Story of the Year
with Flogging Molly and Emery
» Cradle of Filth - venue, Fri, May 22
Although I was looking forward to this gig, I was hesitant to build my hopes up in case the hype killed it. The night started out with local hopeful's Stars Don?t Fall, playing the same worn out pop punk as made popular by bands such as New Found Glory and Fall Out Boy, and this confirmed my fears. Although they are musically proficient, a lack of original style prevented them from gaining any ground with the audience, who couldn't wait for the main acts.
My prayers were answered, as Emery took the stage with the burst of energy the crowd had been waiting for, and the pit started to move. They worked through a mix of songs from both “The Weaks End” and “The Question”, and repeated several times how stoked they were to be playing abroad for the first time. Overall, they impressed, and I’m sure they will be back.
Flogging Molly then took over, much to the delight of those who new what to expect, and much to the surprise of those who didn’t. I suppose it would be surprising to see an accordion, a fiddle and a banjo if you were only really there for Story of the Year. As soon as they started though, you could tell it was going to be an awesome set. Everyone was doing their own “mosh-jig” and the pit was going at 100 miles an hour. Talk about music to dance to, these guys really did make it impossible to stand still. Highlights included “The Seven Deadly Sins”, “Within A Mile Of Home” and the absolute ripper and highlight of the entire night “Devils Dance Floor”. I really hope these guys come back soon because I’d pay dearly to see them, even on their own.
Finally, the band much of the crowd came for, Story Of The Year. They immediately whipped the pit into a frenzy, encouraging everyone to jump. A shock, to me, was the band members’ obsession with spitting. I mean, are you Story Of The Year or Blink 182? And sure, spit on each other, but on the crowd? Nevertheless, the crowd were enjoying themselves, and keeping the bouncers busy, as Story ripped through songs like Anthem Of Our Dying Day and a medley of radio tunes including Sweet Child O’ Mine and We’re Not Gonna Take It. Later in the set they progressed into more songs from the new album “Wake Of Determination”, and the crowd responded well.
They seemed to be enjoying themselves, and took pleasure in telling us it was their first headline in Australia and that they loved it here and wanted to come back. They were also impressed by the guy who jumped off the balcony and slid down the cable onto the corner of the stage. For anyone who doesn’t know Metro City, this is frighteningly high up. Needless to say, the night itself was enjoyable, the lighting and sound were good, and I feel that all three bands would have made many new fans with their respective performances, but personally, Flogging Molly stole the show.
Man, I feel like a Guiness.
