A little over two years since they last played a headline show on our shores, BRAND NEW‘s return to London sees them at the iconic Roundhouse in Camden, a venue that is one of the most impressive larger venues in the UK.
First up tonight is THE XCERTS, and despite playing to a half full room, they try their best not to let the lack of atmosphere ruin their set. They showcase their sound with a mix of tracks from across their repertoire, and ensure that they leave a positive impression on the crowd with an impressive rendition of closer ‘Hurt With Me’
Up next and tonight’s main support are I AM THE AVALANCHE, who kick off their set with ‘Holy Fuck’. It’s impossible to have a bad time watching the band, with front man Vinnie Caruana’s infectious enthusiasm for what he does being a particular endearing part of their live show. He probably has the best voice in punk rock today and the rest of the band are an incredibly tight unit. The general lack of movement from the crowd is easily surpassed by their energetic performance and a setlist packed with hits.
By the time BRAND NEW take to the stage, the Roundhouse is bursting with excited faces, and the anticipation amongst the crowd is noticeable. The first four songs of the set are taken from third album ‘The Devil and God are Raging Inside of Me’, setting a precedent for most of the show with only two songs taken from their latest release ‘Daisy’. The approach works in the bands favour as songs from TDAGARIM are arguably the most impressive to watch – ‘Sowing Season (yeah)’ and ‘Limousine’ sound huge, while closing track ‘You Won’t Know’ sees front man Jesse Lacey lose his absolute shit. It leaves the crowd stunned at what they have just seen, and there was no need for an encore as the ending was as good as it gets.
Overall, BRAND NEW didn’t disappoint for a moment – it has been a long time since they were headlining shows here, but it was more than worth the wait.
CHRIS MARSHMAN