In contrast to other dates who’ve had Guilt Trip as openers – still an excellent band in their own right – tonight’s crowd is lucky enough to have Boston Manor supporting. They’re exactly the right band to be here. It can’t be easy playing to a crowd this impatient; everyone’s here for one thing, and it isn’t subtle, but Boston Manor don’t try to outpace it. Instead, they lean into their strengths. Their sound is darker live, punchier, more layered than you might expect if you’ve only heard the records in passing. There’s a sort of controlled chaos to what they do, tight as anything but still emotionally raw.

Henry Cox holds the stage without needing to shout for attention. There’s a quiet intensity to him, and when he lets rip, it hits. Songs like ‘Foxglove’ and ‘Carbon Mono’ punch through with real weight, and you can feel them winning people over as the set goes on. It’s not just filler; they’re the calm before the storm, but with their own thunder built in. The crowd is fairly still, but this is probably more down to the fact that it’s boiling, everyone’s exhausted, and people are conserving their energy for the main event.

Then the lights go black and it’s time. A Day To Remember hit the stage like they’ve been shot out of a cannon. No easing in, no slow burn, just bang, straight into the chaos with ‘The Downfall Of Us All’. Jeremy McKinnon’s voice sounds ridiculously good. It’s one thing to sound tight in the studio, another thing entirely to belt it out like that live, night after night, with that kind of power, especially when considering that this is show 26 of 28.

After the opener, McKinnon takes a second to look around, visibly moved. “This is where it all started – the rest is fucking history,” he says. It’s a real moment, and then they slam into an early classic, ‘I’m Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?’ like they’ve still got something to prove. They don’t. But they play like they do.

What follows is the kind of set that feels designed to wear you out in the best way possible. There are three separate circle pits at one point. Confetti cannons go off multiple times. Beach balls fly. McKinnon calls for “as many people crowdsurfing as humanly possible” and gets his wish. It’s carnage – but it’s joyful carnage, the kind where no one really gets hurt and everyone goes home grinning.

There are quieter moments too, somehow. McKinnon talks about going home to Florida, seeing his parents, and thinking, ‘How the fuck did this happen?’ The honesty lands. It sets up ‘All Signs Point To Lauderdale’ perfectly, though they don’t play it just yet. He’s too clever for that. Keeps it in his back pocket for later.

There’s a surprise guest: Bobby Lynge, apparently fresh to the lineup and having learned the whole set on short notice. McKinnon asks him what song he wants to play and Bobby picks one Jeremy’s apparently said “fuck no” to for years. It’s ‘Since U Been Gone’ (allegedly), and it absolutely goes off. Even though it’s a cover, the band are clearly astutely aware that it’s one of their biggest hits – if and when it would be played has definitely crossed every person in this room’s mind at least once.

Later, McKinnon introduces a song that “people normally just stare at us for.” He tells us we hold its destiny in our hands, and for one glorious minute, you’d swear every single person in Brixton knows every word. It’s ‘Paranoia’. This is not just nostalgia, it’s participation. It’s buy-in. It’s the kind of communal noise that sticks with you.

There are a few newer cuts peppered in; the likes of ‘LeBron’, ‘All My Friends’, and ‘Miracle’ are weaved seamlessly into the set; for an album that only came out this year, fans are already very familiar with the tracklist. Though it’s not as well known (YET) than something like ‘Homesick’, ‘Big Ole Album Vol.1’ is soon to be a timeless classic.

The encore is all feeling. Following the acoustic ballad ‘If It Means A Lot To You’ that everyone came to belt out together, brought to a conclusion with the ‘All Signs Point To Lauderdale’ performance we’d all been craving.  No one’s faking it. No one’s phoning it in. This is a band that still cares about their craft and it’s abundantly clear. 

There’s a lot of talk about legacy bands becoming stale, going through the motions. But this? This is not that. A Day To Remember might’ve started well over a decade ago, but tonight proves they’re still writing new chapters and Brixton’s more than happy to be part of the story.

KATHRYN EDWARDS

Warming up Brixton before the co-headliners come onto stage, Californian punk-rockers Destroy Boys bring a visceral and passionate expression of love, loss and the ultimate betrayal through songs such as ‘Vixen’, ‘Crybaby’ and closer ‘I Threw Glass At My Friend’s Eyes And Now I’m On Probation’, putting on a garage punk display,perfectly fitting for what’s still to come.

