Gig Review
Kerrang Relentless Tour
Mindless Self Indulgence
Bring me The Horizon, Dir En Grey, Black Tide, In Case Of Fire
Birmingham, Academy
29th January 2009
             

Mindless Self Indulgence   Bring Me The Horizon    Dir En Grey    Black Tide
                                            
Photo Of Black Tide © Copyright Helen WilliamsNever in my long gig-going career have I seen a queue quite this size outside the Academy. For anyone that knows the area, the eager teenagers snake well past Scruffy Murphy’s on the corner, and by the time I fight my way in, I’ve missed the first act, In Case Of Fire. Nonetheless, it’s good to see such an enthusiastic crowd has formed so early in the night, and I’m astounded by the number of people they’ve managed to squeeze into this Tardis of a venue. The pull of some fantastic acts, teamed with the sponsorship of Kerrang! and Relentless, means that the evening’s tickets have long since sold out.

Photo Of Dir En Grey © Copyright Helen WilliamsWith five bands to get through, and a strict curfew of 11pm, Black Tide are hot on the heels of In Case Of Fire. They’re a heavy metal band from Miami, and they’ve brought their sunny attitude with them. Smiling through the entire set, they thrash around the stage with incredible energy, delivering some amazing riffs worthy of Dragonforce. Sadly, their set is limited to 30 minutes, but they could have entertained the crowd all night.

The eagerly anticipated Dir En Grey take to the stage next, in all their pretentious glory. The reason behind the mysterious box that was placed in the centre of the stage before the band’s arrival suddenly becomes apparent – it is for lead singer, Kyo, to stand on. It serves two purposes: It elevates his small stature, as well as lighting him eerily from below. Unfortunately, it becomes a bit of a one-man show, with the spotlight firmly on Kyo, and the other members, quite literally plunged into darkness on either side of the stage. Sadly, I fail to see what all the fuss is about with Dir En Grey, and Kyo’s screaming and posing begins to grate even after a few songs.

Photo Of Bring Me The Horizon © Copyright Helen WilliamsThe brilliantly named, Bring Me The Horizon are up next. For those of you wondering, their name is taken directly from the last line of the first Pirates Of The Caribbean film. Having formed in 2004, they’re still a relatively young band, but are enjoying plenty of success already. As with all the bands on tonight’s bill, they have extraordinary energy, and the crowd absolutely love them. The lead, Oli, bounds around the stage, encouraging plenty of crowd-surfers, and even resting his head on a security guard’s shoulder during one of their songs. The other members have plenty of energy, too, but the focus is firmly on Oli.

As we await the arrival of the final act of the night, Mindless Self Indulgence, the crowd begins to chant ‘M-S-I’ in anticipation (it’s unfortunate that their initials sound so much like MFI). It’s clear from the number of MSI hoodies and t-shirts on the adolescent audience, that most of the mob is there for Photo Of Mindless Self Indulgence © Copyright Helen Williamsthem. Finally, they explode onto the stage. As most of you will know, MSI have an incredibly unique style, fusing electronica with metal, and even mixing in some rap and hip-hop for good measure. They play a long set full of varied tracks, and make the previous acts look positively tame in comparison. To call them energetic would be an understatement: Jimmy leaps around the stage, spending more time on the drum kit, stools, and amps than on the ground; and Steve takes to smashing various pieces of furniture mid-song. If anyone can pull off this radical style, it’s these guys, and they give it everything they’ve got. They’re the perfect end to an amazing night, and the crowd don’t hesitate to shower them with gifts (the best probably being a customised Kerrang! t-shirt). As we filter out onto the street, the road is lined with parents in estate cars, and I can’t help but think that tonight’s young crowd will remember this gig for years to come.

Black Tide – 4/5
Dir En Grey – 2/5
Bring Me The Horizon – 4/5
Mindless Self Indulgence - 5/5

Review By Helen Williams
 Mindless Self Indulgence


Little Jimmy Urine (Vocals)
Steve, Righ? (Guitar)
Lyn Z (Bass)
Kitty (Drums)

 Bring Me The Horizon


Oliver Sykes (vocals)
Lee Malia (lead guitar)
Curtis Ward (rhythm guitar)
Matt Kean (bass)
Matt Nicholls (drums)

 Dir En Grey


Kyo
Kaoru
Die
Toshiya
Shinya

 Black Tide


Gabriel (Guitar, Vocals)
Alex (Guitar)
Zakk (Bass)
Steven (Drums)

 Band Related Links
Mindless Self Indulgence Myspace
Bring Me The Horizon Myspace
Dir En Grey Myspace
Black Tide Myspace
 Review Score Code
- Top Cheese
- Brilliant
- Pretty damn good
- Ok I guess
- What Was That?