PIERCE THE VEIL
w/Crown The Empire, The Getaway Plan
The Underworld, London
21st September 2012
It’s a great feeling when you can sense excitement in the air. Tonight’s show at Underworld sold out long in advance and every punter inside this dungeon like venue is experiencing the same static charge that makes neck hair stand to attention. Senses are heightened as the show kicks off.
First on are Australian rockers The Getaway Plan. After a short hiatus the boys are over on our shores to seduce with their impressive melodies. Definitely the most mainstream of all acts on the bill tonight, but there’s no shame in that when the sophisticated ‘The Reckoning‘ is delivered to perfection. The Getaway Plan perform solidly, and will most definitely have drawn in a few new fans with their set.
Crown The Empire are what many dislike about metalcore these days. Their gimmick laden nonsense wins the hearts of the crowd but would see metal gods of the past turning in their graves. Random dustup elements, generic riffs and mock brutal breakdowns with dual clean and screamed vocals defines their music. Imagine The Blackout combined with Asking Alexandria finished off with an overdose of American sleaze. In their matching suits and styled haircuts Crown The Empire are every scene kid’s wet dream. Fair play to the band, they know what is working in the market currently, they will develop a loyal following from younger metal fans, but their musical integrity is questionable.
Just like with Crown The Empire, the average age of a Pierce The Veil fan at the Underworld tonight seems to be about 16. But the difference with Pierce The Veil is that their music can appeal to a much wider audience than those screaming in front of them; their music isn’t made to target a particular market, their sound feels sincere and a genuine combination of heart-felt cultural and musical influences.
With tracks from ‘Collide The Sky‘ now making a welcome appearance on PTV’s set list, their repertoire has been turned up a notch. The fast paced ‘Hell Above‘ makes for a triumphant opener that instantly portrays the bands intent to make this show a great one. ‘Bulls In The Bronx‘ contains one of this years sweetest solos and proves to be song structure excellence in a live environment. Old favourites like ‘Caraphernelia‘ and ‘Bulletproof Love‘ result in mass sing-alongs and crowd surfing frenzies. Ending with ‘King For A Day‘ sums up Pierce The Veil’s dominance, they own this show and have performed impeccably tightly in this crowed sweat box.
Pierce The Veil provide a masterclass tonight. Although they could be battling in an over saturated market, they are carving their own way, breaking out and away from stereotypes with something unique and undeniably special.
Words & Photos: Emma Wallace
