in Hannover to attend a tour I had been looking forward to for the longest time: Boysetsfire and Hot Water Music who teamed up for a UK/EU tour, bringing along guests Samiam and Be Well.
At around 06:45, Be Well took the stage. For those unfamiliar with them, the band consists of Darkest Hour guitarist Mike Schleibaum, former Bane guitarist Aaron Dalbec and producer/Battery vocalist Brian McTernan. I was only familiar with some videos of Be Well, but knowing what Aaron and Mike are capable of while playing, I knew I was in for a good time. Their sound may not have ben the best at the beginning of the performance, with the lead guitars being buried under the rhythm section, but during the 30-or-so-minute set, Be Well managed to warm up the crowd quite efficiently. The highlight of the performance however was McTernan taking a moment to address the importance of keeping the mental health discussion open, as he recently came to realize that both he and his mother shared the same illness and had never talked about it, and his fear of passing it on to his daughter. A truly heartfelt moment, which I believe resonated with many people in the audience.
Up next was Samiam who brought the "emo geek punk element", as my friend put it. The show was enjoyable but, not being a punk kid myself, I wasn't able to fully engage with them. The crowd however had a good time, dancing and singing along.
As soon as Hot Water Music took the stage with "Anthother Life", it was a true party. Chuck Ragan and Chris Cresswell held the fort down, with excellent deliveries, effortless moves and looks of pure joy on their faces. As this was my first time seeing HWM, I was blown away by their chemistry and how well their raspy voices work together live, despite those veins in their necks working overtime. The setlist consisted of a nice balance between the older fan-favorite songs and the newer ones, resulting in the audience actively participating and singing along, but it was "Habitual", "Remedy", "Collect Your Things And Run" and "Drag My Body" that took the cake. Towards the end of the set, Cresswell and Ragan took turns performing acoustically, proving they are forces of nature even without the band backing them, and after almost an hour they left us with big smiles on our faces.
Now, if you know me, you know my unconditional love for Boysetsfire and how badly I wanted to attend this tour. I was finally able to, booking a ticket on the last minute and let me tell you, it was worth every single cent. The Delaware outfit went on with "After The Eulogy" and frontman Nathan Gray yelling the iconic "Rise! Rise! Rise!" lines. He immediately got a reaction from fans who, much like myself I assume, weren't expecting this anthem to open the set and felt like setting kerosene on fire. The band's energy as always was unmatched; Gray and bassist Robert Ehrenbrand were erratically moving up and down the stage, making sure the kids were pumped at all times, while guitarists Chad Istvan and Josh Latshaw seconded Nathan with clean and screaming vocals. For anyone familiar with the band, their message and what they stand for, it's not unusual for Gray to take a break from the set to address issues that sit heavy with him. This time -and his passion during those fiery speeches is always spine-chilling.
Song-wise, Boysetsfire's setlists have been quite consistent over the past few years, consisting of a great selection of the hits that keep fans off their feet, singing at the top of their lungs, such as "My Life In The Knife Trade", "Cutting Room Floor", "Eviction Article", "Rookie", "Deja Coup", "Requiem" and more. The band entertained us for about an hour, briefly leaving the stage before returning for "Walk Astray", where we all sang the pre-recorded intro (and the backing vocals) in one voice, and "Empire".
Overall, the show was incredible; I am beyond happy that I got to see these bands rocking together, to sing my little heart out, to catch up with friends and το be immersed in the wholesome experience that a Boysetsfire is. On to the next one!
0 σχόλια :
Post a Comment