After I found out Moose Blood would finally be embarking on their first ever UK headline tour (in support of their debut album, I’ll Keep You In Mind, From Time To Time), I knew I couldn’t miss out on seeing them, supported by Boston Manor and Choir Vandals you could tell this tour was going to be unforgettable.
First on stage was Boston Manor, these northern lads brought a refreshing pop punk vibe to the stage and played a 30 minute set, my personal favourites were driftwood, wolf and peach state (which also seemed to be very popular amongst the crowd). As they were playing the room continued to get more and more full, and amongst that was the growing number of head boppers and noticeably the small number of people mouthing along to songs. Although they are a relatively new band on the scene their stage presence was captivating and they were very enjoyable to watch without having to know many words to their songs. It seemed a shame that the room wasn’t packed out from the start of their set as they’re definitely one of the best support acts I’ve seen and judging by the amount of popularity and recognition they seem to be gaining during the time they’re spending on the tour I think it’s fair to say that Boston Manor are definitely ones to watch in 2015.
Next it was Choir Vandals turn, from across the pond this band sit somewhere between alternative rock and emo. Unusually this 4 piece came on stage suited and booted but it didn’t hold back on their performance, the somewhat slurred vocals of front man Austin, gave them a unique but really enjoyable sound, there did appear to be less people singing alone to Choir Vandals but were still being very entertaining all the same. Playing a variety of songs from both of their EPs they opened up with Monsters and At Night In The Rain which seemed to be very popular amongst the crowd. Towards the end of their set they played some tracks from their first EP, including An Honest Conversation seemed to be the favourite amongst the people in the room. Choir Vandals were definitely a band that you can just chill out to and enjoy.
Finally it was Moose Blood’s turn to hit the stage. Due to the massive reception of their debut album; I’ll Keep You In Mind, From Time To Time, the lads basically played it in full (with a couple of extra songs from their Moving Home EP) which was accepted extremely well from the crowd. Lighting up the stage with fairy lights and kicking it all off with Pups and Chin Up the crowd went mental from the very beginning. Chin Up was dedicated to front man, Eddy’s brother. Dedicating songs to a variety of different people was a reoccurrence throughout the night, which added to the intimacy of the gig. It was during Swim Down that the crowd surfers and stage divers really got going, basically unstoppable until the very end. But Moose Blood managed to slow it down a little when they played Cherry, it was performed with extreme emotion from each member of the band. I Hope You’re Miserable also really stood out for me because the energy within the crowd was massive, especially the key line ‘I hope you’re miserable’ which the whole room seemed to shout in sync. For their encore, Moose Blood sang Evening Coffee due to huge demand from the crowd, it previously wasn’t included on the set but it definitely had a massive reaction from the crowd.
An amazing night from start to finish- Moose Blood are definitely a band that you have to experience live to appreciate the sheer talent these lads bring to the stage.