The first half of tonight’s co-headliners come onto stage with a bang. The lines that act as safety guidelines for the crowd on the slanted floor are packed to the brim and the balcony is at full capacity, and its only 8.30pm. Taking Back Sunday take to the stage, kicking off their co-headliner with ‘What’s It Feel Like To Be A Ghost?’ taken from the band’s third studio album ‘Louder Now’, exuberant vocalist Adam Lazarra having the crowd eating out of the palm of his hands from the get go. 

The set features some absolutely classic Sunday cuts including ‘Liar (Takes One To Know One)’, ‘Cute Without the ‘E’’ and closer ‘MakeDamnSure’, and the live reception they receive brings them bounding back to full life – that classic chorus in the closer “I just wanna break you down so badly/Well I trip over everything you say/I just wanna break you down so badly/In the worst way” receiving a colossal response. The energy levels are beyond electric and the atmosphere is dosed in the fond nostalgia that only a track like ‘MakeDamnSure’ can muster. One of the best Taking Back Sunday sets in the band’s twenty year long career, they’re a tough act to follow and Alkaline Trio certainly have their work cut out for them.

The punk rock times continue to roll as, following the earlier casual appearance of front man Matt Skiba, the rest of Chicago collective Alkaline Trio walk onto stage. A raucous reception rings out for these punk rock mainstays for set opener ‘Private Eye’, an old time classic that provokes immediate sing-a-longs and a “Holy Shit, London” reaction from the band’s very own Dan Andriano at the sight of the impressive turnout for the Trio.  

Second song ‘We’ve Had Enough’ perhaps receives a bigger arms-wide-open welcome than its predecessor, its infamous opening gongs and bongs kicking the energy into absolute madness. Igniting a frenzied mosh pit and hysteric levels of chaos and carnage, ‘We’ve Had Enough’ doesn’t get this crowd saying that just yet. 

 By the time we reach the fifth and sixth songs of the setlist ‘I Wanna Be A Warhol’ and ‘Nose Over Tail’ – the latter a track to which vocalist Matt Skiba introduces as “a song for the people of England’ – the audience are suitably reminsicing in a setlist heavily made up of songs from earlier Trio albums such as 1998’s ‘Goddamnit’, 2001’s ‘From Here To Infirmary’, 2003’s ‘Good Mourning’ and 2005’s ‘Crimson’ to no one’s disappointment in the slightest. 

Keeping everyone on their toes midway through the bands length eighteen song setlist, Trio divert to the classic ‘Armageddon’ and the audience’s reaction is priceless. ‘Armageddon’ – or as Alkaline preferred to refer to it as ‘Camageddon’, renaming the song after someone in the crowd – comes as a pleasant surprise to this Brixton crowd, the classic chorus of “Armageddon, let the light in/Before we say goodbye, give us something to believe in” ringing around the room at maximum volume. 

Ending their run on ‘Radio’ and ‘Time To Waste’, Alkaline Trio round off their time by bringing Brixton’s roof down. ‘Radio’ earns the loudest singalong of the night, most noticeably with the shouts that accompany the former’s opening line “Shaking like a dog shittin’ razor blades”, and ‘Time To Waste’ achieving the exact same.    

“A tour that has been three years in the making”, remarks Andriano, and the wait was worth all those 1,095 days. For both Alkaline Trio and Taking Back Sunday, this returning run overseas has seen two heavyweights from the punk and rock games respectively prove that all these years later, they are still as good live as the first time they stepped onto much smaller stages decades ago. Fun, humour and jubilation in much needed abundance. 

KATIE CONWAY-FLOOD

Opening proceedings tonight are Noisy, fresh off of supporting You Me At Six on their tour, they bring energy and start the party in fine form. Bringing a mix of Garage and Rock, the band fit into this tour with ease, high energy and big choruses being the recipe of the night. ‘Young Dumb’ and ‘Put A Record On’ are the big highlights of the set with latest single ‘Rock N Roll Raver’ getting a great reception. Noisy are a “one to watch” band, and they’ll be looking to step up from support act to the headliner at venues of Brixton Academy’s size in the coming years.

