Tennessee
natives Framing Hanley arrived on stage tonight
in The Library at The Birmingham Institute to
a warm reception from a packed crowd of enthusiastic
UK fans – some of whom have followed the
band around the UK to be at every show. Frontman
Kenneth Nixon thanked fans for their dedication
to the band’s cause and made time to meet
and greet in the front row.
Fresh from the growing Nashville rock scene that
includes the likes of Paramore and Kings of Leon,
Framing Hanley have a bittersweet, haunting rock
sound that is particularly evident on the likes
of the smash hit Here Me Now and You Stupid Girl.
They deftly move from quiet, melodic riffs to
crashing choruses that keep the crowd on their
toes. Tonight’s set included the band’s
cover of ‘Lil Wayne’s Lollipop which
went down a storm with their fan base and provided
the perfect opening for the Welsh rockers, The
Blackout.
Hailing
from Methyr Tydfil, The Blackout have more energy
on a stage than the National Grid so the band’s
performances are always worth watching. Providing
optimism for the world where it has sorely been
lacking in recent times, the band got the crowd
buoyed up and jumping around to such audio delights
as We’re Going to Hell… so Bring the
Sunblock and Children of the Night with Sean Smith
leaping off into the crowd shortly after arriving
on stage reappearing during the band’s third
song with a bloody elbow.
The Blackout may not be everyone’s cup of
tea in the world of rock but they give every performance
their all and it’s seriously refreshing
to see a band doing things their own way instead
of following the beaten path as so many do. Promoting
their current Start the Party album, which features
Pritchard from Dirty Sanchez on it, Gavin and
Sean’s vocals balance each other out over
the crunching guitars and bring a smile to even
the most miserable of faces.
Framing Hanley – 4/5
Blackout – 5/5
Review By Claire Whelpton
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