Fightstar – Maverick Stage
An air of anticipation and curiosity fills the Maverick Stage for Fightstar’s pending headline festival. A mixture of old fans and new eagerly awaiting their arrival… although the question that begged be answered – have they still got it? Oh my goodness, even more so than they ever have done! Fightstar play a solid set of songs which particularly lean towards their amazing debut album Grand Unification. But with this much passion and fire still in them, their set doesn’t just feel like one of nostalgia and great memories, but almost more so like the beginning of a rebirth. And with the announcement of a brand new album to be coming real soon, it will soon be apparent all over again why you fell in love with them in the first place – especially with the love the crowd show during set closer ‘Palahnuik’s Laughter’. Welcome back, gentlemen! 8/10 JPM
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A – Jake’s Stage
Now this was a set full of old memories to say the least! Headlining Jake’s Stage on the Friday night is early 2000-relevant skate rock dudes A, whose hit single ‘Nothing’ propelled them all in to the alternative rock stratosphere. When the band arrive on stage two things are very immediate – they have aged a fair bit. Secondly, where the hell is original bassist Dan Carter?! Of all the projects and pies he has his fingers in, it was a shame he could not be part of what got him to where he is now. But regardless of said facts, the band pull through a tight set full of nostalgia with decent execution and even announce that the possibility of a new album next year is on the cards! Whilst it is still questionable if they are even remotely relevant today, only time will tell whether they will be a band finally progressing on to the next road ahead, or whether they are just a glorified piece of nostalgia. 6/10 JPM
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Yellowcard
Yellowcard’s Ocean Avenue is one of those albums that is now cemented into pop-punk history as one of the classics and, for those wanting to have a break from the hair metal of the Sunday main stage, being able to catch their set was a breath of fresh air away from the hairspray and leather trousers.
Yellowcard never fail to impress live as they pound through every track as if it’s there last. Tracks such as ‘Way Away’ and ‘Only One’ sound as powerful as ever and when you have the violin player pulling a backflip from the drum riser you know the band are loving it as much as the crowd are. As the Ocean Avenue title track belted out as the bands last track it bought home those memories of when a lot of us heard this band for the first time; “We were both 16 and it felt so right. Sleeping all day, staying up all night” – Well maybe change that to mid twenties for me but you get the point. 9/10 CH
