Date: February 16th, 2012
Venue: Dry Bar, Manchester
Support: I Said The Spy!, From Embers
Website: www.decadeofficial.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/decadeofficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/decadeofficial
Rating:
Managing to get within the top 10 of the iTunes album chart on the release week of your first label release is an impressive feat for bands of most levels, nevermind that of pop-punk newcomers Decade. However, with their recent self-titled effort they’ve done just that, and with a headline tour to promote the release the same week, this may be the final time you’ll be in such an intimate setting with the guys again.
Tags: Decade, From Embers, I Said The Spy!
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Date: February 15th, 2012
Venue: Academy 1, Manchester
Support: While She Sleeps, letlive., The Blackout
Website: www.newfoundglory.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/newfoundglory
Twitter: www.twitter.com/newfoundglory
Rating:
It’s about time that Kerrang! magazine finally hosted a tour where the whole line-up is actually pretty decent. In the past, there always seems to be one band that’s out of place and/or not worthy of being on the bill and/or just turns out to be pretty terrible live. 2012 might arguably be the first year where this isn’t the case (though, sadly a lot of hate is directed at last minute Sum 41 replacements, The Blackout). So, well done Kerrang!, you did good.
Tags: Letlive, New Found Glory, The Blackout, While She Sleeps
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Date: February 9th, 2012
Venue: Club Academy, Manchester
Support: Glamour Of The Kill, iwrestledabearonce, We Came As Romans
Website: www.alesanaofficial.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alesana
Twitter: www.twitter.com/alesana
Rating:
With new full-length albums both bunked out within the space of a few weeks, rising American post-hardcore acts Alesana and We Came As Romans have embarked on a co-headline tour across the UK, and on the Manchester date of this run, it’s Alesana‘s turn to close things off.
Tags: Alesana, Glamour Of The Kill, iwrestledabearonce, We Came As Romans
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Date: February 10th, 2012
Venue: White Rabbit, Plymouth
Support: Brotherhood Of The Lake, Last Witness
Website: www.tdwpband.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tdwp
Twitter: www.twitter.com/tdwpband
Rating:
Dayton Ohio’s The Devil Wears Prada are fresh off the back of their fourth full-length, ‘Dead Throne’, and by the look of the turn out for tonight’s gig, their first headline date in Plymouth ever, it’s gained them a lot of fans. There are flat caps as far as the eye can see and an average age of about twelve, but there’s a good atmosphere nonetheless.
Tags: Brotherhood Of The Lake, Last Witness, The Devil Wears Prada
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Date: February 8th, 2012
Venue: Club Academy, Manchester
Support: Asteroid Boys, Marmozets
Website: www.hyrodahero.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hyrodahero
Twitter: www.twitter.com/hyrodahero
Rating:
Hyro Da Hero is back once again on UK soil. It seems we can’t keep him away. If he isn’t here supporting the likes of The Blackout or 3OH!3 then he’s back in America supporting huge acts such as Deftones or even 50 Cent. Due to personal reasons, he had to cancel this originally scheduled for Autumn tour. But, after a swift reschedule he is back and eager to promote his debut album, ‘Birth, School, Work, Death’.
Tags: Asteroid Boys, Hyro Da Hero, Marmozets
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Date: February 6th, 2012
Venue: Academy 1, Manchester
Support: Red Fang, The Dillinger Escape Plan
Website: www.mastodonrocks.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mastodon
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mastodon
Rating:
Red Fang (****) make the perfect support. They are essentially Mastodon‘s little brother, not necessarily copying them, but they are very similar in style and sound. Although they’re a tad shy as they walked onstage, it didn’t take long from them to find their stride and once they did they were unstoppable. Apart from being a tad repetitive in places, their prog-metal vibes whip up a frenzy and the crowd instantly fall in love with them. These guys are touring later on in the year, and judging from tonight’s performance it looks like it’s going to be a hell of a show.
