It was a cold Monday night in Brixton when I arrived at the venue, and despite a second date being added the night before due to immense demand, the line circle the block twice. I heard accents and languages from all over Europe as I found my place in line, it was apparent many had travelled far and many had also bought tickets for both nights. These were clearly the most hardcore of fans. After what seemed like an eternity, the doors opened and we filed in to what would undoubtedly be a night to treasure for a long time to come.
I was personally not a fan of opening act Ghost Of A Thousand (6), but the fact that they had reformed after a years absence just to support their friends in Alexisonfire for their final UK shows was admirable. This did not sway me into enjoying their music however, which I found to be loud and slightly abrasive. No matter, because nothing was going to spoil this evening for me.
At 9pm the lights went down and Alexisonfire (10) ambled onstage. Wasting no time, they break into fan favourite "Young Cardinals", it becomes apparent instantly that they have been missed greatly and every single person in attendance is singing as if their lives depend on it. After a short speech from the band they tear into "Boiled Frogs" and it's as if they've never been away. The band shows why they have always been a sight to witness live by tearing through hit after hit, all the while the entire venue singing along and hanging on their every word.
This was a particularly special night for me as I never believed I would have this chance to see them live, and they have been responsible for two of my favourite albums. "This Could Be Anywhere In The World" is particularly important as this song introduced me to the band that I have now loved and waited for 6 years to see. The set is a wonderful mix of old and more recent favourites, each song getting a spectacular crowd reaction. The only song which I had hoped for that wasn't played was "Mailbox Arson", which saddened me slightly, but I was uplifted by the high quality of the setlist regardless.
After titanic closer "Happiness By The Kilowatt" the crowd begins to thin, and here and there I see tears and signs of deep upset at the end of an era. I too feel some of this pain, but my joy at seeing something I never thought I would be privileged enough to see far outweighs my sorrow.
All in all this was a night I will treasure for the rest of my life and am very happy I was able to share with you.
Alexisonfire Setlist:
- Young Cardinals
- Boiled Frogs
- Heading For The Sun
- Pulmonary Archery
- Drunks, Lovers, Sinners & Saints
- No Transitory
- Get Fighted
- Born & Raised
- Waterwings
- Control
- Rough Hands
- Midnight Regulations
- Hey, It's Your Funeral Mama
- Old Crows
- We Are The Sound
- Accept Crime
- To A Friend
- 44 Caliber Love Letter
- This Could Be Anywhere In The World
- Accidents
- The Northern
- Dog's Blood
- Happiness By The Kilowatt
P.S. the reason I've not uploaded any pictures for this review is due to me being in the seats upstairs at Brixton Academy and not getting any decent clear shots of the bands due to the distance and constantly changing lights. Ah well.
No comments:
Post a Comment