Rock fans were gathered this Friday night at Stade Uniprix for “The American Nightmare Tour”, headlined by Bring Me The Horizon and supported by Underoath and Beartooth.
The organization of the show wasn’t its strength, to say the least. Parking was a real nightmare for everyone who decided to get to the show by car, as it was close to impossible to find parking after 6pm. Once show-goers got in front of the venue, they had to wait forever to get into Stade Uniprix. Some of them only got in the venue halfway through Underoath’s set! Coat check lines were ridiculously long, it didn’t help to lighten up the mood! The show was supposed to start at 7pm but the issues mentioned above contributed to a 30-minute delay that made a few fans angry and impatient.
Hardcore punk band Beartooth started off the night with a 7-song setlist, that was way too short for my taste! They started with “Aggressive”, from their eponym album. This catchy and powerful song was a perfect way to start their set and to set the tone for the songs to come. “Body Bag” was next. Vocalist Caleb Shomo made the whole crowd scream long to this anti-suicide total rager: “One Life, One Decision”, one of my favourite songs from them. The band also played “Sick of Me” and “Fair Weather Friend” from their latest release, two catchy songs that will stick in your head for a long time! Beartooth also performed songs from their debut album Disgusting, such as “The Lines and “In Between”, my go-to’s when I want to make anyone discover what a great band Beartooth is! The band ended their set on a high note with “Hated”, a strong hardcore song that really builds up through the track. Beartooth offered the crowd a short but entertaining and powerful performance, to make everyone forget about the poor organization for this show.
Beartooth Setlist
Aggressive
Body Bag
Sick of Me
The Lines
Fair Weather Friend
In Between
Hated
Next up was Underoath, with such an energetic set! The post-hardcore band from Florida started their set with “Everyone Looks So Good from Here” and “In Regards to Myself”, taken from Define The Great Line. This album, if you’ve never heard of it, is one of the best post-hardcore albums I’ve ever heard. It is dark, yet so beautiful and creative. I highly advise you to listen to it over and over until you truly appreciate the value it adds to the scene.
The band continued their set with “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door” and later on played “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White”, taken from They’re Only Chasing Safety. The latter song is one of my favourite from that album, as it really stands out. Seeing Underoath live for the first time in my life and being able to listen to that song was pure joy to me! The intro just draws you in, along with the rhythm and volume getting gradually cranked up. It’s soft and subtle while also having heavy screaming and great backup vocals. Underoath nailed it live!
Other songs from the set included “Breathing in a New Mentality”, “Emergency Broadcast: The End is Near”, or even “Illuminator”. The Christian band ended their setlist with two classics: “Reinventing Your Exit” and “Writing on the Walls”. It was their first time in Montreal in quite a long time, and it was amazing seeing them give such a performance. Christopher Dudley, playing Keyboards, was on fire the whole set, he was restless! Vocalist Spencer Chamberlain was also on top of his game, giving the crowd a solid vocal performance (with some weakness in his voice during a few songs) while interacting with them to keep them pumped up the whole set.
Underoath Setlist
Everyone Looks So Good From Here
In Regards to Myself
It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door
A Moment Suspended in Time
A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White
Breathing in a New Mentality
Emergency Broadcast: The End is Near
Illuminator
There Could Be Nothing After This
Reinventing Your Exit
Writing on the Walls
The headliners, British rock band Bring Me The Horizon, offered the crowd a magnificent show over a 15-song set. It all started with the set-up of the stage, with huge screens behind the band displaying lyrics, videos or pictures related to the song or the band itself. The lights and the way each song was staged made it an enjoyable visual experience, while the quality of the sound was a bit disappointing, especially for tickets sold for over $60. The quality of the sound was also below expectations for the two opening bands, Stade Uniprix and Evenko were definitely to blame for that! Hopefully, they’ll learn from their mistakes for the next show in this venue.
Their set started with snow falling on a black background on the screen while hearing a drum solo as the band members made their way on stage. As soon as the first note of “Happy Song” could be heard, streamers were thrown in the air and onto the crowd, charming fans from the very beginning of the performance. “Go to Hell, for Heaven’s Sake” was next, and vocalist Oliver Sykes didn’t wait long until he asked the crowd to form circle pits and a wall of death! Fans didn’t hesitate a second and the chaos started between the two barricades! It was a tough time for most people around me, on the wrong side of the second barricade, where most fans were either trying to make their way inside or out of the crowd, while sometimes being quite aggressive, ready to insult and even willing to fight people around them. I was disappointed by so much tension, when we were all here to have a enjoyable time with great bands. I have the feeling the poor organization of the event was to blame for people’s bad mood.
Nevertheless, the band went on with “The House of Wolves”, “Avalanche” and “Shadow Moses”, while continuing to deliver a good performance. “Chelsea Smile” was the only old school song of their set, which is a bit disappointing for a long-time fan like me, but Oliver Sykes’s screaming skills didn’t seem to be affected by their change in sound. The guitar somehow sounded better for that song too, making it much more enjoyable! It was followed by “Follow You” and “Sleepwalking”, respectively taken from That’s The Spirit and Sempiternal. Vocalist Oliver Sykes was interacting with the crowd during the whole show, making them sing along during choruses, while doing his part on the verses. “Doomed” and “Throne” were to me highlights of this show, through their powerful sound. During the show, everyone could agree that even if Bring Me The Horizon changed their sound over the last years, it is not for the worst! They still know how to make great music, perform live and make everyone have a good time!
Those who had the courage to stay until the end of the show and the patience to wait forever for their belongings at the coat check enjoyed the Encore, with “True Friends”, “Oh no” and “Drown”: three sing-along songs from the band’s latest record. Overall, Bring Me The Horizon delighted us with an appreciable visual performance and a solid set. It is a shame that the sound did not do justice to the quality of their performance. I doubt I will ever want to go in that venue again, or at least, not until sound issues and overall organization issues are fixed!
Bring Me The Horizon Setlist
Happy Song
Go to Hell, for Heaven’s Sake
The House of Wolves
Avalanche
Shadow Moses
Chelsea Smile
Follow You
Sleepwalking
Doomed
Can You Feel My Heart
Antivist
Throne
True Friends
Oh No
Drown
Review – Maxime Le Huidoux
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