THE FORTELOUD FAMILY'S
Best Live Performances of 2015
LUKE// Press to Meco @ Little Buildings, Newcastle
Annoyingly, I have no footage or photos of this gig, especially considering how much of a fairytale it was for myself and some mates of mine. Little Buildings is a pretty crummy little rehearsal space in the beautiful Ouseburn area of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is not really a venue. So it was interesting to hear that, as a consequence of a double-booking at a different place, Press to Meco ended up playing this teeny-weeny little rehearsal room as one of the dates for their debut album tour. My band got to support them. THAT'S NUTS.
The room could maybe fit 75 people in at best. So much to the surprise of the unaware building owner, who clearly had no idea who this band were, it was crammed full. The only things mic'd up on stage were vocals, and Press to Meco had control of the PA (like I said, it really is just a practice room). The sound was perfect. Absolutely perfect. People at the back and at the front were equally amazed at how perfectly you could hear every last vocal line as crisply as ever. And they absolutely nailed it. Three fresh-faced guys doing their first solo headline tour, travelling around in a little hired-out van, played one of the liveliest, tightest, most energetic gigs anyone will possible ever see.
Size isn't everything. At least not in music.
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ELLIE// Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett @ Royal Albert Hall, London
If you know me well then you will know that I absolutely live for Lady Gaga, she's my favourite artist, and I love how she can change up her sound and concepts between albums. Her last album Cheek to Cheek was a jazz collaboration with the legend Tony Bennett, and it performed extraordinarily well, considering Gaga is primarily a pop artist but her voice really suits jazz music, and I really love the album, so I was so excited when it was announced that the pair were touring, so I managed to grab some awesome tickets in the little monster fanclub presale. The show was amazing, and so different to any show I had ever been to before. Both Gaga and Tony showed their vocal strengths, accompanied by a full live orchestra, it was just a really magical show. In particular Gaga sang a french song, la vie en rose so beautifully, everyone was on their feet. Tony also did so great considering how long he's been singing for, and he's still going strong. It's a random but ultimately genius pairing, and I hope they will continue to make music together in the future, because seeing it live was a truly magical experience.
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CHARLOTTE// The Tallest Man on Earth @ Huxley's Neue Welt, Berlin
At the beginning of 2015, I was in my second year of University applying for my Erasmus year abroad. I was planning on going to Berlin but my place at the University had yet to be confirmed. With a good friend of mine, who was also planning Berlin to be their year abroad, we saw that he had tickets on sale for a gig in Berlin – the London gig had already sold out, so this was our only other option - not knowing what country we would be in, we bought the tickets anyway. In May, we found out we were accepted into the University to study there for our year abroad. Then October came around, and we were finally going. The gig was in Huxley’s Neue Welt – a really nice venue for a gig, we also managed to see Snarky Puppy there too later in October. After the support act – Phil Cook, an American singer-songwriter who was previously a part of Justin Vernon’s DeYarmond Edison – The Tallest Man On Earth’s set began. His set was brilliant; he played a good amount of his previous work while still playing the album that was his main project for the tour (his newest release, Dark Bird Is Home). What topped the gig off, was him playing Where Do My Bluebird Fly, the song that I've always loved and has to be one of my favourite songs of his. Out of all the gigs I’ve been to this year, The Tallest Man On Earth is the Best Live Performance of 2015 that I witnessed.
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JAMIE// Northlane @ O2 Academy Islington, London
A friend of mine had a spare ticket to this gig so I tagged along on a whim. Only hearing a few songs from the band beforehand, I had no idea what to expect and was effectively going in blind. I was informed of the supports before the gig consisting of The Acacia Strain, Hellions and Volumes… again I had no idea but little did I know this would be the heaviest and most energetic gigs I had ever been to.
Dabbling into the heavier scene occasionally only enjoying a few songs here and there, I wouldn't exactly call myself a metalcore fan. But I have to admit this gig was pretty damn incredible and really widened my previously skewed view of the genre.
I had been to the O2 Academy Islington in London more times than I could count but somehow before the gig started me and my friend managed to find this fairly secret awesome upstairs area with a balcony overlooking the stage. (Still unsure whether we were actually allowed up there mind you…). But here we had the most insane view of the action and thankfully were safe from the mayhem which was the mental crowd below.