Tags: Mastodon, Red Fang, The Dillinger Escape Plan
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Date: February 6th, 2012
Venue: Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
Support: JB Conspiracy, Orange
Website: www.reel-big-fish.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/reelbigfish
Twitter: www.twitter.com/reelbigfish
Rating:
Falmouth isn’t a place where you’d expect to find one of the biggest ska punk bands in the world, but here they are and apparently they’re no less popular in Cornwall than they are anywhere else. The Princess Pavilion stop on the tour is sold out to a multitude of colourful looking and surprisingly attractive punters. Reel Big Fish are the sort of band that makes all the casual fans come out from the woodwork for their one gig of the year so gig etiquette is lost a bit, but that just adds to the atmosphere.
Tags: Orange, Reel Big Fish, The JB Conspiracy
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Date: February 2nd, 2012
Venue: Forum, Tunbridge Wells
Support: The Story So Far, Save Your Breath, Who’s Driving? Bear’s Driving!
Website: www.defendpoppunk.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/manoverboardnj
Twitter: www.twitter.com/manoverboardnj
Rating:
It’s a freezing cold night in Kent, and the setting for this show is an old public toilet turned gig venue, which looks just as unimpressive on the inside as it does from the outside. This said, it is a cute little venue, and perhaps the perfect setting for these bands who are more than suited to playing small club shows.
Tags: Man Overboard, Save Your Breath, The Story So Far, Who's Driving? Bear's Driving!
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Date: February 1st, 2012
Venue: Camden Koko, London
Support: Marmozets, Don Broco, A Loss For Words
Website: www.fouryearstrongmusic.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fouryearstrong
Twitter: www.twitter.com/fouryearstrong
Rating:
For anyone who is unfamiliar with the Koko club in London, it is a fine establishment and is definitely more of a night club than a venue. However, on this occasion, it plays host the mighty Four Year Strong who more than threatened to blow the roof off of the place.
Tags: A Loss For Words, Don Broco, Four Year Strong, Marmozets
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Date: February 4th, 2012
Venue: White Rabbit, Plymouth
Support: Claim The Throne, Darkest Era, Huron
Website: www.alestorm.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alestormband
Twitter: www.twitter.com/alestormband
Rating:
Plymouth appears to be the only place in the UK that isn’t snowed under, and that actually turns out to be lucky for the first date of Alestorm‘s “Useless Drunken Bastards” tour. Now on their third album of pirate themed folky power metal, they are renowned for their party atmosphere at gigs. As it is, everyone loves dressing up as a pirate for some reason, so they’ve managed to build on a niché that is always gonna be successful. Luckily, they can back it up with good song writing skills and catchy drinking anthems that are easy to sing along to. Even if every song pretty much sounds the same.
Tags: Alestorm, Claim The Throne, Darkest Era, Huron
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Date: February 2nd, 2012
Venue: Academy 2, Manchester
Support: JB Conspiracy, Orange
Website: www.reel-big-fish.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/reelbigfish
Twitter: www.twitter.com/reelbigfish
Rating:
It’s that time of year again folks: Reel Big Fish are back in town. Leaving behind the warm California sun to brave the harsh British winter yet again, I hope they know that we really appreciate it. They are renowned for bringing over some amazing support bands, such as Big D And The Kids Table and Suburban Legends, so there are a lot of ska-punk fans eager to see who they brought this time around.
Tags: Orange, Reel Big Fish, The JB Conspiracy
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Date: January 31st, 2012
Venue: Castle Hotel, Manchester
Support: Richie Syrett, Greg Larkin, New Century Soul Club
Website: www.davemcphersonsolo.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/davemcphersonmusic
Twitter: www.twitter.com/daveinme
Rating:
So, if you don’t know who Dave McPherson is, no question about it, you should go look him up. When he’s not fronting his band InMe, he’s filling his time with touring or writing more music for his solo career. Last year, he did an almighty 163(ish) shows. Think that’s amazing? He did 189 shows the year before. So, in an ongoing quest to out-do himself, he’s squeezing in a small solo tour before embarking on a 50 date tour with InMe, as you do.
Tags: Dave McPherson, Greg Larkin, New Century Soul Club, Richie Syrett
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