Although the temperature outside is easily approaching
the minuses, tonight’s first band, Fireworks,
do an excellent job of warming up the frostbitten
crowd. Their debut full length ‘All I Have
to Offer is My Own Confusion’ is an instant
pop-punk classic, and live, it is perfectly recreated.
With New Found Glory hooks and Hit The Lights-esque
vocals aplenty, Fireworks are on the cusp of something
great. Until now Fireworks have been America’s
best kept pop-punk secret, but from the reception
they get tonight, something tells me we could
be hearing an awful lot more of them in 2010.
Next up are Broadway Calls who are here to bring
their highly infectious, skate-punk to the fore.
The one thing about Broadway Calls is that whatever
they do, they seem to be able to do with ease.
Though they may not have delivered the energetic
performance of the band that preceded them, Broadway
Calls definitely have something that their contemporary’s
lack, they are refreshing. They are three guys
playing straight forward pop-punk, there are no
synthesisers, no nasally, whiney breakdowns, all
the things that seem to be so reminiscent of current
similar offerings. They have balls.
Set Your Goals haven’t done a headline
tour of the UK in a long time, but after tonight’s
performance they are forgiven. Fresh from releasing
their incredible sophomore record ‘This
Will Be the Death of Us’, Set Your Goals
inundate the audience with song after song off
both this release and their first album ‘Mutiny!’
Perhaps the lull in energy that came along with
Broadway Calls gave the crowd a bit of breathing
space as Set Your Goals manage to whip the eager
crowd into a frenzy as soon as ‘Summer Jam’
kicks in and the pace continues throughout the
whole of their set, encouraging the more courageous
of the throng to throw some serious shapes and
launch themselves around, and off, the stage.
Set Your Goals rather unsurprisingly end the
night with their 2006 single ‘Mutiny!’
which gives everyone a final chance to bid goodbye
to the Californian sextet. Tonight Set Your Goals
were faultless, all we can do is cross our fingers
in the hope that they grace our shores in the
not too distant future. Each person left the very
crowded Manchester Academy 3 feeling like they
had been to the best party of their life. That’s
the Set Your Goals experience.
Fireworks 5/5
Broadway Calls 5/5
Set Your Goals 5/5
Review By Ben Connell
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