Band: Hadouken!
Venue: Yeovil Orange Box
Date: 26th October 2010
This was the second time that I have seen Hadouken! live so I had some kind of idea what to expect. A room full of buzzing fans with amazing energy, some crazy lighting and head pounding tunes to have a good rave to.
They kicked off with Rebirth and really got their on-lookers going, the venue was already buzzing.
Then I heard the synth slide beats to my favourite Hadouken! track, ‘M.A.D‘, start to play. I joined in the madness because I was really loving what I was listening too. It was musical perfection and I really cannot flaw them. Alice is such a talented keyboard player and really makes the track brilliant.
After only hearing the first few tracks, I instantly knew Hadouken! were as good as I had anticipated. I was already pleasantly content with their performance. The only problem for myself and I think the band was the ridiculous heat in the venue. I have concluded that the Orange Box needs to change its name to the Sweat Box. I have never experienced anything like it in my entire life. It was like hundreds of people being in a giant oven, the temperature was that ridiculous.
Thank goodness, I had my army style boots on with good grip to them because if I had on some plimsolls or the like, it would have been like going skiing. The floor was that wet from the sweat in the place, It was horrible.
Never the less the heat did not seem to bother the abundance of adoring Hadouken! fans in the vicinity. Every single song that they recognized they went crazy. It was a sea of psychotic teenagers raving their socks off for the bands entire set list. I have to admire them all and I was extremely surprised nobody was injured or passed out from exhaustion or over exerting themselves.
I tried to enjoy myself but I could not concentrate on anything else apart from how fucking hot I was. Getting sweaty armpits shoved in my face and boob marks imprinted on my t-shirt is not my idea of fun. Do not get me wrong I do not mind to get a bit sweaty at a gig because it is expected, but this really was a joke. I was surrounded by 16 year old revellers as they threw themselves around whilst their glow-in-the-dark face paint was dripping off their faces. The audience were being squashed to death whilst having a bath in their own sweat. It was disgusting.
James, lead vocalist, inhaled cider through out the whole show. I would have been hammered if I were him! He blamed the heat, which was clearly obvious, and after one track, he spat back half a can on to his fans; lovely! He thanked his audience and told them he fucking loved them and did not understand, as I did not, how they stuck with them and ignored the heat.
‘Bombshock’ was the next track they played and by then the venue completely stunk! So now I have concluded the ‘Orange Box’ was now called ’The Sweat/Stink Box‘!
The best buzz of the night for the band must have been when they played ‘That Boy, That Girl’. It was awesome! Fan’s jumped up and down whilst yelling the lyrics of the song to the band. It was truly breathtaking for me, as I stood at the back of the room watching them.
So all in all a fantastic show I thought, but perhaps a challenged venue..? I am surprised they get such good acts to perform there when the temperature in that place can get so bad even in the winter. Therefore, my advice to the Orange Box is please getting some kind of air con or even some windows fitted!
Reviewer: Steph Knight
