Openers Save Your Breath are on point more than ever before in their career. Being from South Wales myself like Save Your Breath, I have grown up the last four years watching this band grow themselves. The straight up, no nonsense pop-punk they now effortlessly generate is impossible not to like. Singer Kris Richards is now better at his live performances than ever too. Closer Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy you haven't already heard it is a must listen!
Main support Seahaven bring a wholly different atmosphere but thoroughly appreciated by a vast majority of the audience. The simple grooves and complex overlaying melody compliment each other in a live setting so well. Lead singer Kyle Soto's eerie vocals, sometimes lost in the mix, captivates many a listener, especially second song Black and White. Keeping a close eye on these guys for a new release soon.
Now then, The Story So Far. It seems to be a focal point of TSSF's music to be as effective played live as it is catchy and gritty on record. I tell you what, it works a charm. Right from the first line of opening song Right Here the band had a roomful of 400 people feeding off the palms of their hands. I'm not just talking about the gig I attended either, this happens universally. With the What You Don't See album tour cycle still running on all cylinders, "new" songs are dropped in the set list with a reception from the crowd like they were 5 years old. The band sound as tight as the day they left their garage and there's certainly not going to be a let up soon of that. Drummer Ryan Torf gets a personal kudos for the physical performance he has to put in every night behind that drum kit. Awesome stuff.
The crowd just go nuts at these gigs. Every lyric is sang right back to singer Parker Cannon's face. Crowd favourites like Quicksand and Mt. Diablo, I don't think I heard Parker's voice over the overbearing crowd raucously singing through every song. Stage dives and crowdsurfing left, right and centre, which is a given, you knew that? I wouldn't go as far as to so say that TSSF are a unique live band, there are many like them, but they certainly will be talking point with your friends for many months to come.
I'm not going to rate these, there's no need to. Just given you an insight what what these gigs are like, innit. Hope you liked my first live review, tell me if you did on twitter, yeah?
Next live gig for me is Heart Of A Coward (gulp) but one may pop up in between, I'll let you all know.
COOL!
Seb Wainwright
Twitter: @Get_WhatYouGive
Twitter: @Get_WhatYouGive
