“This is kinda like a celebration, forward slash see you later,” remarks frontman Colin Doran. Perhaps it’s the intimidatingly mostly seated hall, or the first half of the show loaded with deep cuts and later songs that doesn’t click with the crowd immediately, that cast a shadow over proceedings. From the back of the stalls the stage set looks like a dolls house, created to spark imagination, and that’s exactly what their music does. The frontman’s downcast reflection is swept away by the glowing open to ‘Glorious Sunrise’ with guitars and harmonies that rotate like planets in motion. As Doran makes his announcement, someone throws a beer across the hall, a tiny moment of rebellion. The minimalism in Hundred Reasons’ clattering distortion on ‘Slow Learner’ makes for an absorbing polaroid, and when Doran finally lets out a full scream amid the heartbeat-like bass tones of ‘This Mess’, it’s a glorious moment.

So far, so safe. Then, an awkward, unscheduled pause while we murmur in the dark, waiting for a resolution. Hundred Reasons had teased including strings online  a couple of months ago, but when the live debut of ‘Done’ emerges from the darkness backed by a full string orchestra, the old electricity they conjured years ago is back. The entire floor of the hall erupts into a full jump as the strings take over the baseline to ‘I’ll Find You’, the fresh polish renewing the track to a full cheer. ‘Silver’, when it finally comes, is a legendary experience. Phones raised, we dance with the fullness that the song deserves, with crowd surfers hurling themselves across the floor, chanting out the melody. A couple hold each other, fists raised, just soaking it in. 

This song is the utter poignancy of the whole night in a nutshell: Hundred Reasons are, or rather were, still incredibly good. All the old songs needed was a fresh touch of sonic paint and they hit as hard as ever, creating new memory with the same ease that they did upon release. When Doran finally smiles and offers us a singalong to ‘Falter’, we clutch this song to our hearts. A group of balding friends circle and hug amid the confetti chords. ‘Remmus’ red glow translates into a small but intense pit, and with renewed, howling power they beam out invisibility, and ‘No Way Back’ captures the full stadium feeling that could have been. This contrast, the split between what should have happened at Hundred Reasons’ huge hometown show celebrating their highlights and what we got, lies at the heart of the experience. They should have been taking on arenas, throwing out post-hardcore magic. Instead, we have moments of glory that needle at us even as we party. “Guess we’ll say see you next time, but that’s not really the case now,” sighs Doran before the whole crowd springs to their feet for ‘If I Could’. A circle pit bubbles up, the spontaneous reaction to the vivid favourite played as brightly as we’ve ever heard it. 

Hundred Reasons could have made a Best Of compilation, or a strings album, or carried on playing smaller and smaller clubs. We have to respect the way they went out with the biggest bang that they could, even if the sheer quality of the show makes their decision that little bit more painful. On the other hand, they have split twice before and re-formed, each time with a new album and a sheepish apology for a long absence, so it’s entirely possible we might be back at the Royal Albert Hall in 2035 for a reunion show. Until then, this is a beautiful farewell, full of juxtapositions and thrash, to one of the era’s most under-appreciated bands. 

KATE ALLVEY

Opening proceedings tonight are My Vitriol, who kick things off with their own brand of melancholy shoegaze. With a stage shrouded in darkness for a lot of the set, the mic stand covered in fairly lights is often the only clearly visible point, the moody lighting reflecting the feel of the music. The majority of tracks this evening are pulled from their 2001 debut album ‘Finelines’; the band sounding as confident and assured now as they did twenty years ago. The sound isn’t always as finessed, with some hefty bass feedback and vocal levels wavering at times, but these minor glitches don’t seem to detract from the mesmerising performance that My Vitriol give from start to finish.

In a striking change of pace, next up are post-hardcore act Hell is For Heroes, who have probably been the most active of all the bands on the bill over recent years. Appearing on stage to Enrique Iglesias’ ‘Hero’, they waste no time launching into ‘Folded Paper Figures’, the only track of the evening from sophomore album ‘Transmit Disrupt’. The energy of the band is palpable and this sense of fervent enthusiasm is present for every moment of the band’s set. Vocalist Justin Schlosberg is the epitome of charisma, running up and down every inch of the stage, performing acrobatics over the drumkit and spinning the microphone without ever missing a beat.

Many bands have taken time out over the course of their careers to focus on their families, but Hell is For Heroes have gone a step further, with their children joining the band on stage for new track ‘I Should Never Have Been Here in the First Place’, Schlosberg declaring “It’s a family affair”. When he announces the following track simply as “This is an old one”, this sense of family is one that stretches across the crowd, with a roar of collective appreciation for the opening notes of hit “I Can Climb Mountains”.

