Shinedown By Andy Squire
Thanks to the MASSIVE queue outside Manchester Academy last night, and the ridiculously huge puddles we were forced to shuffle through along the way, I arrived in the venue cold, wet and at the end of opener Counterpoint’s set.
I only saw one song from the Reading boys, but what I did see was pretty good, and definitely lands them as ‘One To Watch’ in my eyes. But before long it was time for the main support, SOiL; a band which pretty much shaped my ‘teenage angst’ years and one I’d never seen live. Until now.
Crushed in at the front (somewhere I rarely venture at a gig) I was stuck behind a couple who spent more time playing tonsil tennis than watching the actual band, and as they were incredibly tall, I wondered why they didn’t move to the back and listen whilst their eyes were closed? But as the guys came on and smashed their way through songs from albums old and new, I remembered just how much I loved them!
Obviously the crowd completely let rip as they launched into metal anthem Halo, and I even had to take my shiny headband off at one point out of fear it would fly right off my newly washed hair… what a song, I listened to it about three times on the way home from the show last night. Epic.
By the time Shinedown appeared on stage I thought I’d used all my ‘moshing’ energy and was just going to enjoy the set from behind a Gin and Tonic, but when they opened with power track, Sound Of Madness, I knew my hair was going to be ruined anyway so I packed the headband away in my bag and got involved.
The guys played songs from all three of their studio albums, and the set was littered with powerful tracks such as 45, Burning Bright & Devour, as well as my two current favourites, The Crow & the Butterfly and Call Me all polished off with their new single, If You Only Knew.
I’ve got to admit here, I am a massive Shinedown fan, so there was no way I was going to be disappointed with what I saw, but the only thing that puzzled me was whether vocalist Brent Smith was losing his voice as the set went on, and if there was something ‘special’ between him and sole guitarist Zach Myers… did anyone else see how close they were getting every couple of minutes? I was almost wondering whether I should be looking away and leaving them to it.
And another thing, what was Brent doing by preaching to us for about a HOUR in between songs… I mean I’m all about audience participation, but that took the bloody biscuit, granted he might want to explain the meaning behind each song, but if I heard ‘and I’m going to tell you why’ once more I was ready to take my heels off and sit my ass on the floor with a cup of Earl Grey.
Either way, they were bloody amazing, and put on a jaw dropping performance - mainly when Zach got topless - to which I was singing along to (almost) every word! So with Shinedown last night and Biffy Clyro & Poison The Well on the way, I think November is a very good month for live music in Manchester… ah I love my job!
FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison
Tagged in Shinedown