The 2015 Kerrang Tour
Review by Dave Simpson
5.0
72
Wednesday February 11th saw the 2015
Kerrang tour descend upon The Academy on
Dublin’s Middle Abbey Street. This year, the
annual event was headlined by Don Broco and
We Are The In Crowd. As a huge In Crowd fan
in particular, this was one I couldn’t miss and
it most certainly did not disappoint.
I joined the festivities in the midst of a
vigorous performance by Bury Tomorrow.
They’re a band with which I wasn’t hugely
familiar beforehand but, hats off to them, I was
impressed by what I saw. The metalcore
ensemble gave a rioutous performance, at the
end of which frontman Dani Winter-Bates
admirably announced that he’d be at the merch
stand to high five every last person in the
venue if needs be. Following this declaration,
he leaped from the stage in true rockstar form,
no doubt giving the security guards headaches
as he was passed across a sea of thrilled
spectators.
The audience dispersed temporarily
following Bury Tomorrow’s set, allowing me
to secure a perfect view of the stage as I
eagerly awaited the arrival of We Are The In
Crowd. The Poughkeepsie rockers are my
ultimate feel good band and one of my all time
personal favourites. Their upbeat, energetic
and passionate pop punk style never ceases to
have an inspirational effect or brighten my
mood. In fact, it turns out that the only thing
better for putting a smile on one’s face than
blasting out an In Crowd track is experiencing
them play their material live and in person.
And judging by the reaction of those present,
it seems I’m far from alone in that belief.
Around about 8.15, the lights went down,
sending the reassembled masses into an
excited frenzy. The letters W.A.T.I.C. flashed
across the stage as the music built up
expectantly. Then the lights began flickering
faster and faster before being set ablaze as Tay,
Jordan, Mike, Rob and Cameron sprinted out
to thunderous applause.
The fivesome wasted no time erupting into
the irresistibly infectious sing-along anthem,
“The Best Thing (That Never Happened)”,
sending the fans wild. As Tay belted out the
lyrics – proving her vocal talent is every bit as
magnificent in reality as it is on record – the
gathered faithful blared them back zealously,
with everyone seeming to take particular joy
in screaming out the “break your fucking jaw”
line. At the same time, Cameron, Jordan and
Mike bounced around enthusiastically,
banging their heads and slamming expertly on
their guitars and bass, while Rob pounded
away merrily on his drums, looking delighted
as he joined the fans in echoing the song’s
words. It got the show off to an amazing start.
“Manners” came next, with its affective
verses giving Jordan his first opportunity to
show off the full extent of his own superb
singing voice. The band gave it their all during
the heavy, poignant chorus, encouraging
everyone to jump up and down and wave their
hands in the air. “Never Be What You Want”
followed as an always welcome call back to
the troupe’s early days. As was more than
apparent, its incredibly catchy melody is a
guaranteed crowd pleaser.
“Dreaming Out Loud” was a definite
highlight. The flawlessly delivered fast riffs,
spirited vocals and relentless rhythm were met
with a fervent reception. It was somewhere
between here, “Exit and Entrances” and
“Reflections” that an individual dressed in a
shark onesie was plucked out of the audience
to get up and join the band. The ecstatic fan
seemed quite happy to hang about on stage,
taking the opportunity to grab a selfie with Tay
and evidently embracing the whole event to
the fullest.
As the set continued, the audience were
treated to a powerful performance of “Come
Back Home”. Its reserved instrumentation is
just as stirring heard live, while the moving
harmony was beautifully executed. This was
followed by a nice collection of In Crowd
classics, including, “Lights Out”, “The Worst
Thing About Me” and “Both Sides of the
Story”, with the light and airy “Kiss Me
Again” being another standout piece,
generating a lot of warmth. Naturally, it was
up to “Rumor Mill” to bring things to a close.
The band’s passion and enthusiasm still
showed no sign of faltering as they blasted out
what is arguably their definitive anthem,
allowing the fans one last chance to dance,
mosh and sing their hearts out and ensuring
that the proceedings ended on as much of a
high as they began.
We Are The In Crowd certainly know how to
put on a captivating show and seem to revel in
doing so. The energy and elation of those in
attendance was reflected in the faces and
attitude of the band throughout, creating an
electric atmosphere that didn’t let up for a
second. If you haven’t seen these guys live
before, then it’s the best thing that’s never
happened to you!
Which isn’t to say that Don Broco didn’t
majorly impress when they charged onto the
stage in The In C