The Underworld in Camden is a popular London venue. Being below ground, dark and dingy and a bit rough around the edges, it makes for a good place for a rock gig.
Being the first band on the bill is never an easy task. The crowd are fresh, haven’t drunk much and are not yet in a moving mood. This said, Ashes (6/10) started the night off with a force of determination to grab the audience’s attention. Although there was a shaky vocal start, the band soon found their stride and delivered a range of growls, vocals and guitar riffs that seemed to get the crowd started. Their song Alive was a highlight, showing off the lead singer’s vocals for more than just the growls.
When EofE (7/10) took to the stage you would think they might be more suited to pop songs with their slightly boyband-like looks. They have a feel of McBusted about them but with an edgier tone, and front man Tom Harris has a nice tone to his voice that compliments their sound. A few songs in it was clear the crowd liked them and reacted positively to their new single Stars of Hollywood. They secured some new fans by the end of their set and even managed to get the crowd crouched on the floor ready to do an explosive jump into a song on their command. These guys have the potential to rise fast.
Just before The Hype Theory (7/10) made their entrance it was evident they had a fair few loyal fans in the audience and I can guarantee they now have more. Female rock singers struggle to get the recognition and fan base against a mostly male dominated genre but lead vocalist Katy Jackson demands your attention with her energy and clearly impressive vocal ability. This is a girl who clearly loves what she does and she threw that electric feeling out into the crowd. With a strong and confident stage presence she resembles the likes of Paramore’s Haley Williams and even has a similar tone to her voice. Their pop/rock sound is a crowd pleaser and everyone was singing along to Heartsick by the end. This is a band to keep an eye on, as we will no doubt be seeing a lot more of them.
Once Glamour of the Kill (9/10) are ready to tear the roof off the venue, the place is packed wall to wall. The energy in the crowd is on fire as they burst on stage with Out of Control from their new After Hours EP. Front man Davey Richmond throws out the words aggressively and the crowd instantly respond with jumping and mosh pits. Sadly the lead mic wasn’t turned up enough so the drums drowned Davey out but this didn’t seem to deter him from smashing out the vocals.
As they steam through their back catalogue of songs from both Savages and The Summoning they remind us all why seeing them live is awesome. Songs like Break and Freak Like Me are clear favourites and turn the floor into a mass of sweaty bodies diving about, punching the air to the hard-edged lyrics. Guitarist Mike treats the crowd to some skilful riffs while the others muck about playfully. These guys are clearly very good friends and this shows throughout their dynamic performance.
Even though their new EP hasn’t been out long, the die-hard fans sing every word which visibly pleases the band. The stage is not one of great size, which would limit a lot of band’s performances but Glamour show they have all they need to deliver a face meltingly good show. They clearly love their fans and even set a challenge for a free t-shirt. Get them tequila to the stage. A young fan took this challenge and presented them with their shots before the show continued. By the time the show finished it was clear that all had had an amazing time and the band themselves seemed to love every minute.
Glamour Of The Kill: Website|Facebook|Twitter
