Page 51 - Black Velvet Issue 93

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YOU ME AT SIX / TONIGHT ALIVE / BLACK FOXXES – BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY, 10.04.17
During tonight’s show, You Me At Six tease at a forthcoming 10-year with huge feathery angel wings on her back, but as soon as she does, all
anniversary tour of ‘Take Off Your Colours’, the band’s debut album, re- eyes are on her. Dressed all in white, she looks like she has floated down
leased in 2008. It is something that immediately excites everyone. But from heaven. And as usual, Tonight Alive’s set is a heavenly display of
that is next year, and right now, we’re on the ‘Night People’ tour, in pro- stunning songs, from, er… ‘Hell And Back’ to ‘To Be Free’. Jenna tells the
motion of the band’s fifth album. crowd the band stands for personal power and emotional freedom. She
Three-piece Black Foxxes are up first. Songs such as ‘River’ (the first gives a motivational speech about insecurities, choice and using your
song they ever wrote) and ‘Whatever Lets You Cope’ have a mellow and voice. She kneels down in the poppier new song ‘World Away’, while set
ethereal, yet visceral, air. If you know that frontman Mark has Crohn’s Dis- ender is the brash crowd favourite, ‘Lonely Girl’. As always, Tonight Alive
ease and anxiety, you’ll be immediately inspired seeing him up on stage do not disappoint and are a highlight of the night.
putting his all into the set. “We’re going to give you a lesson in feedback; You Me At Six open with the funky ‘Night People’, the title track of their
enjoy,” they say. The songs swell like a blood vessel-bursting rage, calm new album. The band’s set now has so many different sounds from their
at first before exploding. “This is real fuckin’ music, yeah,” announces musical metamorphosis over the years. ‘Underdog’ is a pumping fan
Mark. ‘I’m Not Well’ is honesty in musical form, mulling at first, tossing and favourite, while ‘Stay With Me’ is a smoother plead. ‘Fresh Start Fever’ is
turning like intensifying pain before it really kicks in. uber-catchy, while early single ‘Save It For The Bedroom’ is an energetic
We weren’t expecting frontwoman Jenna McDougall to come on stage pop punk classic that everyone in the audience adores.

The crowd are asked to both crouch down and jump up, and sit
on each other’s shoulders. Josh mentions his ticket tout campaign and
gives a speech about how “love is kind and hatred is foolish” before
the strong and compelling ‘Take On The World’. Ending with ‘Room To
Breathe’, You Me At Six have definitely taken on the world, speaking
up to make it a better place and making lives happier with their music.
Long may they continue.
YYYYY
Shari Black Velvet
Josh Franceschi (You Me At Six) Photo By Shari Black Velvet

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