A Day To Remember - Brixton Academy, London - February 5th 2011 (Live Review)
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Written by Owen Sheppard
Tonight it's fair to say that this rising post-hardcore/pop-punk quintet from Florida have played their cards wisely with the song selection of this set list. Despite this being the promotional tour of their latest release 'What Separates Me From You' the band have gone for a fair spread of the entire back catalogue to suit both hardcore fans and those like myself seeing this band for the first time. Not to give the impression that the crowd here tonight isn't as dedicated as humanly possible. Every lyric from tracks old and new, hit or album track that Jeremy (lead vocals) offers is met with the sound of nearly 5 thousand mouths shouting it back at him. Clearly ADTR are a band that since 2005 has slowly become something of a cult phenomenon, in England at least, achieving this from years of stressful but triumphant touring around fan bases from The US to Australia to spots at major festivals in Europe.
The band have welcomed their growing popularity on English soil over the last few years; making appearances at major festivals like Reading, Leeds and Download and bringing tours on a near annual basis with the likes of Architects, Your Demise, and this year's guests: Pierce the Veil and Bayside.
Pierce the Veil are joined by Jeremy for hit track Caraphernelia which sparks a mass sing along from the crowd that have amassed so far but it's Jeremy's guest appearance that gets the most hands in the air. Their set is a solid one, if not met with half-heartedness from an audience that by around 8 O'clock is less than half the venue's capacity.
Bayside on the other hand receive a far less enthusiastic reception. Their set too is tight and played with confidence but the general feeling amongst the crowd suggests that most would have preferred Bayside to have opened tonight's show and its not until they surprise us with a quality cover of 'My Name Is Jonas' that the crowd give any real reaction.
Finally the lights are down, the atmosphere is alive with the applause of a crowd thousands strong of excitable young metal-core fans. Two props in the form of giant novelty punch bags stand alongside the drum kit with a threatening red glow as the band run on to the stage to take their positions. Jeremy's voice greets us "what's up England" and before we even have a chance to cheer back, the computerised voice of '2nd Sucks' opener hits us with an almighty "FIIIIIGHT". Smoke cannons billow up and confetti rains down on the front lines. The atmosphere is suddenly on fire, pits burst open and kids are jumping with their fists in the air. It's full steam ahead for an opening that everyone anticipated to be a spectacle of sublime chaos.
With so much action at the front of the crowd, it only takes a minute or two before I have completely lost where my friends are. Next up are 'The Danger In Starting a Fire' and 'A Shot In The Dark', giving the band time to work the crowd in to an even greater frenzy with some older but heavier classics. The breakdowns are plentiful and the choruses are sung back with equal eagerness. Fourth on the list is 'My Life for Hire', followed by 'I’m Made Of Wax Larry', 'What Are You Made Of?' and it’s interesting to observe the dedication to thrashing out the older and more familiar tunes that the bands are showing tonight.
After half an hour of five straight fast and furious, breakdown laden tracks, the crowd and myself are looking more exhausted by the second and the climate inside the academy is almost tropical with the sweat that has been worked up so far. “This is a new one, who here has heard our new record Brixton?” Jeremy yells to us, received by the overwhelming screams of excited teenage girls as the opening riff to one of the lighter, more sing along track, 'All I Want' kicks in. A track whose lyrics are intended with a touch of emotiveness, that never the less still inspires aggression from the incessant moshing at the back of the room. Jeremy then asks for a “fucking huge circle pit” for 'Mr Highway' which inspires perhaps the most brutal scene of the night with the deafening chant of “wake up!”.
The rest of the set continues with a balance of their first two records with appearances from new tracks like 'Sticks and Bricks' and 'Why Walk on Water When You Got Boats' beckon the call of another enveloping circle pit. As more melodic tracks like 'Have Faith in Me' and 'Homesick' appear towards the end of the set, there is a distinct impression under the ravenous atmosphere that Jeremy’s voice might be starting to give way to the strain of touring as several notes are left out of key.
On the ending of a more redeeming performance of 16th track 'You Should Have Killed Me When You Had the Chance', the band leave the stage to give themselves, as well as the now thoroughly worked out audience, a desperately needed rest. But of course there are fan favourites like 'The Downfall of Us All' left to play, with its beloved intro “dada dada da da” sung in choruses at the empty stage, waiting for the Floridian boys to take the stage once more. Sure enough, the two giant punch bags are glowing a frightening red once again and the cheers erupt, but what none of us expected to see was guitarist Kevin and vocalist Jeremy returning with acoustic guitars in hand. Opening an encore with an acoustic track like 'If It Means A lot To You' is a move rarely made by any punk or metal band but it still makes for a surprisingly fitting “lighters in the air” moment.
But now it’s back in to fifth gear for their biggest tracks in the back catalogue and sure enough it’s 'The Down Fall of Us All' and 'The Plot to Bomb The Pan Handle' set to make the atmospheric highlight of tonight’s performance. There is less moshing for these two though, as it is clear from looking around at the exhausted rabble around me that exhaustion is setting in. Half a dozen or so crowd surfers meet the closing lines to be high fived by Jeremy. We are thanked for a great reception as Jeremy announces this day at Brixton to be the biggest headline show they have ever played in the world; a proud moment for Hardcore, a proud moment for the band and another record broken by this historic venue.
Stereoboard Gig Rating: 7/10
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Pierce the Veil are joined by Jeremy for hit track Caraphernelia which sparks a mass sing along from the crowd that have amassed so far but it's Jeremy's guest appearance that gets the most hands in the air. Their set is a solid one, if not met with half-heartedness from an audience that by around 8 O'clock is less than half the venue's capacity. 