‘Amazing Things’ has allowed Don Broco to be nostalgic – their music videos paying homage to some childhood memories, seeing the band take on the roles of Power Rangers as well as splicing themselves into memorable Bruce Willis scenes. The production tonight is arena level, with transporters that the Putty Patrol from Power Rangers would arrive in dotted around the stage, supported by next level lighting. The band start silhouetted like action figures before frontman Rob Damiani starts ‘Manchester Super Reds Number 1 Fan’ which sees the crowd and band in unanimously explode into the very definition of energy. Damiani struts round the stage with his mullet hair, looking every inch the retro rockstar, and guitarist Si Delaney hits his trademark jump kicks that have now become expectations of Broco shows. Their 16 song set leans heavily on the last two albums, but this is no bad thing. 

‘Technology’ still sounds arena filling while the moody and brooding ‘Gumshield’ brings  attitude to proceedings, with throbbing bass that rumbles throughout the venue, and sees the crowd screaming back the lyrics. Live shows have taken on a new meaning since the start of the pandemic, with crowds realising that this environment could be taken away at any point and the maximum effort needs to be made of every night in case it’s the last. ‘Uber’ sees Damiani spitting his lyrics with venom, while ‘Come Out To LA’ allows Matt Donnelly’s best Jamaican accent to show itself.

The business end of the set sees Damiani declare that he wants to break the crowdsurfing record of the tour so far, before shouting out the security and launching into ‘You Wanna Know’. ‘Endorphins’ gets a remix, culminating into old fan favourite ‘Thug Workout’ which then sees one of the songs of the year being aired in ‘Bruce Willis’. This is accompanied by the man himself being projected onto the screen behind the band and 5000 people screaming ‘Yippee-Ki-Yay’ which is exactly what 2021 needed.

Closing on ‘Everybody’ and the feel good ‘T-Shirt’ song which sees a sea of shirts being swung over heads and the show is concluded.

Tonight, Don Broco prove that they are a live act to be reckoned with. Regardless of the tribulations they’ve had with the release of ‘Amazing Things’ they’ve put on a show to remember, like they always do. They’re fast becoming one of the most consistent live bands in the UK today, whether that be a headliner or a support band. It only feels like a matter of time until they’re an arena only headline act and shows like tonight will be a rarity.

ADAM ROSARIO

Supported by wacky Swedish metal band Avatar, the night gets off to a unique start. Like watching Marilyn Manson take the lead role in The Greatest Showman, Avatar orchestrates a bizarre mix of theatrics, synchronised head-banging, monstrous shredding and all encompassing heavy metal tunes. When frontman and ringleader Johannes Eckerström isn’t chugging from a oil can or going full monologue in between songs, he delivers a dynamic range of vocals whilst pleasing the crowd, including performances of ‘Smells Like A Freakshow’ and ‘A Statue of the King’. It takes a little while for the audience to get on board or even to understand what Avatar and their gimmick is all about– but once they see the band for their light-hearted nature, it’s plain sailing for them. They could not be a more creative and entertaining choice of support to kick the night off.

Not long later, Halestorm arrive on stage to a thunderous reaction as they rip into the title track of their new album, before charging into ‘Love Bites (But So Do I)’ without hesitation and at a deafening volume even Motörhead could appreciate.

For many American bands in a position similar to Halestorm, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make such cliché rock sound sincere and authentic. Even with some cheese in the lyrics like the sultry ‘Do Not Disturb’, the intensity and aggression that comes with it results in mass sing-alongs and complete appreciation from the crowd.

At most metal shows it is expected at some point to find yourself surrounded by never-ending mosh pits, or uninterested tagalongs glued to their iPhones. Tonight however, these come seldomly as singer Lzzy Hale’s vocal gymnastics captivate the audience. Her passionate voice offers full Pat Benatar vibes and when her and guitarist Joe Hottinger do a stripped back version of The Silence, she keeps the entire venue engrossed, holding on to every word sung with conviction. Lzzy is endearing and seems genuinely humbled by the deafening response from the crowd at the end of each song. As far as the lengths that she can go vocally, the frontwoman is truly unrivalled.

Tonight, the rock veterans prove that they can offer a performance quality to match their ever growing status– it’s unstoppable: whether it’s drummer Arejay Hale proving that drum solos can be fun and not a moment worth going for a beer break, reminding their long time fans that they haven’t forgotten about old favourites such as ‘Takes My Life’, or not shying away from the hits as they end on huge renditions of ‘I Miss The Misery’ and ‘Here’s to Us’, they put on one hell of a rock show.