The supports were pretty decent, each one coming on and warming up the crowd that little bit more, the crowd’s energy gradually growing. By the time Volumes arrived, the third support everyone was so hyped. They came onstage wearing all white, looking more like a 90's boyband than a metalcore band. But once they started you could really see why they had formed such a large following. Their onstage presence was incredible. My favourite song they performed was Erased (combining both screams and subtle vocals working perfectly in conjunction with each other) followed by the unforgettable Edge of the Earth. If you are a metalcore fan and haven't heard any of Volumes stuff yet I'd seriously recommend you check them out.
Before long Northlane stormed onto the stage introducing with one of my favourite songs of all time, Obelisk. The newest member of the band Marcus Bridge absolutely stole the stage. Having only replaced the original vocals Adrian Fitipaldes less than a year ago, who knew Marcus could fit into the band so effortlessly. If I wasn't previously informed I would've thought the band had spent a decade performing together, with Marcus by no means coming across as the newbie! The whole band looked so comfortable on stage, and it became clear it is where Marcus belonged. The Node tour saw them to perform the entirety of their newest album in full. This album was in very close competition with the Wonder Years to be my "Album of 2015", its honestly that great! Rot was another song of theirs performed to absolute perfection on the night. Check out my own footage of Volumes and Northlane below. I apologise in advance for the poor quality video but I hope you can get the idea of just how insane this gig really was.
For someone who used to wince slightly when she heard heavy screams Northlane have really allowed me to find my feet in the metalcore genre, finally finding that crossover between rock and metal. As lame as it sounds if it wasn't for discovering Northlane last October at this gig I probably wouldn't be listening to some of the heavier stuff I know and love today.
Before long Northlane stormed onto the stage introducing with one of my favourite songs of all time, Obelisk. The newest member of the band Marcus Bridge absolutely stole the stage. Having only replaced the original vocals Adrian Fitipaldes less than a year ago, who knew Marcus could fit into the band so effortlessly. If I wasn't previously informed I would've thought the band had spent a decade performing together, with Marcus by no means coming across as the newbie! The whole band looked so comfortable on stage, and it became clear it is where Marcus belonged. The Node tour saw them to perform the entirety of their newest album in full. This album was in very close competition with the Wonder Years to be my "Album of 2015", its honestly that great! Rot was another song of theirs performed to absolute perfection on the night. Check out my own footage of Volumes and Northlane below. I apologise in advance for the poor quality video but I hope you can get the idea of just how insane this gig really was.
For someone who used to wince slightly when she heard heavy screams Northlane have really allowed me to find my feet in the metalcore genre, finally finding that crossover between rock and metal. As lame as it sounds if it wasn't for discovering Northlane last October at this gig I probably wouldn't be listening to some of the heavier stuff I know and love today.
//Obelisk by Northlane
//Also totally got to meet Marcus Bridge after the gig.. jealous much.
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DAISY// Mumford & Sons @ Apple Music Festival, Roundhouse, London
The Prodigy at T in the Park was a clear winner, or so I thought. The whole experience was incredible and completely overwhelming. It was my first mosh pit (lol @ me) and the entire set was a party from the very start to the very end. There weren’t any breaks and I spent the entire performance in different locations within the crowd, literally seeing The Prodigy from each possible angle.
In an almost complete opposite experience, I was seated in the Roundhouse to see Mumford & Sons play their set, in which the only movement I did was clapping my hands and standing up. The entire atmosphere from the outside looked calmer let me say that that Mumford gig was just as intensity captivating and exciting (even without the mosh pit)
Slower ballads allowed the display of one of my favourite moments that rarely happen at gigs: the realisation the audience is completely silent. This was demonstrated best when the band stood together centre stage huddled around a guitar to then harmonise and perform without a mic. This was such a special moment for me; it was as if we were all sitting with Mumford together, listening in on them rehearsing a song. It was really refreshing to hear the band play acoustically without the need of lights or microphone to enhance their performances not to say that their anthemic hits are not as good; these tracks saw the entire room punch the sky as we screamed "and I will wait I will wait for you!"
This was unlike any performance I had ever seen before. It was intimate and powerful, fun and fantastic and the band were 100% on form. I didn't want it to end!
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