A DAY TO REMEMBER | LIVE REVIEW
Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Sun 22 Jan
Although the snaking line of ticket holders has already slithered its way around the entire complex, a few freezing fans are in the cold as the first act makes their way out onto the raised platform. UK emo-punkers Moose Blood have been soaring through the ranks of popularity for some time now, and it proved a strong decision having them opening on A Day To Remember’s Bad Vibrations tour. The audience make half-hearted efforts to pay attention before the back rows break off to swarm the bars; those at the front keep heads bobbing with emotionless faces, perhaps more mindful of saving their place for the headliners.
Wrexham’s Neck Deep receive generous applause as they literally sprint onstage, bringing an instant increase in atmosphere before playing a song. Crowd favourites December and Kick Up The Roots get the audience leaping off the floor; the only criticism derives from a problem repeatedly associated with this venue, what seems to be a recurrent setback with the soundboard and levels.
Regarded as legends in their field, New Found Glory are an unexpected addition to the tour. Their cover of Sixpence None The Richer’s Kiss Me lingers as a crowdpleaser, but it’s their own material that sparks the most interesting reactions. Crowd surfers soar to the front barrier, others burned up calories in the circle pits (some losing mobiles in the melee). NFG’s sizeable catalogue has the strength to incite emotionally-charging singalong moments including Selfless, All Downhill From Here and Hit Or Miss.
A Day To Remember have never been your run-of-the-mill ‘come out and play songs’ kind of band. The last time the Floridian quintet were in Wales’ capital, lead singer Jeremy McKinnon rolled over the packed-out venue in a huge transparent zorb ball; although the frontman remains on stage this time around, they don’t disappoint the crammed arena. Alex Shelnutt takes to his unique throne (placed on top of an assortment of dated appliances) and beats the familiar tom-tom drum thumps of Mr Highway’s Thinking About The End. Out come the lingering artists from the background and after a huge scream of the capital’s name, the area erupts in a cloud of colourful confetti and bright lights.
Their repertoire is thick with pop-punk classics from their 2007 back-catalogue onwards, including the nostalgic likes of Fast Forward To 2012 and signature number The Plot To Bomb The Panhandle. Homesick, For Those Who Have Heart and What Separates Me From You are three albums which vividly demonstrate ADTR’s evolution, showing their foresight in what would be the most popular traits of the genre to be snatched up next.
A small army of swimming pool inflatables are unleashed on the first couple of rows early on, resulting in the kind of thrashing that eventually leads to the likely deflation of half their forces. The moshpit that forms when the headliners fire up 2nd Sucks and Exposed creates chaos in a most satisfactory manner as Kevin Skaff, Joshua Woodward and Neil Westfall bombarded Wales with some serious determination to succeed.
The desired encore predictably pulls mobiles from pockets for ADTR’s acoustic turn, If It Means A Lot To You, before the invigorating guitar chugs of Downfall Of Us All gives a great send-off to Cardiff and an invigorating start to the UK tour.
words and photos NATHAN ROACH