Giving everyone a moment to catch their breath, ‘To Die For’ showcases the instrumental prowess of the band, with post-rock guitars adding subtle depth to set chock-full of vigorous beats. It’s testament to the band’s writing ability that the couple of new tracks performed on this tour sit seamlessly alongside the classics, with chunky riffs and pinpoint drumming underscoring emotive lyricism and impassioned vocals.

The crowd-pleasing antics of Hell Is For Heroes continue with Schlosberg shouting “London, I’m coming for you” before stage-diving onto the masses during ‘Five Kids Go’, mic in hand. Taking time to thank each member of the band during closing number ‘Slow Song’, he announces that the band will be back soon, perhaps alluding to more new music and potentially a headline tour. Judging by the reception to their support-slot tonight, it’s safe to say that whatever they have planned next, it’s going to go down a storm.

Backed by the emblem of new album ‘Glorious Sunset’, Hundred Reasons take to the stage to rapturous applause and growls of anticipation from the audience. Opening with the title track from said album, they seem to be in their element from the very beginning, following their new track with old favourites packed full of noughties nostalgia. The audience sing along to every word, with beautiful canon harmonies from the band on ‘I’ll Find You’ soaring over the vocal melody being belted towards the stage.

Technology has advanced considerably since the early 2000’s, and the lighting tonight gives the set a more modern edge, complementing the evolution of the band’s sound to make even the oldest tracks seem relevant and current. The middle of the set sees new track ‘It Suits You’ sandwiched by the ever-popular ‘Remmus’ and ‘Silver’, the newer material sitting comfortably among the better-known anthems. Bolstering the guitar section is Marmozets’ Jack Bottomley, adding layered rhythms to the multi-faceted sound that Hundred Reasons produce.

The audience are called to arms once again for “an old-fashioned singalong” to huge hit ‘Falter’ and they don’t disappoint, the throng of voices echoing to the very back of the balcony seating. The end of the main set adds some electronic wizardry to the mix, elevating the band’s sound further and adding to their arsenal of sonic expertise. A three-song encore consists of new track ‘Replicate’, ‘No Way Back’ and closes with the anthemic ‘If I Could’, the band sounding equally as tight and powerful whether they’re playing a new track or one from 20 years ago.

With any revival tour, there’s a chance that the bands could rest on their laurels, relying on nostalgia alone to carry their setlist. That was not the case tonight, and with new material, headline tours and a promise of more news, these three bands are sure to keep the fans happy for many more years to come.

ELLIE ODURNY

After fifteen years everything has shifted. Hundred Reasons existed in the same space as At The Drive-In, Refused and Hell Is For Heroes. They helped define post-hardcore, a genre that has since evolved into something else entirely, and so have they. Time has mellowed them into a rock band and despite being a product of that space they’re not trying to fit into it. On previous records reviewers would claim they were ‘trying to recapture the magic of their debut’ but that’s not the case here. They understand you don’t need to kick and scream to make a song powerful, and know what makes them special, so obviously there’s nostalgia at play. But it’s not “remember what we were,” it’s “look what we have become,” and that is so much more satisfying.

Stripped to a four-piece the line-up now consists of lead vocalist Colin Doran, drummer Andy Bews, bassist Andy Gilmour and guitarist Larry Hibbits – who also produces – but this is a democracy. Everybody’s role is vital and, because each song carefully blends together their counterpoints and interactions, it means all ten are rich, dynamic and feel individual. A great example being ‘New Glasses’ which has that modern rocky sound but uses interplay between Doran and Hibbits’ vocals to acknowledge their heritage. By contrast ‘Right There With You’ has an oppressive atmosphere and feels like a sound they haven’t explored before. It’s unashamed and doesn’t falter.

Last year Doran returned to music with They Fell From The Sky, a band very much in the vein of Hundred Reasons’ original style. Their songs played on his ability to yell, favoured his harsher impulses and showcased his voice at its most forceful. The songs here are very different. His distinct singing voice never really sounded like this, still powerful but fragile. If you’re expecting yelling you’ll be disappointed and ‘Right There With You’ features his only directly aggressive growl. Though this is much more powerful, basically he doesn’t need to yell; he’s too busy breaking your heart.

Doran’s lyrics have a distinctive feel and hide intimacy behind carefully chosen words. His personality and even his sense of grief come across without feeling obvious or exclusionary. This is important as there are songs explicitly about his son and losing his mum to cancer and while ‘Wave Form’ is nominally a song about leaving, it’s not difficult to read as being about the band going on hiatus and then reforming. However, the throughline is his use of tone which is easy to relate to. You can hear it on the understated refrain during ‘Insultiment’ where he carefully shifts the repetition of “Don’t put the blame on all of us” to give it more depth and impact. Don’t worry though, it’s not all downbeat with ‘The Old School Way’ and the bubbly ‘Done’ adding levity and helping round out the album’s overall feel.

