Tonight’s show at the Electric Ballroom is well and truly sold out. The queue of teenagers snakes right up Camden High Street and around the corner, and there’s no way to escape the fact that one of the biggest metal bands around is in town. Tonight these kids are here for the mighty Of Mice & Men, and judging by the t-shirts, a lot of them are here for support band Memphis May Fire as well. And boy, do they have a treat in store!
Texas-based metalcore band Memphis May Fire are main support to Of Mice & Men and they are an absolutely stellar choice. They open with album intro ‘Without Walls’ and then launch into ‘The Sinner’. Tonight their set is a 50/50 mix of albums ‘The Hollow’ and ‘Challenger’, keeping both new and old fans happy. As the set goes on, MMF settle into the Electric Ballroom and by the time they play the fantastic ‘Legacy’, they seem more than at home. The singalongs for the rousing chorus are overwhelming for a support band, and this is purely down to their insanely catchy songs. Ending on ‘Prove Me Right’, they leave the stage with several hundred more fans than they turned up with. A stellar show from an incredible band. If they aren’t headlining the Electric Ballroom next time they come over to the UK, there’s no justice.
And so we come to Of Mice & Men. Until they step on stage, it looks like Memphis May Fire could headline this night. And then OM&M unleash themselves on the crowd and it’s clear to see that absolutely nobody could take their place. They have a legion of adoring fans and deservedly so, because they are unbeatable live. Their show is nothing less than incendiary. Whatever you think of their music, there is no denying that they are incredible onstage. Frontman Austin Carlile possesses the kind of energy and passion a million frontmen would kill for.
The setlist mainly consists of songs from the recently re-released album ‘The Flood’. ‘OG Loko’, ‘The Flood’ and ‘Let Live’ go down an absolute storm. The crowd go insane for pretty much every single song, but ‘I’m A Monster’ goes down particularly well. The band look bloody fantastic on stage together, doing synchronised headbanging and showcasing an incredible level of energy throughout. At one point, they play a new song and get the whole crowd to get down on one knee before jumping up when the song kicks back in. An old trick, but an unfailing one.
The band leave the stage before coming back on to play an encore. ‘Second & Sebring’ is undoubtedly the hit of the night, and the crowd genuinely couldn’t go any wilder for them. Tonight Of Mice & Men have shown just why they’re headlining this tour, and why they’ll probably be playing much bigger venues next time they’re back in the UK. Much deserved.
LAIS MW