Many of the fans here tonight, myself included,
have waited years to see Finch live. When they
went on a ‘hiatus’ in 2006, I feared
I might never see the day, but thankfully, that
all changed tonight.
 The Coventry Kasbah doesn’t hold good memories
for me. The last time I was here, back in 2003
(when it was still known as the Colosseum), I
had to be dragged out of the mosh pit when my
body was nearly crushed against a barrier! Thankfully,
tonight it’s much mellower. In fact, as
the first support, Shadows Chasing Ghosts!, come
on, the crowd is still forming, and they have
to perform to a handful of fans. This doesn’t
dampen their enthusiasm, though, and they deliver
an energetic set, full of force, and lots and
lots of screaming. While their music isn’t
exactly my ‘thing’, it’s hard
not to admire them.
 Hexes are up next, and provide a tight collection
of songs. You might recognise the lead singer
and guitarist as Dan, the former bassist from
‘A’, but he’s come a long way
since then, and has clearly forged his own path
in the music scene. Again, there’s plenty
of screaming involved, which is a perfect introduction
to the style of Finch. They are a good choice
of support, since they display the same angry
energy that Finch do themselves.
As Finch arrive on stage, the crowd has finally
matured to a respectable size, and their excitement
is palpable. The smoke machine is working overtime,
and we can barely see the band members through
the fog, until they explode with their first song.
The lead vocalist, Nate, has been ill with tonsillitis,
but you’d never know it. He screams his
way through the set (literally), probably ignoring
any advice he’d been given by his doctor.
They start with a few old classics, and mix in
their newer material as the set progresses.
 They play an exhausting set, but the crowd want
more as the band exits the stage, and start to
chant for their return. Not ones to disappoint,
the lights are raised as Nate returns to the stage.
The newer songs didn’t go down so well,
so the encore is back-to-back debut album numbers.
The first song is one of their few slower songs,
Ender, and Nate sits alone on a speaker at the
left of the stage to sing the introduction. For
all his screaming, it can be easy to forget what
a fantastic voice Nate has, and this truly acoustic
setup lets him show off a little. Someone in the
crowd even gets lighter out and starts to sway.
I thought that had gone out in the nineties. Slowly,
the other members of the band return one by one,
in time for the climactic instrumental finish.
They follow up with what is probably their most
popular song, What it is to Burn, and a circle
pit almost engulfs the room.
Finally, the band leaves the stage for the last
time, and the audience filters out in that post-gig
daze. Finch have announced they will be returning
with a new album in the new year, and I for one
can’t wait.
Shadows Chasing Ghosts 3/5
Hexes 4/5
Finch 5/5
Review and photos By Helen Williams
|
