On Thursday 21st of August 2014, everyone was gearing up excitedly for the biggest event in Berkshire’s annual music calender: Reading Festival. A few took a trip to Reading for an entirely different reason that evening though. Forget tents and lukewarm cider, this was something a bit more low key; Mallory Knox were to play an acoustic warm-up set in the new Vans Store ahead of their performance at the festival.
The intimate venue was packed from wall to wall as the Cambridgeshire boys walked through the crowd to the front of the store. Handing out hellos and high-fives to excited fans left, right and centre, it was clear to see that this genuinely humble band were stoked with the impressive turnout. Once settled, Mikey and Joe opened with a shiver-inducing rendition of ‘Ghost In The Mirror’, taken from the eagerly anticipated forthcoming album Asymmetry. The new track has the trademark anthemic chorus that we’ve all come to expect from the Mallory Knox boys, and even people who didn’t quite know the words yet were tapping their toes and nodding their heads in appreciation.
‘Ghost In The Mirror’ was followed by some familiar fan favourites, including ‘Lighthouse’, ‘Beggars’ and ‘Hello’, all taken from the critically acclaimed studio album: Signals. Much to the delight of fans, the guys also played a great rendition of ‘Oceans’, taken from the aptly named debut EP Pilot. Despite the removal of the electric guitars and high-octane drumming, the set had great momentum and energy, which was complimented by the band’s natural ability to make each fan feel involved in the performance. The standout performance of the evening though was, without a doubt, the stripped down version of “Death Rattle”. The vocal interplay between front man, Mikey Chapman and lead guitarist, Joe Savins gifts the recorded version of the song with a lovely balance of light and shade, but the personality their vocal sounds added to this intimate performance was nothing short of spine tingling. The crowd sung the chorus back to the band with passion and in perfect unison, prompting Mikey to exclaim: “You guys sound great!”. Not nearly as good as you guys we’re afraid Mr Chapman, no where near.
Mallory Knox have been making a name for themselves over the last couple of years through the medium of their blistering, high-octane live shows. Being able to see them play acoustically was a refreshing change and demonstrated to all those present how considerably talented this band really are. They have an infectious charisma and stage presence that can’t be denied, even when they’re playing on a shop floor. The stripped down set and intimate venue really allowed Mikey’s vocals to take centre stage, as well as allowing the lucky fans present to get a real sense of the boy’s personalities as they bantered and joked their way through the performance. It’s a rare chance to see a band who are becoming increasingly successful and popular by the minute in such a small, unique venue. For this Mallory Knox, we thank you wholeheartedly. Keep doing what you’re doing.
