Taking Back Sunday return to UK shores riding new album ‘Tidal Wave’ all the way. The New Yorkers are no strangers to these parts having last visited back in 2015 to play Slam Dunk Festival and return on the back of their seventh studio album. First up though is none other than former My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero’s new project ‘Frank Iero and The Patience’. Adorning the stage to screams almost worthy of a headliner they power through a set consisting of tracks mainly from 2016’s album ‘Parachutes’. Their sometimes chaotic but beautiful sound penetrates the crowd perfectly and throughout there’s a steady stream of crowd surfers and even the odd moshpit.
By the time Iero & co are done having their wicked way with the crowd the majority are grateful for a brief respite. Taking Back Sunday however have no intentions of letting the packed venue rest on their laurels. Taking to the stage to a magnificent roar they set a blistering pace with ‘Death Wolf’ the opening track from the latest album and while it might not have been played here live before that certainly doesn’t stop most of the crowd singing along.
However the decibel levels in the venue sky rocket when the band launch straight into ‘Liar (It Takes One to Know One)’ as Lazzara struts across the stage swinging his mic as he goes. The new tracks seem to blend into the set rather well, but it’s the older tracks which get the biggest reception, and rightfully so. Lazzara is clearly enjoying himself on stage just as much as the crowd as he addresses them with a huge smile, taking the time to introduce themselves even though its clearly unnecessary.
What comes next is one of the stand out tracks of the evening and it arrives in ‘What’s It Feel Like to Be a Ghost’ as the intro riff immediately sends the crowd into overdrive resulting in multiple moshpits. Luckily Lazzara then takes the time to let everyone settle down and attempts to tell a story. But bursts into laughter mid-way through and proclaims “I’m having such a good time it’s impossible to tell a story,” He does however manage to explain that this new record was easy “to put words to such beautiful music,” before playing through another new track. Unsurprisingly the biggest reaction of the evening comes as the band hit the first notes of ‘Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut from the Team)’ and the entire venue literally loses their minds.
Ending the evenings set Lazarra’s explains that they really don’t go for the whole encore thing and instead simply give an epic rendition of ‘MakeDamnSure’ which sees every single person in the venue singing at the top of their lungs. Although Lazzaras vocal style can sometimes come across as lethargic it really doesn’t matter if he’s not always clear, sometimes not even close. Their lyrics are such that they connect with fans on an emotional level and ensure that they leave with an unforgettable experience and no voices.
CHRISTOPHER LEE