Page 51 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine - Issue 100

BV100 pg51_BV100 pg51 11/03/2019 23:35 Page 1

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AS IT IS / TRASH BOAT / HOLDING ABSENCE / COURAGE MY LOVE - LONDON O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN,
01.12.18
You know it’s going to be a chaotic night when there are four bands announced on the lineup. And this prediction certainly comes true as Courage
My Love, Holding Absence, Trash Boat and As It Is take over London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town for a mind-blowing Saturday night. Between the four
bands, there is so much fire and passion that you could be forgiven for forgetting the winter weather that eager fans braved in the queue. Breaking
the crowdsurfing record for the venue, that in itself says enough about how the night went.
Courage My Love are the first to take the stage, and they deliver an energy-filled set. Frontwoman Mercedes Arn-Horn is completely electrifying,
jumping everywhere and standing on the barrier, never faltering for a second. The three-piece do not find any difficulty in filling up the massive space
with their presence, as the utterly infectious ‘Love Hurts’ begins a set of tracks mainly from their latest album ‘Synesthesia’. Mercedes’ vocals easily
soar over the crowd with power, especially over the catchy chorus of ‘Stereo’, and the upbeat ‘Tough Love’ certainly encourages some jumping along.
The first crowdsurfers of the night start making their rounds, even though the night has just begun, and the band leave the crowd buzzing for more.
Welsh quintet Holding Absence have been making waves this year and will continue to do so by the looks of it. It’s a brave move to open with an
unreleased song, as they do with ‘Perish’, but their fervent energy makes this well-received from the crowd, who are clearly thriving off the delicate
blend of atmospheric guitars and explosive drumming. Despite frontman Lucas Woodland battling a chest infection, his vocals are staggering as he
seamlessly flows from silky smooth cleans to emotion-wrought screams that manage to encapsulate all the passion the band emits. Although they
only play a six-song set, it’s a whistle-stop tour of everything the band is capable of; the balladic ‘Everything’ brings out a softer side, whilst ‘Saint
Cecilia’ and ‘Like A Shadow’ show off their penchant for writing hooking earworms, and finale ‘Penance’ masterfully ties it all together in a cathartic ex-
pulsion.
Trash Boat renew the crowd’s energy with a blazing fire. The cut-throat pace of ‘Inside Out’ gets everyone’s blood pumping from the start, and, as
they rip from one tune to the next, it’s clear that they pour everything they have into their performance. Fans eagerly lap up this energy and respond
to it in a mad flurry of moshing and crowdsurfing, encouraged on by frontman Tobi Duncan. As they round up with ‘Strangers’, the expectation is that
the crowd would have become tired out by now after an intense set of dynamic tracks including hits such as ‘Tring Quarry’ and ‘How Selfish I Seem’
from their debut album, but they seem even more alive and excited for what’s to come.
And this build-up of hype and excitement is well lived-out by As It Is. A theatrical opening comes in the form of ‘The Reaper’, as red lights flash
around to the deafening screams of adoring fans. It seems like the instruments have barely played the first note before the crowdsurfers start coming
over in waves. The band truly command the stage and show themselves as an act not to be missed live, bringing an irresistible spark and charisma.
Waving a megaphone for the bridge of ‘The Wounded World’, the band have truly embraced their new era and this can be seen in every aspect of the
show, from the red lights, to the red suit donned by vocalist Patty Walters, and of course the red ticker tape confetti. The band does not neglect their
older material either, throwing it right
back to their 2015 debut ‘Never
Happy, Ever After’ with ‘Can’t Save
Myself’ and ‘Dial Tones’. As the last
notes of ‘The Stigma (Boys Don’t Cry)’
finish their set, it reminds you of how
powerful a good live show is, and that
feeling will stick with you for a long
time.
YYYYY
Athena Kam

Patty Walters & Ben Langford-Biss Photo By
Athena Kam

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