Source: PR Image
Those who have witnessed Counterfeit‘s live set will understand how the band managed to play to such big crowds even before the release of their debut album. Now off the back of the release of their full-length Together We Are Stronger and a European tour, we caught the band play a hometown show at the Underworld on one of the final days of tour.
While Counterfeit are all about high energy, first band on the lineup Faux‘s more mellow vibe fell a little short. Though their tracks were catchy and the delivery was heartfelt, it was oftentimes quite difficult for them to truly capture the attention of the crowd. Not to take away from their performance, but perhaps they would have been better suited on a different lineup.
On the other hand, the more energetic pop punk sounds of Tigress got the audience up on their feet and nicely warmed up for the long night ahead. With an EP co-produced by John Mitchell and You Me At Six‘s Max Helyer on their belt, it is no surprise to see the crowd take to the large choruses and upbeat danceability.
Counterfeit have never been one to waste any time getting into the heat of things, and will hardly take time to breathe between the raucous tracks. Their set is incredibly fast paced, moving quick between tracks but never faltering from the destructive energy we have come to expect from them. The small sized stage at Underworld almost seemed claustrophobic for the band so it’s no surprise to see frontman Jamie Campbell Bower hurling himself into the crowd every time he got the chance, performing amidst the impassioned sing alongs of their highly dedicated fans.
‘Letters For The Lost’ is always a special moment of the set, where Bower sets himself up in the middle of the pit and the audience circles around him as he performs the track he wrote about a friend lost to suicide. This track is always the emotional peak of the set, one that leaves everyone in an overwhelmed silence as the last note is struck. It doesn’t take long before the mosh pits resume again as ‘Family Suicide’ kicks things back to the high-octane atmosphere.
After a powerful performance of ‘Come Get Some’, the band briefly walk off stage but the crowd were not ready for the night to end just quite yet. Counterfeit were happy to deliver with an encore of ‘Hold Fire’ and ‘Enough’, both instrumental in ending the night on a high note, where Bower spent a majority of the time in the pit and hanging off the railings of the venue. With no risks left not taken, Counterfeit‘s live show is a true testament to how they have gotten to the stage they are at during such a short lifespan.