Hibbit is an experienced producer and his work here its layered without being cluttered and sounds fabulous. It really helps the music shine. There’s a richness and depth that allows the different instruments to drive and shimmer while giving the vocals plenty of space. Notably on ‘It Suits You’ the lead guitar and bass lines complement the heavier riffing without ever being crushed by it. While the sound can feel quite stripped back, it certainly isn’t bare. ‘Insultiment’ and ‘Right There With You’ use sinister keyboards and effects-laden guitars to create atmospheric interludes to enhance their overall feel, while providing a contrast to the simple piano and string arrangement that turn ‘Replicate’ into a gentle lullaby.

Curiously ‘So, So Soon’ recalls their big single ‘Silver’ in that everything works together like the parts of a clock. It’s an easy, often beautiful track and yet it features an F-bomb that feels a little uncomfortable, like it doesn’t quite belong. It’s a moment of ugliness in a record that is quite the opposite, but perhaps that’s the point.

Finally, with ‘Wave Form’ they acknowledge the end of another chapter, glad they reunited and proving once again they know how to close a record. That’s important, because the album is built on the understanding that everything is finite and that something special is worth capturing.

“Time was never on your side,” Doran sings on the opening track, but by waiting until they truly had something that needs to be said Hundred Reasons have made an important and essential record. Sure it’s not going to have the cultural impact of their debut, but much older, wiser and still with something to say, ‘Glorious Sunset’ is a beautiful comeback.

IAN KENWORTHY

Taking place at Koko in London on the 19th and 20th November, Hundred Reasons members Colin Doran, Andy Gilmour and Tom Stevens will play stripped back versions of the band’s songs. They replace …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, who pulled out of the entire tour due to immigration issues.

Meanwhile My Vitriol will be playing songs from their 2001 debut album ‘Finelines’ and the bonus album ‘Between the Lines’, which accompanied their debut’s re-release in 2002. They will also be playing early rarities and b-sides along on the nights.

These shows bookend My Vitriol’s current tour, the remaining dates of which are listed below.

NOVEMBER
15 MANCHESTER Gorilla
19 LONDON Koko*
20 LONDON Koko*

* w/ Hundred Reasons (acoustic)

Hundred Reasons, Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties, Ben Marwood, Tellison, Jim Lockey, Bare Knuckle Parade and Non Canon will perform exclusive sets at the festival, along with other bands who are already performing across the weekend.

They join Slaves, Nothing But Thieves,The Wonder Years, The Front Bottoms, Beach Slang, Black Peaks, Gnarwolves, Slotface, De Staat, The Hyena Kill, Get Inuit, Acres, Peaness, Moses, Wallflower, Deaf Havana, Oathbreaker, Milk Teeth, The Dirty Nil, Svalbard, Employed To Serve, Lemuria, The Winter Passing, Jamie Lenman, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Lower Than Atlantis, Mallory Knox, The Menzingers, Young Guns, Skinny Lister, Rolo Tomassi, Roam, Pulled Apart By Horses, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Feed The Rhino, Muncie Girls and more at the Cheltenham based festival, which takes place on July 6-8th at Upcote Farm.

Tickets for 2000trees are on sale now, and you can find out addition information at the official website.

Sonisphere festival kicks off exactly one month today, and several bands have just been added to the lineup, most notably British post-hardcore heroes Hundred Reasons. They were originally booked to play the unfortunately-cancelled 2012 event, and went onto to reform in November of that year to celebrate the decade anniversary of their 2002 ‘Ideas Above Our Station’ album at a number of sold-out UK dates.

Guitarist Larry Hibbett explains: “We said we’d never do it again, but the cancelled Sonisphere of 2012 left a big hole in that summer for us. So when our shorts-wearing, crowd-surfing, festival-promoting comrade Alan Day came up with a slot for us this year we just couldn’t say no. And we didn’t. Don’t get used to this. We say no A LOT so this is not going to happen often, if ever. But when it makes sense it makes sense and we’re there. Like we will be on 5th July. See you at the front”.

Below is the list of additions to the lineup just announced. For the full lineup check out the festival poster below.

Hundred Reasons
The Yoyos
Mixhell
Messenger
Dripback
Calling All Cars
Protafield
Blaas Of Glory

Sonisphere takes places July 4th-6th and individual day and weekend tickets for Sonisphere 2014 are on sale now at www.sonisphere.co.uk.

Hundred Reasons will be performing ‘Ideas Above Our Station’ in full plus others while Hell Is For Heroes will be playing ‘The Neon Handshake’ the bands will be joined by Cable for both shows.

NOVEMBER
23 MANCHESTER Academy 2
24 LONDON HMV Forum

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