Pure classic rock and
roll is the phrase I would use to describe my night at London’s O2 Academy in
Islington featuring some of the greatest British upcoming rock bands!
The
night started off with a brassy howl from London rockers The Howling. They just
started playing as I walked into the academy that evening and I was instantly
taken with their energetic stage presence with some destructive elements, such
as slamming the microphone down onto the floor. Their studio like sound when
performing live certainly went down with the crowds and members of the audience
headbanging showed this within the first few minutes of their set. A great band
to kick off the show, their spectacular live performance only reinforces the
positive feedback received from familiar names such as Kasabian’s Tom Meighan.
Main support Cage The Gods have certainly been making a
name for themselves in the past year and their performance from Islington
Academy is vital evidence as to why they were featured in Classic Rock as one
of the bands to watch out for. Starting off with an atmospheric introduction
leading into the song Badlands that
received a more than welcoming reception from the crowds Cage The Gods were
well under way. As their set continued, the band’s infectious energy circulated
around the venue particularly via the songs Sacrifice
and Favourite Sin. All I can say is
keep an eye out for these talented rockers, their new album Badlands will be
out soon!
I was very excited about seeing headliners The Treatment!
As you’d have seen from a previous blog post their new album hit the shelves
last week and I really enjoyed it. When the lights went down I could feel the
eagerness and anticipation build up in the venue as they awaited the Cambridge
rockers. The set got off to an explosive start with single I Bleed Rock And Roll that most certainly got a unquestionably
enthusiastic reception from the crowds. The Treatment most certainly know how
to take care of their fans as they included an eclectic selection of songs in
their set that seemed to really Get The
Party On (see what I did there?).
The songs that highlighted their set for me were Emergency, Just Tell Me Why and Nothing
To Loose (But Our Minds). Emergency
is my personal favourite song on the new album Running With The Dogs, singing
and dancing along to the song put the biggest smile on my face. I hadn’t heard Just Tell Me Why performed live for a
long time and when I heard the first few notes played I felt very warm inside. Nothing To Loose just provided the
perfect end to a brilliant set as everyone swayed their arms to and fro.
So as a whole, the night was excellent. It provided us a
rare opportunity to see front man type energy from every band and I look
forward to the next time they tour!
Words by Charlotte Whittingham and Dan Leigh
Find The Howling on Facebook, Twitter and their official website
Find Cage The Gods on Facebook, Twitter and their official website
