Sing It For the World

Sing It For the World

Monday 26 March 2012

3 Doors Down

HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London is, tonight, on the 15th March 2012, surrounded by people excitedly waiting to see one of the finest rock bands to ever come out of Mississippi. Of course, this excitement is very different from a bunch of school girls waiting to sneak a peak at the latest popstar poster boy they've got plastered on their bedroom walls- these are dedicated rock fans, looking forward to a night of larger-than-life guitar riffs and some good quality circle pits. The streets are lined with people chatting, mingling with other like-minded people in the queue, all under the light of the illuminated sign that lies above the doors to the legendary venue, which spells out in glowing red numbers and letters, '3 Doors Down'. They are the glue that is holding this cold, anxious group of fans together.


The first support act are Takida, an all-male four-piece rock band from Sweden. Their appearance doesn't exactly scream 'loud and proud' as they stroll on stage, but as soon as they start playing, it's obvious why they aren't hiding behind a 'rockstar' image; they don't need to. They provide a fantastic set and, although it seems that they may be practically unknown to this particular crowd, they still manage to get a good number of the audience off of their feet, jumping and cheering along to their songs, such as Never Alone Always Alone and The Fear. They sound tight, working like a well-oiled (if a little wild and unpredictable) machine, and they fit absolutely perfectly with the other two bands that are lined up to play in terms of genre. It is clear that, because of this, the crowd thoroughly enjoy their set. However, there is still one main band that the crowd have their hearts set on hearing, and they aren't going to settle until they do so! 




Well, actually, scratch that. There is not only one reason many members of the audience are here tonight. Although 3 Doors Down are the largely anticipated headline act, there are just as many broad-shouldered bearded blokes in band tops that have the word 'Seether' scrawled across them, and this is because Seether are the second support act of the evening. A large portion of crowd go mad when they arrive on stage, and there is good reason for this. After eleven years and six successful studio albums, it's a surprise to see they are still touring as a support act, as they certainly make the 45 minutes they are on stage their own, instantly having fans eating out of the palms of their hands. They play favourites such as Rise Above This, Fake It and the acoustic hit Broken, which brings the crowd together in a harmonious sing-a-long. For Seether devotees who know every line of every song- which is a good number of people- this set is absolutely fantastic, because it involves maximum performance of songs and minimum audience interaction. However, for those members of the audience who are unfamiliar with the band, their lack of engagement with the audience manages to make their set feel rather repetitive and dragged out, especially as their set is considerably longer than most support acts' would be. They give great musical performance, but for those of us who are not fans, it feels as though we are missing out on something that the rest of the crowd are relishing.




The lights go down for the third time tonight, and this is when the audiences' cheers erupt, because it is time for the headline act. The screen at the rear of the stage brightens and the camera swoops through a variation of scenes that flow too quickly to catch up with, until it settles on the image of a large clock tower, which most of the crowd assume is Big Ben (we are in London, after all) and as it strikes, the 3 Doors Down logo fades in and everyone cheers. The band walk on stage and dive straight into the title track of their latest album, Time of My Life, giving a pretty accurate indication for the rest of the night. Their set is full of so many different elements, all of which come together to make an exhilarating, emotional and exciting show, keeping the crowd on their toes. They don't give a single person the chance to get bored, because there is always something new, something fresh, something unexpected that draws you in and thrills you all over again. For example, during Changes, lead singer Brad Arnold dives- literally, this time!- into the audience, sending the crowd surging in his direction, desperate to just place a hand on him, perhaps to enable them to feel, just for a second, the raw emotion that he clearly expresses in every song he sings. This is just further enhanced by the short video clip played on the screen before they begin to play When You're Young, which basically shows the frontman encouraging the crowd to live every day as if it is their last. This may be a cliché expression, but when said with such heartfelt sentiment from one man directly to over 5,000 captivated fans, it seems to really hit home. Emotion once again fills the room when a couple are introduced onto the stage, a grinning man and a shocked and slightly scared woman, and it doesn't take long to guess what is going to happen next. Yep. The audience is even treated to a live marriage proposal, putting a smile on just about everyone's face and a tear in everyone's eye, especially when followed with a heart-wrenching performance of Heaven. Brad Arnold is not the only band member to really connect with the crowd though, as lead guitarist Matt Roberts and bassist Todd Harrell frequently visit the front of the stage and encourage the audience to scream and sing at the top of their lungs. Favourites such as Away From the Sun, Citizen/Soldier, Loser and Here Without You provide a perfectly balanced combination of slow sing-a-longs and hard-rock classics to produce a superb show.


As the band return for their encore, the crowd instantly hushes as Brad Arnold and Seether's lead singer and guitarist Shaun Morgan stroll onto the stage with a guitar and a couple of microphones, and they treat the audience to a fantastic rendition of Phil Collins' Another Day in Paradise. Shaun leaves the stage and is replaced by the members of 3 Doors Down, and the volume increases again to accompany possibly their most famous hit, Kryptonite, which is well-received, to say the least. They go on to then give a great performance of Believer, and finish off with the brilliant When I'm Gone, dedicated to the armed forces of both the UK and the USA. When boiling it down to basics, the gig consists of a bunch of musicians playing a bunch of songs to a high standard. But that isn't how the crowd feel when they leave the Hammersmith Apollo at the end of the gig. To them, it was a mind-blowing two hours of skilfully written and performed songs, imaginative visual effects, engaging audience interaction and a feeling of unity and belonging. Overall, a sensational show. 



