Recap : Warped Tour UK
14:51As I have mentioned in my post about moral compasses and the music press, last Sunday, I have attended Warped Tour UK at Alexandra Palace, in London. Despite the organisation being shabby at times (late stages, lack of vegetarian options and super strong smell of meat in the main room, gigantic toilet lines, a probably useless amount of queues at merch stands or a delayed opening due to health and safety checks that hadn't satisfied anyone on the first try), I had, overall, a great day watching some of my favourite bands and some I will keep an eye on in the future.
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After (finally!) getting in, the first band I set my eyes (and ears!) on is the British pop-rock band Twin Wild. I had discovered them when they had supported We Are The Ocean on their pre-Slam Dunk tour in May, and I had very much appreciated their performance and kindness. Their massive pop-rock tunes could easily become the next big thing and I hope this lot gets radio time and fans by the ton sooner rather than later.
I head to the main stage to catch pop punks Man Overboard and since everything is late, I end up listening to Fueled by Ramen electronicore outfit Ghost Town. (I am genuinely wondering if "electronicore" is a real genre or has been made up by the band members) It's simply not my cup of tea. It's really catchy, I am not going to lie for one second, but it just doesn't appeal to my taste - and they completely lost me with their closing track You're So Creepy, especially after lead vocalist Kevin McCullough asks a very young crowd to "raise your hand if you're creepy". Absolutely never.
Man Overboard take the East Stage with a twenty minute delay and open their energetic set with my favourite song, Dead End Dreams, which I was hoping they would play - it didn't take me long to be satisfied. Previously to this set, I had thought that their reputation wasn't to prove anymore, but the very small size of the crowd they have gathered seemed to prove me wrong. Granted, the amount of people attending the festival in the first place was far from being spectacular, but I had always thought them to be leading the pop-punk revival movement (alongside The Wonder Years and The Story So Far). In the end, they belt out a mixture of classic tracks (Montrose, Rare) and songs extracted from their latest album, Heavy Love, to about four people singing along (myself included) and a very unimpressive and unexperimented circle pit.
Next up is Metro Station on the West Stage. I am not a Metro Station fan at all. I, just like a massive amount of the people present here, wanted to have a dance to their classic track Shake It and pretend it was 2009 all over again. Obviously, they know what people want to hear and, just like every single band with one very famous song does, they save it until the end. In the meantime, I have to endure average renditions of songs like Kelsey or Seventeen Forever, and worse, I have to endure Metro Station's frontman, Trace Cyrus, trying to get a bunch of teenagers to download the band's new music on iTunes and praising "his good friend" Ronnie Radke. But, hey, six years after me and my university friends had declared the 24th of March 2009 the "Trace Cyrus Day" because they were doing a signing in Paris none of us could attend, I had my little dance on Shake It, and I danced so hard I almost threw up.
Since the main stage (East & West) was delayed by a good twenty minutes, I had to give up on another sing along and half hour to pretend it was 2010 all over again in the form of The Rocket Summer and I headed straight to the Jägermeister stage for British pop punks Roam. I have discovered their music a little over a year now, when I saw them headlining a show I'd been to to see As It Is. They had truckloads of energy and a body board for stage divers and I had fallen for their energetic pop punk, which had something of legends of the genre, Sum 41. A year and several months later, they are not playing in pubs anymore, are about to embark on yet another American tour and have legions of devoted fans in front of them in the mighty Alexandra Palace. Sets like theirs make me happy - happy because hard-working and humble people get where they're supposed to be, happy because they remind me why I still have hope for music, and happy because it was absolutely brilliant - especially the first ever live rendition of their new single Deadweight, which stands as a serious contender for best single of 2015. If you don't know them already, you should probably give Roam a listen - they are, for sure, a band to watch.
After a little break, I come back to the Jägermeister Stage to watch my local boys in Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! I often get emotional when it comes to them, because they come from the same place as I do, and they are doing so well in America - they have played Warped Tour several times now, they have supported massive bands such as A Day To Remember and, this year, they have headlined a tour with none other than Hit The Lights as a support act. The crowd they manage to gather in front of the stage is frankly impressive (especially when you consider that virtually no one is at Warped Tour in the first place) and the singalongs during opener Haters Gonna Hate are among the best I've heard all day. Frontman Bert Poncet doesn't hesitate to get up close and personal with the crowd during the band's most famous tracks, their cover of 90s classic All Star and 2010's In Friends We Trust, whom everyone now knows every word to. Their performance is very neat and surely one to remember.
