As the decade hits its halfway point, New Years Day wrapped up their EU/UK tour in Manchester where expectations are always high with unforgiving crowds. They stormed through a killer 75 min set and got the exact reception that they wanted. Therefore, they can happily return home with their heads held high.
Fearless Vampire Killers wasted no time in opening their account as a sold-out Academy 3 was already 2/3 full before they even introduced themselves. Unlike where lots of support bands can often get a weak audience as people settle in and preserve their energy for the bigger groups, these guys had a seriously impressive ability to get fans engaged. Formed in 2008 when chart topping emo was at its peak, the lads from Suffolk brought the old boy band vibes back with trends common in those days, including fringes, eye shadow and wearing same-coloured shirts. All that was left was to get your retro TV out of your attic and turn on Kerrang or Scuzz at max volume while dreaming of being a teenager annoying your parents at bedtime again.
Singer Laurence Beveridge’s onstage theatrics won people over in a heartbeat and before you knew it, vast sections were waving their arms and jumping. He barely had to raise his voice to encourage us to copy his commands as a strong presence did its trick, not to mention ultra-high confidence when it came to experimenting with vocal textures ranging from screams, borderline whispering and belting. Drew Woolnough and Shane Sumner’s riffs had that sort of touch where only an intimate venue is suitable for that sound, full of underground alternative rock feelings to bring out a rebellious side of you while Luke Ellingworth got the party going on drums.
After an energetic performance, Conquer Divide knew very well that ‘conquering’ our hearts wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, but they breezed past any sort of potential banana skin. Since their birth in 2013, the Michigan metalcore four-piece have been taking the world by storm whether it be awards from magazines or discography sky-rocketing in charts. That night was solid proof as to why they’re a force to be reckoned with and Manchester had no response for what was coming its way. Kia Castillo and Kristen Sturgis’ musical partnership was at its brilliant best as the marriage between clean and harsh vocal styles matched as if sound was capable of falling in love. Kia’s raspy voice had a touch of romanticism and when combined with some seductive dancing similar to Courtney Laplante of Spiritbox or Camille Contreras (Novelists), audience members were drooling with awe. Kristen’s more aggressive approach formed a wonderful contrast between both singers and brought extra authority with the backing of synth tracks.
Sam Landa on the drums had a wide smile on her face from start to finish with receptive and warm expressions enough to brighten anyone’s day. It’s an excellent example of what composure is like once you’re used to playing on big occasions with your soul doing 100% of the talking. That in turn brought the same reaction from fans who felt every ounce of her joy. Conquer Divide will return to English shores shortly to support Ankor and after such a display like this, it wouldn’t be a surprise if a headline tour comes next.
By the time New Years Day came on, not even a fly could fit in with hype levels too high for many to think of heading back to the bar for a drink. While it may not be Jan 1st anymore, the band can shine on any day of a calendar with that night being no different.
Without a shadow of a doubt, you can’t highlight the sheer importance of Ash Costello both to the band and fans. She’s like that sassy friend at school who’s always fun to be around with and has a remarkable ability to unite audiences and pick out something that they can resonate with. Her presence and personality, whether it be through spoken word or choreography spreads at the speed of a common cold and the way that she could keep crowds constantly entertained during a long period of technical issues was astonishing. Little things like banter with other members while introducing them or hanging out in the pit during ‘Skeletons’ set an example of what a good rapport should be like.
Character aside, her musical talent supports her likeable traits with a vocal range that can stretch like Elastigirl from The Incredibles. It can be whispers, smooth or belted cleans all the way to distorted fry screams often using telephone EQ. In other words, she’s got it all kept safely inside her locker ready to be unleashed when the time is right. Although Ash was always going to snatch the spotlight away from everyone else, the remaining members also played their part in energising us. Jeremy Valentine and Nikki Misery’s erratic onstage antics such as knee slides, stomping and magic tricks certainly got a good laugh out of the crowd. Not to mention drummer Tommy Rockoff making a fool of himself by constantly interrupting others or getting mocked for being ‘repetitive’.
While having a good sense of humour is a useful tool to break the ice between you and fans, you need to back it up with talent once grabbing hold of your instrument and that’s what Jeremy, Nikki and Tommy did. The guitars had a lovely djent tone which blended in well with New Years Day’s fearsome style as well as evoking memories of our teenage years moshing inside our own homes to emo anthems.
Meanwhile, Tommy was having the time of his life, taking the opportunity to excel once more and you could see just how much this occasion meant to him. It’s not hard to put extra pressure on yourself when you want to end a long tour on a high when fatigue has well and truly settled in. However, he rose above that challenge and used his experience as a superpower to set an example on how to thrive from these kinds of situations. Feeling nothing but passion while tidily executing complex patterns were the secret ingredients to win us.
Despite the show being highly entertaining, yet again the Manchester Academy 3 has fallen victim to poor mixes and there were times where instruments drowned each other out because it was far too loud for a venue of this size.
New Years Day taught Manchester one of the best lessons you could ever ask for when it comes to team work as a band and if they are to return to England in the not-so-distant future, we could be seeing them back at Download where a visit is long overdue.
