Source: Gemma Bell
Another cold November evening and another show rolls into Brixton Academy. This time it’s a cracker of a lineup featuring Californians Pierce The Veil, supported by up and coming rockers Creeper and explosive legends Letlive.
While we didn’t get in early enough to see Creeper (blame the trains, not us) the sea of fans bedecked in their merch promised us that their presence was felt within the venue. As the crowd swells to capacity a few minutes before Letlive come onto the stage, we get the feeling that a lot of people have an idea what to expect. No two Letlive shows are the same, as frontman Jason Butler chooses his movements carefully and scales whatever part of the staging he can. Letlive are meaningful; their music has messages and their showmanship ensures this is a full on show, not merely live music.
As Jason runs, jumps and bashes his way into the crowd, and even runs upstairs to hang over the balcony, the intensity of their live shows shines through. ‘Muther’ comes in right near the end of the night, as Jason tells the women in the room “This world is going to act like you owe them something. I’m here to tell you, you don’t owe the world shit. You are the reason the world spins around”. Jason Butler is far more than just charismatic; he’s an explosive, dynamic, passionate frontman leading a band on the cusp of greatness.
A curtain hangs from the ceiling above the stage, and as soon as an image is projected onto it, the venue whips into a frenzy, with teenage girls and boys alike screaming so loud we wish we hadn’t forgotten our ear plugs. With a brand new album out earlier this year, Pierce The Veil carry its space theme through and through, from their set design to the fact that they enter the stage in white jumpsuits, starting the party with a blast of confetti.
Beginning with a number of new tracks, it doesn’t take long for the band to warm up and showcase how strong their setlist is. Bodies are moving, voices are screaming and for a lot of girls who tumble over the front the excitement is just a little too much. With an acoustic version of ‘Kissing in Cars’ breaking up the middle of the set the whole night feels fluid; this is a band who know how to put on a great show.
‘Tangled In The Great Escape’ was recorded with vocals from Jason of Letlivem so it comes as no surprise that he joins the band on stage to prove that his falsetto vocals are just as great as frontman Vic’s as the pair’s styles blend together so perfectly. Some of their tracks might be squeaky clean, almost pop laden, but it’s moments like this that tease at their heavier nature and deeper vocals that you realize Pierce The Veil are most definitely a rock band.
The end of the night is signaled with one track from Misadventures (‘Circles’) but ends with arguably their biggest hit, ‘King For A Day’ ,which is sung back with such volume from the crowd that we struggle to hear Vic. A devoted crowd showing their appreciation as Co2, ribbons and confetti drown the crowd in a sea of colour.