A little shuffling to the Jukely stage, situated right next to the Jägermeister one, happens and Australian metalcore mob In Hearts Wake takes the stage. It's not a secret to anyone that the Byron Bay guys are among my very favourites and that I was very, very excited to see them play Alexandra Palace. Their set was, quite simply put, the best one of the day - just in par with Moose Blood. Their musical qualities should not need to be proven anymore and Jake Taylor's vocals are some of the strongest in today's metal. On top of such talent, they encourage their fans and listeners to be tolerant (in song Healer, which has the crowd raising their fists and chanting "No hate, no fear of anyone") and to equally share the Earth we live in (in environmentally driven Divine). They are one of the most interesting bands around at the moment, as prove their album Earthwalker and its 2015 follow up, Skydancer, and it shouldn't be long until they fill up bigger venues.
It's safe to say that every single person I know who attended Warped Tour wanted to see Moose Blood. Whatever genre we were interested in, whatever style had our preference, we all had decided to give our time to the British emos from half seven to eight in the evening. Nowadays, it seems that there is no place you can go, no gig you can attend without seeing someone clad in Moose Blood merch or hearing someone praising them and their excellent debut album, I'll Keep You In Mind, From Time To Time. On Sunday night, there was not a soul in front of the Jägermeister stage that didn't know all the words to all the songs. It was simply an incredible set performed by an incredible band - and an incredibly humble one as well, if I trust the very high amount of times vocalist Eddy Brewerton thanked us all for being here and caring about what they do. Moose Blood are one of these bands that, whether we want it or not, will make an impact in the alternative scene and could truly, genuinely become this generation's Dashboard Confessional or Brand New. They have the talent and a tendency to make their live performances unforgettable to help them get there.
Another little break for me before heading back to the Jägermeister Stage for its headliners, English rockers Young Guns. They have been making waves in this scene for several years now, and their army of super devoted fans has welcomed them back with open arms this year after the band spent three years relentlessly touring America. A large part of the set is composed with songs extracted from their latest record released in June, Ones and Zeros, and only a couple of songs are from their previous albums are included in the set. Nevertheless, it's a really good performance from the London based outfit, who are on a hometown show here, and, as a lot of people, I am very happy that they are finally back with us. It's been too long!
In a festival taking place in a building like Alexandra Palace, you will hear the other bands' performances whilst you are watching one or waiting for one yourself. As Young Guns were belting out I Want Out or Bones, on the main stage, Asking Alexandria were making their comeback after the departure of their charismatic frontman, Danny Worsnop. It is their first show on UK soil with their new vocalist, Denis Shaforostov, and whether they like the band or not, no one can really deny that it is, in a way, an event of some sort. As soon as Young Guns have played their last notes, a fairly big group of people migrates to the East Stage to witness the last fifteen minutes of the Brits' set - myself included. I have never been an Asking Alexandria fan and my knowledge wears thin quite quickly, and yet, at the same time, I have no problem with them at all. They are just a band that has never really catered to my interests. I will only see two full songs of theirs that night - A Prophecy and The Final Episode (Let's Change The Channel), introduced by guitarist Ben Bruce before the encore as he jokes that they are going to "pretend that it's over and come back to play that really really famous song". And famous it is - a sea of people echoes the famous "Oh my God" and "You need a doctor baby, you scared?" that have propelled this song into alternative posterity. On stage, the band is on top form and doesn't show any signs of weakness or incertainties as could be expected when first touring with a new singer. They have flames and fire everywhere (and, by now, you know that I am a sucker for flames and fire of any sort) and you wouldn't think they're playing in front of a, frankly, half empty Alexandra Palace who is probably mostly waiting for American sensations Black Veil Brides to take the stage afterwards. It looks like they're playing in an arena. Is the line-up change going to open them the doors of massive venues and rock and roll fame? Only time will tell, but their Warped UK performance led me to think that, in the end, they are not as bad as everyone makes them out to be.
Since the main stage (East & West) was delayed by a good twenty minutes, I had to give up on another sing along and half hour to pretend it was 2010 all over again in the form of The Rocket Summer and I headed straight to the Jägermeister stage for British pop punks Roam. I have discovered their music a little over a year now, when I saw them headlining a show I'd been to to see As It Is. They had truckloads of energy and a body board for stage divers and I had fallen for their energetic pop punk, which had something of legends of the genre, Sum 41. A year and several months later, they are not playing in pubs anymore, are about to embark on yet another American tour and have legions of devoted fans in front of them in the mighty Alexandra Palace. Sets like theirs make me happy - happy because hard-working and humble people get where they're supposed to be, happy because they remind me why I still have hope for music, and happy because it was absolutely brilliant - especially the first ever live rendition of their new single Deadweight, which stands as a serious contender for best single of 2015. If you don't know them already, you should probably give Roam a listen - they are, for sure, a band to watch.
