Band: Funeral For A Friend
Support: Rise To Remain
Date: 2nd April 2011
Why on earth would a well-established band like ‘Funeral For A Friend’ play a youth club down in Cornwall? Because they like intimate, small venues and that is definitely what ‘Livewire Festival’ in Saltash is tonight. Perfect scenery, amazing canteen food but no alcohol..? No bother, there are two pubs either side of the venue. Perfect!
London based rockers ‘Rise To Remain’ are first. Lead vocalist ‘Austin Dickinson‘ knows instantly how to warm up the crowd and the audience do not take long to warm to them. Having a Father in such a huge rock band must help him out a bit surely.
An instant ‘Iron Maiden’ influence is distinctive throughout their set list. Both their drummer and lead guitarist are a huge talent and by far the best track they perform is ‘Purify‘. Amazing guitar licks with classic riffs that have you nodding along.
Next is what everyone is waiting for. We literally have no idea that we are about to see one of the best performances of our lives.
Funeral For A Friend exploded on stage and are as tight and fantastic as ever! There is so much entertainment during their entire set, it would take me forever to list everything that is happening this evening.
The audience laughs continuously thorough out every song interval and we question whether lead singer ‘Matt Davies’ should take up a career in comedy? He jokes with his onlookers after he has bread and butter thrown at him and constant abuse from one crowd member who is given the opportunity to take part in a ‘solo mosh pit’. Probably one of the funniest things ever.
Highlights are definitely little Brad crowd surfing after Kris threw him into a sea of hands from the stage; at just 12 years old it must of made his life. Including the fact the band gave him drumsticks at the end of the show. Bless him!
Their entire set list is phenomenal and every single track is pure perfection. The variety was exceptional as they flick through their discography.
Some fans are known to prefer the older albums by Funeral For A Friend but their new album ‘Welcome Home Armageddon‘ is still a definite album to be proud of. They receive the same madness and deafening screams from their fans throughout as they play tracks ‘Sixteen‘ and ‘Front Row Seats To The End Of The World‘, taken from that album.
Best tracks were ‘Juneau‘ from their first full-length album ‘Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation‘; the crowd singing along to the chorus of this track was beautiful. ‘History‘ taken from their album ‘Hours‘ was another clear highlight of the evening. Final stand out track was another classic ‘Escape Artists Never Die‘, also from their debut album and an obvious closing track of the evening.
Overall, it would be impossible to express how amazing this show really is and if you have not yet seen Funeral For A Friend in their epic long ten years of music be sure to do so soon.
Reviewer: Steph Knight
Photos: Andrew Ford
