BURY TOMORROW | LIVE REVIEW
Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union, Fri 21 Apr
As opening acts go, German metalcore band Any Given Day might as well have punched a hole straight through the cafeteria walls of this Students Union. Frontman Dennis Diehl’s roars were nothing short of monstrous as he stomped the stage, the instrumental accompaniment as outrageously heavy as the vocals. Many metal covers of pop songs can come across as corny, but AGD’s cover of Rihanna’s Diamonds managed to stray from this notion.
Black Peaks may not be your heaviest group, but they generate an atmosphere that some seasoned professionals would struggle to muster. The musical expectations of their fans were met via Will Gardner’s impressive vocal ranges and a set of leaping, thrashing and headbanging through fantastic tracks like Saviour, Glass Built Castles and Crooks.
Rumours of Osaka quintet Crossfaith’s dominating show can now be confirmed. Out they walked, each with a unique decorated leather jacket, face art and one large revolution-red flag, briefly waved through the sweat-laced air before the techno-metal blast of Xeno. Kill ‘Em All and their wild remix of The Prodigy’s Omen unleashed a fire that burnt in everyone’s lungs. Convincing everyone to leap up from the floor and form an unexpected (if slightly lame) wall of death, Crossfaith begged the question of whether the evening’s headliners could actually top this.
Bury Tomorrow’s regulated song favourites, persistent, grudging VIP package deals and their quintessential Lionheart finale may be bordering on anachronistic routine, but for their Welsh fanbase this is not a factor that seems to need immediate attention. Striking stage presence flows through brothers Dan and Davyd Winter-Bates, making them quite a compatible pairing – which is not to suggest that the remaining members are slouches in their own roles.
Jason Cameron’s combination of vocals and immutable guitar work have always been a heavy element of Bury Tomorrow’s signature sound and were certainly welcomed on the choice choruses of Wax Wings and An Honourable Reign. The group leapt from amplifiers, leant far into the first row and generally connected with their audience from the second they walked out. Stampeding through their beloved back-catalogue and even briefly passing the microphone around in jovial fashion, they showed off the brotherhood they had formed from their years together.
Bury Tomorrow’s live show, and affinity with their own material, is a match for many in terms of enjoyment and style – but for those who have caught them multiple times, consideration of the repetitiveness of their shows will hopefully be taken into account to stave off monotony.
words and photos NATHAN ROACH
