Young Guns have been away for some time now – touring the US, making their new album ‘Ones and Zeros’ – and so this is their first UK headline tour since the end of 2012. This is the first set of shows, before they take a ‘break’ to tour the US, and then they’ll be back to do the second run of UK shows in June, closer to the album release.
The band decided to only have one support band for this run of shows, so Blitz Kids open the show to a packed out room at The Fleece in Bristol. Playing a set that largely consists of tracks off their most recent album ‘The Good Youth’, they seem to go down very well. The band point out that the last time they played Bristol as a headliner the turn out was pretty sparse, but tonight’s crowd seem to be having a great time, so next time they’re here their crowd may well be a little more impressive.
With openers aside, tonight is about one thing and one thing only: Young Guns. It’s been a long time since YG were last in Bristol, and they are welcomed back with a rapturous display of excitement. There is a truly electric atmosphere in the room tonight, and it’s incredible to see the response when Young Guns open with last year’s single ‘I Want Out’. The crowd explode, and there’s no sign of them calming down for the rest of the night.
Tonight’s set consists of a mixture of the whole of Young Guns’ back catalogue: from older songs they’ve never played live before to hits off 2012’s ‘Bones’ to new songs off their upcoming record ‘Ones and Zeros’, they cover all bases. Probably the most impressive thing about tonight is how incredibly well the new songs go down. Tracks like ‘Rising Up’ and ‘Speaking In Tongues’ show a more upbeat side to Young Guns, and it’s a truly exciting taster of what’s to come from the new album.
Aside from the excitement generated by the new songs, tonight’s loudest singalongs are for the still truly excellent ‘Weight Of The World’, and of course finale ‘Bones’, which will never be anything less than a huge anthem. It’s safe to say that Young Guns are well and truly back, and it’s wonderful to have been there for such a triumphant return. It feels like everyone in this room has witnessed something unspeakably special tonight.
LAIS MW