If Halestorm have shown anything throughout the biggest show of their UK touring career, it’s that they know how to put on a extravaganza whilst staying true to themselves and that vocally, Lzzy Hale is truly on her own level in the game. The only way is up *cough* Wembley *cough*.

Following the announcement of the extensive Bandito World Tour came the welcome announcement of ‘A Complete Diversion’ – a warm-up/welcome back show at the much smaller Brixton Academy in London, where the band played two shows in 2016.

When the day arrived, fans packed out Brixton and whereas during the Blurryface album cycle, you might have found an abundance of red beanies and black face paint on their hands and necks, now there was a sea of khaki green clothing, with strips of yellow tape attached, matching the aesthetic of the band’s upcoming album, ‘Trench’.

This apparent loyalty came not only with the fans’ new attire, but was also evident as soon as the band took to the stage, fifteen minutes later than scheduled. Screams that rivalled those at a Taylor Swift concert ensued as drummer, Josh Dun, walked to his drum kit, past the blazing car from the ‘Jumpsuit’ video (I repeat: there was a car. On fire. On the stage), wearing the very same outfit that he wears in that video holding a flame torch. No one could ever fault their attention to detail.

Front man, Tyler Joseph, joined him shortly afterwards, and as they launched into ‘Jumpsuit’, the first single from the upcoming album ‘Trench’, almost every fan in the room was singing along word for word, highlighting just what kind of a following this band has created for themselves. This revelation was heightened when Tyler climbed on top of the car for ‘Levitate’ – the first of tøp’s songs to be entirely rapped – and somehow, despite only being released a little over a month ago, everyone rapped along with Tyler as though they had known it for years.

Old habits die hard, it seems, as after the happily received performance of Suicide Squad hit, ‘Heathens’,  just as it did during 2017’s Emotional Roadshow Tour, an unseen voice once again introduced Joshua Dun prior to the performance of ‘We Don’t Believe What’s On TV’ – a song that Tyler maintains isn’t about Josh, but that fans remain convinced otherwise.

Floral kimono still firmly on Tyler’s back, ukulele still in hand, the pair launched into ‘The Judge’ and new favourite ‘Nico and the Niners’. The latter once again saw references being made to the music video, as after Tyler fastened up his yellow coat to Josh’s drum beat, the crowd was delighted to see them take a break to perform their (not-so) secret handshake that has now featured in both the ‘Stressed Out’ and ‘Nico and the Niners’ videos.

‘Laneboy’ also saw the return of previous tricks, with two men in hazmat suits dousing the crowd in dry ice as we jumped up from a crouching position before the song’s breakdown, following which Josh was given one of his many moments to shine with an epic drum solo.

Tyler’s incessant need to climb all over the place remains. From leaping around the stage, climbing on speakers, maintaining the tradition of climbing onto the crowd for the first verse of ‘Vessel’s’ ‘Holding Onto You’, and finding some dangerous fixture to climb for the finale of ‘Car Radio’, the man cannot stand still. At any given moment you can glance away from the stage, only to look back and see him 20 metres away from where he was just a second ago, and among all the other mind blowing elements, it only adds to the excitement.

After bringing back the Blurryface attire for ‘Stressed Out’, and dancing along to ‘Ride’, we were treated to the live debut of the band’s most recent release, ‘My Blood’, a performance that will seemingly replace ‘Doubt’ as the main singalong moment in the upcoming shows. As the crowd was split, with the left side singing one part and the right another, Tyler and Josh glanced across at each other with endearing grins on their faces in response to how well their new experiment had worked. No matter how many times they do this, or how many shows they sell out, their humility clearly remains.

Following ‘Car Radio’, a short break ensued prior to the evening’s finale of ‘Trees’, a song that has consistently had a place on the set list since twenty one pilots started touring ‘Vessel’. The band once noted that it gives them a final surge of energy, and it was evident from the relentless jumping of the crowd, that they felt the same way.

With Tyler and Josh’s tradition of drumming on top of the crowd complete, and yellow confetti firmly settled in our hair and on the sticky, sweaty ground, the pair joined together centre stage for their final bow.

One thing’s for sure: This show, just like everything this band has ever done, was for us. They’re still twenty one pilots, and so are we.

