PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
I have frequented the Bierkeller in Bristol on many occasions for both their club nights and their theatre productions, but I had never been to a gig there until this particular night in question. I was also very aware of how hot it could get inside the venue itself, but I was NOT prepared for how sweaty and demolished I would be once I’d left.
It started slowly with California’s Slaves (6), who have built up a steady following judging by the smattering of people who knew their songs but could not get any real movement going. Granted, their music will not incite shape-throwing from the off but a little more energy from them would certainly have helped things along. They did, however, have the greatest song title of the night with closing number ‘My Soul is Empty and Filled with White Girls’. Australia’s In Heart’s Wake (8), on the other hand, are brilliant. Bouncing from the off, they have pits opening immediately and play as if they were headlining, not second support. Songs like ‘Departure’ and ‘Divine’ have everybody throwing arms and legs for all they’re worth and vocalist Jake Taylor is the only person who can get away wearing a multi-coloured tie-dye top whilst delivering a brutal scream amongst ridiculous breakdowns. It’s something that Hands Like Houses (6) struggle to follow, although not for want of trying. Make no mistake, they have a huge amount of fun on stage and look totally at ease but after the brutality of In Heart’s Wake, their own brand of heavy rock seems timid in comparison. Even having Slaves frontman Jonny Craig guest-vocalling for one number and rousing closing number ‘Introduced Species’ cannot raise the tone.
When I spoke with Bury Tomorrow (8) vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates earlier on in the day he mentioned, that even though they weren’t the only band playing metalcore, how much pride he had in helping keep the genre relevant in 2014. Said relevance became apparent from the moment the band kick into their one-two opening punch of ‘Man on Fire’ and ‘Royal Blood’. Using every inch of the Bierkeller’s tiny stage, there’s just as much movement on stage as there is in the pit, with both members and fans alike feeding off the electricity created in the air. Playing material from all three releases, it’s an unrelenting barrage from beginning to end and Dan himself is an individual art form in his own right. New songs ‘Garden of Thorns’ and ‘Watcher’ sound absolutely massive alongside old favourites ‘An Honourable Reign’ and ‘Sceptres’, whilst a wonderful double salvo from debut album Portraits ignites the middle of the set in the form of ‘Her Bones in the Sand’ and ‘Anything With Teeth’. Leaving on a hugely impressive encore of ‘You and I’ and ‘Lionheart’, Bury Tomorrow prove once again why they are headed for big things in the music world and why, next time they tour the UK, they should be filling out Academy’s with ease.
Bury Tomorrow Setlist
Man On Fire
Royal Blood
An Honourable Reign
Garden of Thorns
Knight Life
Her Bones in the Sand
Anything with Teeth
Our Gift
Watcher
Sceptres
The Torch
Of Glory
—–ENCORE—–
You and I
Lionheart
