My brother and I, heavy music lovers that we are, bought tickets to see Parkway Drive, Architects and Thy Art Is Murder in Paris. What sealed the deal is how much we both love Architects - they are one of my favourite bands, The Here and Now has been spinning in the car for quite a while now, same with Lost Forever // Lost Together in our home stereo, and we both really appreciate their support to Sea Shepherd. I am pretty sure the latter is how I got my brother to give the English a listen. Coming back from one of their gigs with a Sea Shepherd t-shirt as a present was a good way to get him into them, it seems.

My love story with Architects started with a Christmas present gone wrong, and my brother's with a mutual care for the environment. Getting to watch them play together was only waiting to happen.

The gig is sold out and the line crosses a large part of the Boulevard de Rochechouart as I get there. When we get into La Cigale, Australian deathcore mob Thy Art Is Murder is already on stage. This tour is a very important one for them as it closely follows the departure of frontman CJ McMahon (self proclaimed Prince of Darkness and main reason why the band had left me utterly terrified, running to the safety of Neck Deep's pop punk in the middle of Wolverhampton). Despite the small (but loud) amount of crowd members who will ask for CJ throughout the set (but hey, it's Paris, people still request Stick Stickly at Beartooth shows, what else did you expect?), new vocalist Nick Arthur seems in his natural element here. Famous tracks such as The Purest Strain of Hate (has there ever been a heavy band's gig where you can't find someone sporting a hoodie claiming that they are, indeed, the purest strain of hate?) or the title track of the band's newest record, Holy War, create chaos in the venue. Considering Holy War's theme (taking a stand against religious fanatism), it feels like a good occasion for the band to assert their support to Paris after the November attacks. Who would I have thought I would find myself in tears in front of such a heavy band? What a time to be emo.

Oh, Architects. I knew them all and so much about them before actively starting to listen to them, three Christmasses ago, when I bought The Here and Now to someone who already had it and ended up giving it to me. Since spinning what has become one of my all time favourite records (sorry, boys) like there is no tomorrow, I have been a firm fan, following the band's endeavours and supporting them as much as I can. I had been looking forward to seeing the Brighton lot again for months and when they kicked off with Broken Cross, I felt on top of the world in a matter of seconds.

One thing I absolutely adore with Architects is how much of an experience they are when you see them live. Yes, they are a very heavy band complete with moshpits, crowdsurfers, and girls like me who fall over in circle pits at Slam Dunk, but they are also a band with a strong message. They, too, address the Paris attacks and express how grateful they are to find themselves in front of such a crowd such a short time after the Bataclan happened. (Yes, I did cry a lot at this)

As always, Architects are flawless live. They have that quality that I have mentioned in my Xcerts review : they sound like a CD when they are on stage. Frontman Sam Carter's voice is sounding heavenly when it comes to cleans and gnarly as ever when he screams, and the balance is just impeccable. Bassist Ali Dean, guitarists Tom Searle and Adam Christianson and drummer Dan Searle all are technically perfect, delivering a setlist very largely composed of songs from the band's latest album, 2014's Lost Forever // Lost Together, with an ease and a technicality that would make any band jealous. (Let's be honest for two seconds, but if you're in a heavy band and you're not jealous of Architects, WHY NOT)

During the entirety of the set, the crowd is ecstatic, moshpits are common currency and everyone shouts the words to every songs. I am myself so enthusiastic I have almost punched my brother in the face several times, his words. What can I say? My love for Architects knows no bounds and it seems I only know how to show it through dangerous arm movements and an inexplicable Northern accent during Broken Cross. (For this, I would like to apologise to the entire north of England)

In the middle of personal favourite Naysayer, there seems to be an issue between a crowdsurfer and a member of security staff. The latter is mistreating the crowdsurfer and it takes an intervention from Sam Carter himself to sort the situation out. These situations seem to happen quite often at the moment and it is incredible that people who are suppose to make sure we are safe do the opposite, to be honest. Dear security people, when we crowdsurf, make sure we don't fall flat on our backs and die, don't treat us like we've murdered everyone, thanks. I'll use this space to say that my level of respect for Sam as gone through the roof and that I'll always, always be supportive of band members who stand up for their fans. Thank you.

All in all, this was a very successful set for the English, and here's to hoping that next time they are over, they find themselves in a position to headline la Cigale themselves. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more.

Australian metal has two leading forces : The Amity Affliction and tonight's headliners, Byron Bay's very own Parkway Drive. My story with both these bands has a common element : Download Festival.
I found myself dragged to watch The Amity Affliction by my sort of ex significant other, who was sure I was going to like them. He was right.
I found myself standing under the rain for half of Parkway Drive's set because my friend knew I would like them. She was right. As they were clashing with pop punks Roam, I'd had to leave in the middle of their performance, but I'd been hooked and enchanted enough to promise myself that I'd go see them next time I'd get the chance.
And then La Cigale happened.

Parkway Drive are in Europe to promote their latest record, 2015's Ire, and it's only logical they start their set with the album's opening track, Destroyer. Instantly, the crowd raises their fists in the air and chants "Destroy, destroy". It is one of these gigs during which the crowd is 100% it from start to finish, and the least you can say is that it is the exact same for the band on stage.
A lot of my friends who had seen the Australians live before had told me they were one of the best live bands they'd seen, and they were nothing but positive towards the band. I get it, now. I simply don't have anything bad to say about them. I have rarely seen bands so into their live performance and at the same time, so grateful to have a crowd in front of them. Frontman Winston McCall smiles from ear to ear from start to finish and throughout the gig, it's obvious that he is moved by what he witnesses on the other side of the barrier.
France has always had an awful reputation for shows. Either we don't turn up (leading to cancellations and bands playing to thirty people in 500 capacity venues) or, when we do, we are cold, absent, not into it, looking like we'd rather have our eyeballs taken out of our heads with a teaspoon than be at a gig. We're a tough crowd and it is no secret to anyone. The 11th of February was us, quite simply put, strangling our reputation with a mic chord and building a new one. Even though I don't live in Paris anymore, I forever remain attached to my hometown, and it did me proud on that Thursday. It was one of the best crowds I have ever been a part of. No more, no less.




Back to the band on stage, if you will. Rarely have I seen a band with such a collection of heavy, yet catchy numbers, produce such an incredible performance, especially considering how long the tour has been for the Australians. They are technically brilliant and Winston's vocals sound as incredible and perfect on older, gnarlier tracks as they do on more recent songs.
It seems that every song, from 2015's Dedicated to Killing With a Smile's Romance Is Dead through the classics Carrion and Wild Eyes set the crowd on fire. The singalongs never stop and the chanting gets even stronger and louder as the gig goes on. It almost feels like the audience is Parkway Drive's sixth member considering how consistent and important its participation is. The encore, composed of Ire's electric Crushed and its distinctive "Bang bang bang" shouted by a crowd that still has the energy to go on and the band's most famous song, Home Is for the Heartless, send Paris on fire one last time.




As Winston mentioned as an introduction to Vice Grip, this gig was supposed to take place at le Bataclan, and, just like Architects and Thy Art Is Murder, he uses his space on stage to assert his support to France. I, for one, think that the 11th of February should go down in history as a night when French people united in a venue to show the world that they were definitely not afraid. Parkway Drive are by no means headline famous, but they should have got that headline somewhere. There are the first gigs after, and there are the special gigs after. This was a special one.




This gig was also a very solid demonstration of why Parkway Drive have become a leading force in metal over the past ten years, and it makes no doubt that Architects and Thy Art Is Murder will follow in their footsteps in the near future.