Thursday 22 March 2012

McFly

The wind is blowing but the sun is shining along Margate's sandy shore on a pleasant March evening. Spring has almost arrived, but there's a different kind of atmosphere in the air tonight aside from the first taste of warmth that England has felt this year so far. As group after group after group of giggling girls line up outside Margate's Wintergardens, they are all chatting excitedly about one thing- McFly. There are four reasons why these girls can barely contain their adrenalin-filled screams before they've even entered the building; Danny Jones, Tom Fletcher, Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd. Girls, need I say more?

But there are two support acts for the audience to sink their teeth into before they catch a glimpse of the boys, the first of which are Hertfordshire-based Wayward Daughter. Originally a two-piece group consisting of singer Lydia McAllister and guitarist Becky East, tonight they are joined by three extra musicians to complete the act. They are here because they have won a slot on McFly's Battle of the Bands competition, launched in 2011, and have been given the opportunity to play in front of this very crowd to support one of the UK's biggest boy(with instruments)bands. They may look more like a band performing at a school concert rather than professional band playing at a reputable venue, as their image is all over the place and it's clear that they haven't quite found the Wayward Daughter 'look' yet. However, their musical performance is flawless. Their music is perfectly balanced and executed with brilliant talent, and McAllister's voice rings out clear as a bell, in tune and highly enjoyable to listen to. Combining their original songs, such as The Game, with a cover of Ed Sheeran's You Need Me, I Don't Need You enables this practically unknown act to become a hit with the audience in their short but sweet set. They may be unsigned at the moment, but their set is tighter than a good number of currently signed artists out there, and they will certainly be one to watch in the future.

The air is getting hotter, the crowd are cramming in closer, but there's one support act left. Ivyrise. A four-piece rock band from London, and most of the audience members have already encountered one or two of the musicians from the band in the queue as they try plugging their act, hyping up their reputation and building the excitement surrounding them. It has worked- to an extent. They are energetic and, again, obviously musically talented. And credit where credit's due, their set is professional, original and enthusiastic. But they seem to have slightly misjudged the crowd. They might have forgotten that their target audience consists mainly of teenage girls who voted for Harry and Dougie devotedly on reality TV programmes just so that they can see their faces for another week, and who probably still sneakily kiss posters of Tom or Danny before they go to bed at night. Oh, and some unfortunate mums and dads as well. Instead, they blast out a set of hard-hitting rock music. This hits the spot for some members of the crowd, but the majority of them mainly seem to be tapping their feet out of impatience rather than along with the music. It's a simple case of the right set, the wrong place.

The venue darkens, and ear-piercing screams erupt. These screams only amplify as sirens begin to wail and one by one, the band members walk on stage. Some girls are hysterical, some are even in tears, as potentially the four best-looking men in the South East coastal area at this moment in time all come together on one stage. But, looking past their blinding beauty, the music speaks louder than looks. They burst on stage with a bucket-load of energy, and they all have a certain glint in their eyes, signalling that this night will be full of mischief and fun. And the boys don't disappoint. In particular, Danny and Dougie are constantly cracking jokes and fooling around, providing more than just a musical performance, but instead offering a whole array of light entertainment. If only Harry had got up from behind his drumkit and gave the audience a sample of Strictly, it could have turned into a whole variety show! They throw a few brand new tracks into the set, and the song Red stands out especially as a potential number one hit- it is brimming with energy, but has underlying tones of sultry darkness; a perfect combination. These 'test runs' are well received by the audience, but there's no denying it, they still crave the classics, and McFly have no choice but to deliver. Hits such as Broccoli, I Wanna Hold You and a mash-up of favourites Obviously & All About You send the crowd crazy, and it's obvious that the cheesy lyrics of adolescents boys mucking around with mates will never die for this band. And, to be honest, they don't really look like they mind. Slower, more delicate songs such as She Falls Asleep Pt 2 and A Walk in the Sun hush the crowd into a lullaby-esque sing-along, with cameras swaying to and fro, lighting up the room. Along with this, they perform snippets of Rihanna, One Direction and Gotye in a successful attempt to satisfy every single person in the venue. It works. They are one of the most engaging live acts that have possibly graced the Wintergardens in a while, as they manage to balance perfectly the amount of audience participation with great-quality musical performance. 



Five Colours in Her Hair leaves the crowd desperate for more, and they return for their encore of the beautifully sung A Walk in the Sun, and the powerfully performed Shine a Light and many, many thank you's. As Tom points out, the band have been together for nine years now, starting out as a boyish, playful  group of teenage lads who just enjoyed messing around with a few instruments and some lyrics. Now they are a regarded as a household name, part of the British music institution, and manage to storm the mainstream charts as well as sneak into the CD collections of rock-lovers all over the country- although they may not admit it! Whether they are a guilty pleasure or played at top volume with pride out of the car windows, there is no doubt about it; they are loved nationwide. Skeptical as some people may be- "who wants to hear a bunch of pretty boys jump around pretending to play guitars?" etc.- there is no denying the talent they ooze as a live act. Flawless and fun. Sexy and satisfying. Big-hearted and bloody brilliant!