LIVE REVIEW: Three Days Grace @ O2 Forum Kentish Town, London

Like sex, nostalgia sells. If there’s an opportunity for us to see a band from our teenage years, there is almost nothing that will stop us. We headed off to the O2 Forum in Kentish Town as dark nights and sentiments crept ever forward for an evening with 10 YEARS and THREE DAYS GRACE.

10 YEARS came as a new find for those not already in the know. Flying under the radar since their inception in 1999, the five-piece from Knoxville, TN come with somewhat of a cult following. Something which would come out in full force during their set this evening.

As the stage plunged into dim lighting, we were intrigued by vocalist Jesse Hasek’s choice of outfit. Donning a bird mask and cloaked in black, the enigmatic Russian Roulette started proceedings. Amid the weighty riffs of Russian Roulette and the BREAKING BENJAMIN-esque Catacombs, an unfortunate sound issue rendered Hasek’s vocals quiet for those sat in the rafters. This didn’t present as a problem for many in the crowd as small pockets of patrons let themselves get taken over by the warm wave of nostalgia.

For those in the crowd who were experiencing 10 YEARS for the first time, they were confronted with slower, emotionally heavy songs. Fix Me and Now’s The Time seems to blend into one. The only thing differentiating them being Hasek’s lyrics of how we like to “feed on the friction”. Cruising on the steam engine of hefty bass and powerful drums, this post-grunge ship kept itself above water despite veering toward one tone natures. The Optimist picked up the pace when it was most needed. The crowd came to life with bigger riffs and a much higher energy. For the tone to be dropped once more with a haunting cover of NIRVANA’s Heart Shaped Box. A song cherished by many, a mosh pit bubbling within the crowd was a strange yet joyous moment to witness.

Moving into the final trifecta of Knives, Novocaine, and Wasteland, we learn to accept them for what they are. A post-grunge band which will very rarely come through with boombastic energy and in your face performances. This is much more about the feelings and the experience with comes with the music. What seemed to be an odd choice for many with the dim lighting and the, at times, depressing lyrical content, fits rather well with THREE DAYS GRACE. Coming on to a lukewarm reception, 10 YEARS left the crowd simmering for what was to come.

Rating: 6/10

Something which has plagued Matt Walst’s ten-year tenure fronting THREE DAYS GRACE is the comparison between him and former frontman Adam Gontier. Conversations swelled between the beats of GHOST’s Mummy Dust and were quickly silenced by HOUSE OF PAIN’s Jump Around. Falling into darkness, the 2300 capacity venue took the chance to warm up their voices and demonstrate their rap skills. As the band sauntered onto the stage, the bassline of So Called Life flowed seamlessly from Jump Around. Walst’s vocals were sharp and held the right amount of grit as angst flowed through the room. Following with the devastating right hook of Animal I Have Become, many comparisons between the past and now were blown away.

Considering this tour had been named after the recently released Explosions, there wasn’t a whole host of new tracks being put on display. Instead, THREE DAYS GRACE curated a perfect balance between older and fresher material. An early inclusion of the scene-busting Pain brought the crowd to an apoplectic boil. The live environment bringing a dense and wonderfully dark atmosphere to a track already so full of, pardon the pun, pain.

The energy was high-octane from the moment the band walked onto the stage. As one song ends, chants for THREE DAYS GRACE filled the brief yet silent changeovers. The dance-filled Break seeping into the filthy riffs of The Mountain carried Walst’s voice toward powerhouse status as he flitted between static and moving microphones. Though a nice touch, it wasn’t entirely necessary as not everything needs to carry the same qualities as the recorded efforts.

To bring the energy down, an acoustic interlude came in the form of The High Road and World So Cold. While the crowd were rendered slightly static, they remained constantly engaged with phone torches and lighters dotting the auditorium. Pockets of banter from the band filled the gap as guitars were retuned, every moment had a purpose. It became apparent THREE DAYS GRACE shows ran like well oiled machines and very little could derail that. Hence the ballsy move to pull fans on stage to sing Just Like You and make their dreams a reality. The only downside being the crowd couldn’t hear Nem and Nova but that didn’t stop them in the slightest.

The night ended with an angst-filled trip back in time with I Hate Everything About You and Riot. A room full of 30 somethings was taking back to the teen years where no one understood them because we’re all so complex and discovering that joyous moment of catharsis. Throats began to burn and eyes were beyond watering. Plumes of cigarette smoke filled the air as the crowd filed out into the crisp night. Taking that first inhalation of noxious fumes there were nothing but smiles and even some tears, a wonderful display of joy.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Karolina Janikunaite here: 

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