LIVE REVIEW: New Years Day @ The Key Club, Leeds
It has been five long years since NEW YEARS DAY graced the shores of the UK. Their current tour comes off the back of their 5th studio album, Half Black Heart, released last year. The album is filled with emotion, and anthemic songs like Fearless meaning hoards of people are fervent to join them in catharsis.
Two bands are joining them on the UK leg of this tour, FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS and CONQUER DIVIDE. FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS open the show, so it’s their responsibility to slay any uncertainties the crowd have about the night. Any band going on stage wants to make a good first impression and grab that crowd’s attention right from the jump. FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS understood the assignment as The Key Club was filled with the familiar music of the Goosebumps intro. Mission accomplished, attention grabbed, so what are they going to do with it? From fan favourites to their latest release aptly named Back From The Void their set went down a treat. They had a good rapport with the crowd from commands to quippy anecdotes. Not to mention the synchronised head-banging and seamless transitions of vocals, starting the night on the right foot.
Rating: 7/10
CONQUER DIVIDE are up next, and this is a band who are just non-stop right now. Last year, they were touring the UK with THE WARNING, now here they are with NEW YEARS DAY. Next month, they’ll be back again to tour with ANKOR! The second they step on stage, it is clear why they’re so busy. Opening hard and heavy with Atonement, they kept the energy up for the whole set. There was a never-ending supply of mosh pits and two-stepping. A simple gesture from the stage would have the crowd rallying to obey the command to move. Their Melodic Metal core sound was the perfect precursor to what NEW YEARS DAY was about to bring to the Key Club. Those familiar with CONQUER DIVIDE know that their songs have some powerful vocals. Lead singer Kiarely Castillo took these in her stride, belting out each one while making it seem effortless.
Rating: 8/10
Finally, after stellar performances from the support acts, it was time for NEW YEARS DAY to unite with their fans. They electrified the crowd with their energy. The setlist was short but sweet, with a mere 14 songs, but they certainly gave it their all! Lead singer Ash Costello bounds and skips around the stage, bringing a contagious energy. Despite a shorter setlist, the band did make time for a couple of iconic covers. Gangsta by KEHLANI, synonymous with Suicide Squad‘s Harley Quinn, as if being performed by NYD‘s own Harley Quinn. If the set wasn’t already heavy enough, NEW YEARS DAY know how to turn it up a notch covering Fucking Hostile by PANTERA. Despite expressing concerns for her voice, Costello is a true performer nailing every top note and gravelly scream. Transitioning from Fearless to Shut Up felt like a stylistic choice dedicated to the girlies.
The key goal of this show was clearly to bring the house down and have fun doing it. At some shows it feels like a cookie cutter night. Go on stage, sing the songs, thank the crowd and then go. But tonight all three bands brought something special. Particularly with a band like NEW YEARS DAY who have been at this for nearly two decades! They could easily phone it in, and a crowd would still leave relatively happy. But the love and respect the band show for each other and the fun they’re having on stage playing together is evident. They’re putting their all into their shows and appreciate people choosing to spend their evenings with them. They refer to the crowd as a family on multiple occasions and say they want to be a beacon for people.
About midway through the set Costello and guitarist Nikki Misery got down into the crowd to play and interact with fans. It was difficult to say who was having a better time during the experience them or the fans. The whole show felt like an old-school punk gig. No over-the-top theatrics or staging, just music fans crammed into an intimate venue playing and appreciating music on an elemental level. The only downfall of the night was it was quite a short set.
Rating: 8/10
Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Leeds from Rhys Haberfield Media here:
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