YASMIN BROWN

Photo Credit: Adam Elmakias

The balanced, 16 song set, covers their entire back catalogue (excluding the forgotten album ‘The Black’) with newer tracks fitting snugly alongside older material. Going from ‘Alone in a Room’ straight into ‘The Final Episode’ brings both sides of Asking Alexandria together, even with Worsnop turning the refrain of the latter song into a rendition of Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’. Launching into the ferocious ‘Not The American Average’, the crowd scream along with every word before two acoustic songs gives them a breather. Asking Alexandria’s resurrection is complete by smashing through the colossal ‘Where Did It Go?’ before ending on ‘Moving On’ and ‘The Death Of Me’.

Following Asking Alexandria on this kind of form is a daunting task, but not for a band as confident as Black Veil Brides. Striding on stage and laying waste to Brixton on the first song is a feat not many bands are able to achieve, but it’s made possible by Andy Biersack, who may be one of the most underrated front-men in the world. Biersack prowls the stage like a mad man, inciting chaos as he bellows lyrics in his unique tone. The glam-metal genre is much maligned, but Black Veil Brides prove that it should be taken seriously.

Black Veil Brides aren’t always spoken about positively, but with the songs to back up their talent, it’s hard not to be impressed. A stunning ‘Faithless’ leads into ‘Coffin’ as they click through the gears quickly. ‘Rebel Love Song’ and ‘Shadows Die’ sound massive in this venue and when they decide to slow things down with ‘Lost It All’, the crowd participation is spine-tingling. Ending the main set on a triple hit of ‘The Legacy’, ‘Wretched & Divine’ and their first ever song release ‘Knives & Pens’, they leave on a high, before returning for an encore of ‘Fallen Angels’ and ‘In The End’, to put a perfect end to this spectacular show.

Billed as a co-headlining tour, both bands got the same amount of time to impress their audience and Brixton Academy looked massively satisfied. Both bands are playing Download Festival later this year and on this kind of form, both sets could be up there with the best of the weekend.

ADAM ROSARIO

The Pretty Reckless are special guests on the tour, but unfortunately the four piece do very little to impress the sold out crowd. Receiving only a respectable reaction throughout their set, the band’s slice of hard rock/grunge gets lost in the sheer size of the venue. Lead guitarist Ben Philips’ riffs do stand out from the rest of the performance, most notably on sleazy new track ‘Prisoner’, but where the band go wrong is vocalist Taylor Momsen. The singer’s voice reminds you of a modern day Courtney Love as she belts out nostalgic favourite ‘Make Me Wanna Die’, capturing a mesmerising atmosphere for just a moment, however her moody and mysterious on-stage persona completely disconnects fans from the performer.

Heavy metal goliaths Stone Sour waste no time creating a party atmosphere with opener ‘Taipei Person/Allah Tea’, featuring pyrotechnics, a t-shirt cannon and massive riffs. They might be here to promote their new album ‘Hydrograd’ but the whole set feels like a greatest hits show with every song being sung back with full force, notably ‘Say You’ll Haunt Me’ and ‘Tired’.

Drummer Roy Magora has always stood out from the pack and tonight is no different. Whether it’s destroying his drums on the likes of ‘Made of Scars’ or just being his wild self whilst barely taking a moment’s breath, Magora continues to prove that not only is he one of the most high intensity drummers in the metal scene, but one of the most charismatic as well. In a similar vein to Tommy Lee, Magora is never dull to watch.

Taylor engages in the same banter as ever, with the typical “this is my favourite city” and “we are all one big family” etc., but the audience eats it all up, helped by his effortless charm and charisma. He creates some magical moments too; ‘Through Glass’ is as beautiful as ever and ‘Hesitate’ comes packed with emotion. His vocals, guided by the crowd, are more on point than you’ve come to expect from the singer.

Even as the more melodic side of Taylor’s two main ventures, the mosh isn’t as big as expected (at least compared to Korn’s this year). There are slithers of Taylor’s Slipknot personality during the likes old favourites ‘Get Inside’ and ‘Reborn’ but it’s the beauty of Stone Sour’s performance, energy and ultimately their songwriting that has the audience completely captivated throughout the night.

Whilst Corey Taylor has left his mask at home (for now), there’s still plenty of devil horns in the air. It’s a joy to be part of the spectacle of a stage show, a celebration of all things heavy metal and a night of world class musicianship, but also for a room full of fans to experience the roller-coaster of emotions that is Stone Sour, together.

LOUIS KERRY