After a little break, I come back to the Jägermeister Stage to watch my local boys in Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! I often get emotional when it comes to them, because they come from the same place as I do, and they are doing so well in America - they have played Warped Tour several times now, they have supported massive bands such as A Day To Remember and, this year, they have headlined a tour with none other than Hit The Lights as a support act. The crowd they manage to gather in front of the stage is frankly impressive (especially when you consider that virtually no one is at Warped Tour in the first place) and the singalongs during opener Haters Gonna Hate are among the best I've heard all day. Frontman Bert Poncet doesn't hesitate to get up close and personal with the crowd during the band's most famous tracks, their cover of 90s classic All Star and 2010's In Friends We Trust, whom everyone now knows every word to. Their performance is very neat and surely one to remember.
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| Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! |
A little shuffling to the Jukely stage, situated right next to the Jägermeister one, happens and Australian metalcore mob In Hearts Wake takes the stage. It's not a secret to anyone that the Byron Bay guys are among my very favourites and that I was very, very excited to see them play Alexandra Palace. Their set was, quite simply put, the best one of the day - just in par with Moose Blood. Their musical qualities should not need to be proven anymore and Jake Taylor's vocals are some of the strongest in today's metal. On top of such talent, they encourage their fans and listeners to be tolerant (in song Healer, which has the crowd raising their fists and chanting "No hate, no fear of anyone") and to equally share the Earth we live in (in environmentally driven Divine). They are one of the most interesting bands around at the moment, as prove their album Earthwalker and its 2015 follow up, Skydancer, and it shouldn't be long until they fill up bigger venues.
It's safe to say that every single person I know who attended Warped Tour wanted to see Moose Blood. Whatever genre we were interested in, whatever style had our preference, we all had decided to give our time to the British emos from half seven to eight in the evening. Nowadays, it seems that there is no place you can go, no gig you can attend without seeing someone clad in Moose Blood merch or hearing someone praising them and their excellent debut album, I'll Keep You In Mind, From Time To Time. On Sunday night, there was not a soul in front of the Jägermeister stage that didn't know all the words to all the songs. It was simply an incredible set performed by an incredible band - and an incredibly humble one as well, if I trust the very high amount of times vocalist Eddy Brewerton thanked us all for being here and caring about what they do. Moose Blood are one of these bands that, whether we want it or not, will make an impact in the alternative scene and could truly, genuinely become this generation's Dashboard Confessional or Brand New. They have the talent and a tendency to make their live performances unforgettable to help them get there.
Another little break for me before heading back to the Jägermeister Stage for its headliners, English rockers Young Guns. They have been making waves in this scene for several years now, and their army of super devoted fans has welcomed them back with open arms this year after the band spent three years relentlessly touring America. A large part of the set is composed with songs extracted from their latest record released in June, Ones and Zeros, and only a couple of songs are from their previous albums are included in the set. Nevertheless, it's a really good performance from the London based outfit, who are on a hometown show here, and, as a lot of people, I am very happy that they are finally back with us. It's been too long!
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| Young Guns |
In a festival taking place in a building like Alexandra Palace, you will hear the other bands' performances whilst you are watching one or waiting for one yourself. As Young Guns were belting out I Want Out or Bones, on the main stage, Asking Alexandria were making their comeback after the departure of their charismatic frontman, Danny Worsnop. It is their first show on UK soil with their new vocalist, Denis Shaforostov, and whether they like the band or not, no one can really deny that it is, in a way, an event of some sort. As soon as Young Guns have played their last notes, a fairly big group of people migrates to the East Stage to witness the last fifteen minutes of the Brits' set - myself included. I have never been an Asking Alexandria fan and my knowledge wears thin quite quickly, and yet, at the same time, I have no problem with them at all. They are just a band that has never really catered to my interests. I will only see two full songs of theirs that night - A Prophecy and The Final Episode (Let's Change The Channel), introduced by guitarist Ben Bruce before the encore as he jokes that they are going to "pretend that it's over and come back to play that really really famous song". And famous it is - a sea of people echoes the famous "Oh my God" and "You need a doctor baby, you scared?" that have propelled this song into alternative posterity. On stage, the band is on top form and doesn't show any signs of weakness or incertainties as could be expected when first touring with a new singer. They have flames and fire everywhere (and, by now, you know that I am a sucker for flames and fire of any sort) and you wouldn't think they're playing in front of a, frankly, half empty Alexandra Palace who is probably mostly waiting for American sensations Black Veil Brides to take the stage afterwards. It looks like they're playing in an arena. Is the line-up change going to open them the doors of massive venues and rock and roll fame? Only time will tell, but their Warped UK performance led me to think that, in the end, they are not as bad as everyone makes them out to be.
(All these horrible pictures have been taken by myself on my horrible phone)
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