LIVE REVIEW: Rise Against @ O2 Academy Brixton, London
Chicago’s most respected punks RISE AGAINST return to the infamous city of London to grace the stage of Brixton Academy with special guests and pop-punk favourites: THE STORY SO FAR. This year alone has seen RISE AGAINST tour with THE USED, PENNYWISE and BILLY TALENT to promote their most recent EP NOWHERE GENERATION II all whilst making festival appearances at Download, Nova Rock and Resurrection Fest. And the cherry on top? 2023 is set to be an even wilder year between the BLINK-182 tour and the Vegas nostalgic train When We Were Young Fest. Tonight however, serves as a reminder as to why they continue to be relevant and rightfully deserve all the opportunities thrown at them.
Warming us up for tonight’s main event is THE STORY SO FAR who provide a diverse set with classics Things I Can’t Change, High Regard and Quicksilver sprinkled with their recent material from 2018’s Proper Dose; Out Of It and Keep This Up. One thing does stay intact though; their feel-good, grit fuelled energy that lingers throughout their set almost like summer joined us for a brief period in this eerie winter moonlight. Parker Cannon’s vocals are powerful; equal parts strong and smooth with an edge to them. He doesn’t overdo it with the softer styles but when those amped up, hardcore inspired songs are present he doesn’t hold back either.
However, it appears the crowd didn’t reach the pique of their enthusiasm until the latter end of the set where you could see the odd few of the security sprint across the barrier towards the middle to catch the crowd surfers that suddenly appeared in the sea of bodies. This was further apparent during Quicksilver when you could hear the audience shout along to every word though you could easily spot the hardcore fans since they’d been singing the words back to every song.
It appeared the crowd was hungry for more from the Californian quartet though as an onslaught of “ENCORE” were chanted. Very rarely does a support act get that reaction from a crowd – any doubts of them not satisfying the audience were soon thrown out the window.
Rating: 7/10
Nothing like seeing a stage technician run across stage to pick up a hat that guitarist Zach Blaire so gracefully ditched for this set – we certainly wouldn’t want a trip hazard now would we? Kicking off the set with Re-Education (Through Labor) we expect nothing less than a spectacular show ahead for this evening’s grand event; especially if the crowd’s reaction is anything to go by.
As the downpour of red lights cascaded over the crowd; you could hear the boisterous cries of “RISE! RISE! RISE!” as Tim Mcllrath instructed the crowd holding up his fist in a demanding tone that swiftly caught on with the crowd and soon not a single fist wasn’t raised. The charisma and power he has over the audience is hypnotising; a man of the people by the people. As far as inventive twists go, bringing in a megaphone during Satellite was a stroke of genius; adding a layer of urgency to the message it conveys whilst complementing the crystal clear tone of the guitar against the biting bass. However, it appears Tim has other surprises up his sleeve as he throws water towards the crowd, cheers chorused around the room and this was the catalyst that encouraged him to do it throughout the set when you’d least expect it.
The crowd’s response as the set amped up became apparent. Slowly they began to move like one giant Mexican wave with onslaughts of crowd surfers becoming tidal waves crashing through the barriers. All huddled close, barely able to see the sweaty mass of mosh pits as everyone jumped around erratically. Even those seated at the balcony were a bunch of waving limbs throughout the set. If that wasn’t enough shirts and hats then began somersaulting in the air above and even… a shoe? Drawing our attention back towards the band, a single spotlight shines down upon Tim as the all too familiar riff of Prayer For A Refugee sprung to life which became an instant crowd pleaser. Brandon Barnes kicked a punch with how swiftly he moved around the kit never missing a beat or a pause.
It was at this moment the tone drastically changed to that of a more sombre, chilled out moment in time; one where Tim undoubtedly takes a moment to breathe it all in, the hundreds of dedicated fans littered around the venue who had eagerly awaited in anticipation for their return. “You really understand the seasons here”, Tim speaks towards the crowd, standing centre stage with nothing bar his guitar, a microphone and his most important weapon: his voice. He continues his rampage of words; divulging into how winter often gets cold and lonely before he plays those memorable chords to Swing Life Away. If there was ever a moment you’d want to capture with a click of a camera, this was it. The room became a choir of voices, singing the words, feeling the emotions; a brief moment of sonder.
Another mood change occurred when Hero Of War started; what was initially Tim and his guitar transitioned into a state of bliss as the song built up to the return of the entire band; the song soared as did the gritty, emotive vocals of Tim, adding a soulful edge to the song and its message. Enough to make a grown man shed a single tear.
Unfortunately time was not on our side but, RISE AGAINST failed to disappoint as they closed out the night with Savior. Admittedly parts of the set were out of touch and a jumble of collective noises – this could have been technical issues with the sound or perhaps the adrenaline fuelled RISE AGAINST getting a little ahead of themselves – but the vibes were immaculate and the night was memorable. You can’t fault a band who go on stage night after night, making it well known that they are having the time of their lives. Live music isn’t meant to be perfect but a representation of the artists in their full glory.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Ciara Wilkinson Media here:
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